5A quarterfinals: Eden Prairie 7, Wayzata 3

Go figure. The most anticipated Class 5A football game of the season was decided in great measure by the right leg of a self-described basketball player.

Top-ranked Eden Prairie defeated defending state champion Wayzata 7-3 in a state quarterfinal Friday night at the Metrodome, and Brett Ervin was the MVP. The Eden Prairie punter is a 6-5 senior who booted the ball a career-high eight times while partaking of his No. 2 sport.

His longest punt was the biggest. Ervin booted a 49-yarder that pinned Wayzata at its own 7 early in the second quarter. The Trojans went three-and-out, and Eden Prairie got the ball back at Wayzata's 31. The touchdown came six plays later, when Brian Athey threw to Taylor Grant for a 15-yard score on third-and-4.

"It's a great feeling," Ervin said. "I'm a basketball player and I can't wait until that starts, but it's so fun playing in here."

The Eagles (11-0) will play in the semifinals one week from today, back at the Metrodome against Mounds View.

It was a safe bet that the defenses would be major Friday. Each team came in with a defensive average of eight points per game, but 7-3? Maybe in baseball.

"I was hoping it would be this type of game," Wayzata coach Brad Anderson said. "I knew they were great defensively, I thought our defense was great, and I thought points would be at a premium. And that punter, holy cow. I've never seen a punter change the field the way he did. He had a big impact tonight."

Wayzata (9-2) also punted eight times, and each team committed three turnovers. In other words, this was not your garden-variety showplace of high-flying football.

"We were just trying to survive," Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant said. "We got the one touchdown and we were trying to hang on, I guess."

Wayzata's offense showed sparks of life but couldn't get into the end zone. Late in the first half Chris Kroeten ran for 24 yards, Sasha Doran threw to A.J. Tarpley for 23 yards on the next play and Ruan Albuquerke kicked a 25-yard field goal.

How odd was this game? Each team committed a turnover on one play. Early in the second half, Wayzata's Jack Egan intercepted a pass by Athey but then fumbled the ball back to the Eagles. Three plays later, an Eden Prairie fumble gave the ball right back to Wayzata, and Doran found A.J. Troup on a 38-yard pass to Eden Prairie's 20. Troup, Wayzata's leading receiver, was hurt on the play and left the field on a cart. Albuquerke then missed left on a 34-yard field goal try.

The loss of Troup was major for the Trojans.

"A.J.'s such a factor in the passing game that teams have to double-team him," Anderson said. "And even when they do, sometimes he'll make plays. They were able to change some of what they were doing coveragewise and come up and pressure the line of scrimmage.

"We had our chances and we didn't find a way to get it in. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but I can't fault our players and their effort. I feel proud of our team tonight."

John Millea • jmillea@startribune.com