Edina rolls away from Farmington in first round of Class 6A football playoffs

Two things were apparent right away in Edina's 42-0 romp over visiting Farmington in Friday's first round of the Class 6A playoffs.

1. Edina running back John Warpinski has nudged his way onto the list of top running backs in the metro.

2. Opponents would do well to avoid taking the Hornets lightly.

A three-game losing streak early in the season against three strong opponents had caused some unfamiliar with the Hornets to overlook them as a serious contender.

Since then, Edina, refocusing on its running attack, has not lost. The victory Friday was its fifth in a row.

Head coach Jason Potts said the return to running the ball was not the result of some shrewd coaching evaluation or "eureka" moment. It was, simply, the result of circumstances.

"The weather changed," Potts said. "It gets hard to throw sometimes with the wind and the cold and the rain and lightning storms. And so, you know, we had to put it on the ground a little bit more. And we were certainly capable of doing it."

He outraced the Farmington defense for a 26-yard touchdown on the first drive, giving Edina (6-3) a 7-0 lead. The next time the Hornets had the ball, Warpinski went 52 yards down the left side before getting tripped up at the 6 by the Tigers (3-6). He found the end zone three plays later, bumping the lead to 14-0.

"I give all the credit to the offensive line," said Warpinski, who finished with a season-high 222 yards rushing, his fifth straight game in triple figures.

Edina's passing game, which it leaned on early in the season, is capable and gives the Hornets balance. Strong-armed sophomore quarterback Mason West has plenty of weapons, led by junior Meyer Swinney. Swinney stood out Friday, turning two short passes into long touchdowns.

After the game, Potts agreed his team is peaking right now.

"We are better than we were at the start of the season, and that's the message we give as coaches," he said. "We're always chopping wood. Just keep swinging the ax."