Prep athletes of the week: Spring Lake Park quarterback doubles down on the 70s

His team's lead cut to a single point, 27-26, early in the third quarter, the 6-1, 200-pound senior quarterback delivered the response. On the Panthers' next play from scrimmage, Ojile took the snap, faked a dive to the fullback, slid left down the line of scrimmage and turned the corner. Seventy-five yards later, he was crossing the goal line, having sprinted away from the Cooper defense.

Spring Lake Park had its cushion back, 34-26, and the Panthers never were seriously threatened after that.

It was Ojile's second long scoring run of the game en route to a career-high 262 yards rushing on 20 carries in a 57-39 victory over Cooper. The victory capped an 8-0 regular season, clinched the Suburban Red championship and locked the Panthers into the No. 1-seed in Class 5A, Section 5.

After the game, Ojile said he never paid attention to the defenders trying to chasing him down.

"I don't know what they were doing," Ojile said. "All I know is that the offensive line was getting movement right away and giving me room to run."

While that run deflated Cooper's hopes, his first one — a 73-yarder after a Cooper field goal — was the foundation for the Panthers' big game.

"It gave us a little momentum," he said. "And we just kept rolling with it for the rest of the game."

EMILY BUNNELL

A recent bout with pneumonia was not going to keep the senior midfielder down. She scored three goals, two in the first half, to lift the Raptors to a 4-0 victory over Stillwater in the Class 2A, Section 4 final.

Last week the senior, who was an integral part of Trinity's 2014 Class 1A state championship and 2015 third-place teams, won an individual title for herself. She won the MCAA Conference meet at Bassett Creek Park in a 5K time of 19:49.9.

In a match that had volleyball fans raving about the high level of play, senior setter/hitter Hilley played the highest of all. She had 24 kills and 14 digs as the Rebels handed Eagan, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, its first loss, a three-setter in the final of the Chaska Invitational.

The senior running back had his best game of the season in a 34-16 victory over Bloomington Jefferson in the regular-season finale. Olson rushed 22 times for 205 yards and scored three touchdowns.

JIM PAULSEN