Minutes after shaking hands with Champlin Park opponents at midfield, Wayzata's football players retreated to the track in front of the student section, gave a valiant effort at an orchestrated postgame cheer, then took a knee back on the field. Coach Brad Anderson strolled to the middle of the huddle with his head down, then looked up at his forlorn squad.
"Guys," he said, flashing a smile. "We won!"
Yes, the defending Class 5A champs moved on to Friday's Section 5 title game with the victory over the Rebels. But the 21-14 score was not exactly what the players had in mind. When you've blown out an opponent 127-43 like the Trojans had over Champlin Park in four previous playoff meetings, it can get that way.
"It was a nice victory that we had but we let them stay in the game," Wayzata running back Antonio Ford said. "We know we're a lot better than that. The only thing that held us back was ourselves. We're going to [regroup] for [this] week for sure and bring forth a lot more effort."
Ford rushed 25 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Nine of those carries came during critical clock-munching minutes down the stretch in the fourth quarter, with fellow senior back Erik Roti on the bench because of an injury.
Ford's 5-yard touchdown on the second play of the second half -- after a 72-yard scamper by Roti -- wound up being the difference but the Trojans had to sweat it out.
"We had to step up after that," Ford said. "Hold onto the ball, because we had to win this game."
Mack sisters going to AkronJuniors Brenna and Callie Mack, twin sisters from Mound-Westonka, have verbally committed to the University of Akron volleyball program.
