Elk River thrashes Andover in matchup of ranked 5A teams

Elk River wasn't going to let last week's upset turn into a losing streak.

The Elks, ranked sixth in Class 5A, defeated Class 5A, No. 9 Andover 69-54 on Friday at Elk River High School.

The Elks lost their 18-game winning streak and No. 1 ranking when they were upset by Rogers last week.

"It was an angry football team," Elk River coach Steve Hamilton said. "I really wanted to see how they were going to respond, and obviously they did well."

Elks senior running back Sherrod Kpahn rushed for three touchdowns and also scored a touchdown on a 27-yard pass from senior Mitch Stroh.

The Elks led only 16-14 after the first quarter. The Huskies had reached the Elk River 6-yard line, threatening to take the lead, when they fumbled and the Elks recovered. The Elks drove for a touchdown, and less than a minute later Stroh connected with Kpahn. That made it 32-14.

"After we get that turnover, the momentum shifts, and it shifts big-time," Kpahn said. "That's when the sideline goes crazy, the fans go crazy."

The Elks (6-1) scored 32 points in the second quarter for a 48-20 halftime lead. They also turned three takeaways into 25 points.

The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Huskies (5-2).

HEATHER RULE