In many ways, Chanhassen and Chaska couldn't be closer. Barely 2 1/2 miles apart in the same school district, they met on Saturday for the first time in their four-year rivalry with advancement in the football playoffs at stake.
Score Round 1 for Chanhassen, playing at home and holding strong late to defeat the Hawks 20-14.
The Storm raced to a 14-0 lead on Nathan Johnson's 2-yard run on its first offensive possession and an acrobatic 24-yard catch by Jared Lea early in the second quarter.
The Hawks answered with a 6-yard touchdown run by Kolby Seiffert.
Another Lea touchdown, even more impressive than his first, sent the game to halftime with the Storm leading 20-7. Lea nabbed a bubble screen pass at the 15-yard line, then twisted and dove across the goal line.
"Jared's a great player," Chanhassen coach Bill Rosburg said. "He's sort of a soft-spoken guy, but he's a great leader for the younger guys and a hell of an athlete."
After a scoreless third quarter, Chaska quarterback Justin Arnold found Seiffert for a 58-yard reception. That set up an eventual 1-yard touchdown plunge by Seiffert to bring Chaska within a touchdown.
Chaska threatened twice late in the game, getting into Storm territory.
