The Eden Prairie Eagles avenged their earlier season loss to Shakopee with a 28-12 victory over the Sabers in the state football quarterfinals Thursday night.
The game was played on a cold and blustery night on a neutral site at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park. Wind was a major factor in the game as both teams battled with 20 mph gusts and temperatures below freezing.
Shakopee stuck first with a first-quarter touchdown but failed on the extra point.
The Eagles tied the game with Nick Fazi’s 9-yard pass to Adam Mertens with 1:04 remaining in the second quarter. The extra point was missed, and the score was tied 6-6.
The Eagles defense stopped Shakopee on the ensuing series, giving the offense another opportunity to score before halftime.
With one second remaining, Luca Ratkovich booted a 37-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 9-6 lead at the intermission.
Hawken Hedlund scored on an 11-yard run to start the second half.
Devin Jordan scored two second-half touchdowns, as the Eagles methodically moved the ball late in the game and controlled the clock.
The Eagles defense turned in a superb performance, shutting down Shakopee’s formidable running game and Saber running back Jadon Hellerud.
With their victory, the Eagles advance to the state semifinals and will face Rosemount next Friday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Check back in with eplocalnews.org for complete coverage of the Class 6A state quarterfinals. EPLN will soon post an in-depth game story of Shakopee vs. Eden Prairie.
Comments
Comments aren’t allowed on our site, but we do offer several ways to provide feedback, and have your voice heard. If you believe the story has an error, or would like to get in touch with the author, please contact us. If you would like to respond directly to this article, we welcome and encourage Letters To the Editor. You can find details on how to submit a letter on our contact page.