Elk River routs Spring Lake Park in Class 5A title game to finish 13-0

Prep football fans started buying into Elk River, which finished an utterly dominant season with another rout of a very good team by defeating previously undefeated Spring Lake Park 42-14 on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Class 5A championship game, about the fourth game of the season.

That's when the Elks crushed defending champion St. Michael-Albertville 43-6 without giving up an offensive touchdown. They would not to be ignored and they weren't, jumping into the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press state polls.

But the Elks knew much earlier. Coach Steve Hamilton knew. This team was the masterpiece, the magnum opus, the culmination of a unique and successful style that blended a vintage style with modern-day athleticism. When he arrived six years ago, taking over a program scarred by a hazing scandal, Hamilton knew the best way to success was to do something no one else was doing.

He installed an old-style offense — the straight-T — and bolstered it with quick, agile linemen. It seemed gimmicky for a while, but the genius showed through this year. The Elks ran roughshod over every team they played, building up huge leads despite treating the forward pass as if it were a holiday treat. They averaged more than 45 points per game, with most of their essentially games being over by halftime.

It was assumed that Spring Lake Park would be Elk River's biggest test. The Panthers have big, tough lines, a quarterback in senior Zach Ojile who had never lost a game as a starter and familiarity with defending option-style offenses.

The test lasted all of two Elk River offensive plays. Captain/running back/emotional leader Sam Gibas sliced off right tackle for 60 yards and a touchdown. The Elks led 7-0.

Elk River added three more touchdowns in the first half, all on long runs. Sherrod Kpahn scored from 50 yards out and Nick Rice added a pair of touchdowns on runs of 33 and 54 yards.

The Elks defense was not to be overlooked. Spring Lake Park managed just 98 yards in the first half, well below its per-game average.

The Panthers showed life early in the second half, scoring on a 1-yard run by Nick Robinson and cutting the lead to 27-7.

No matter. Elk River responded with two more deflating scores.

One was on a 50-yard run by Rice, who finished with 243 yards rushing on just 13 carries. The other was a 30-yarder by backup quarterback Noah Weege.