Maple Grove slips by Eagles in top-10 showdown

Eden Prairie head coach Mike Grant had a message for his team after the No. 8 Eagles’ 28-14 loss to top-ranked and defending state champion Maple Grove on Friday.

“We’ll see them again, hopefully in the state finals,” he told his players in the postgame huddle. “We absolutely can beat them, but you have to eliminate the mistakes.”

That “but” was a large exception for the Eagles, whose mistakes were certainly the difference in the outcome of the contest, a rematch of last November’s second-round playoff game that ended the Eagles’ season.

Early on, Eden Prairie looked to be in full command, holding the high-powered Crimson without a first down on their first two series of the game.

“We put up a fight,” senior defensive back Isaiah Kelly said. “Defensively, the first half was really good for our defense, even though we had a couple mistakes here and there.”

The Eagles scored first when Andrew Johnson bolted in from the 3-yard line to cap a seven-play, 45-yard drive.

Harrison Serk’s point-after gave Eden Prairie a 7-0 lead with 11:09 left in the second quarter.

“Our game plan went well,” Eagles senior guard and captain Ethan Sather said of the first-half output. “We had some bumps in the road again. Just little mistakes killed us tonight. Small leaks sink big ships. So we’ve got to work on those and figure those out.”

One of those leaks trickled through with 8:30 remaining in the second quarter as Eden Prairie held a 7-0 lead.

Senior defensive end Gavin Walden sacked Maple Grove quarterback Kaden Hamey on a fourth-and-14 play at the Eden Prairie 46-yard line.

The Eagles took over on downs, but an illegal block on first-and-10 from the Maple Grove 25-yard line set them back.

A holding penalty on the next play nullified a 15-yard gain by Konrad that would have given the Eagles a first down at the Crimson 20.

Instead, the Eagles failed to convert on their next third down, sending in Serk for a 45-yard field goal attempt.

Serk’s kick sailed into the sunset, dead center toward the goal posts, only to hit the crossbar on its descent.

Maple Grove took over on downs and drove the length of the field, running out the first-half clock with a 12-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Hamey to tie the score at 7-7 as the half expired.

“Just questionable penalties,” Grant said after the game, visibly frustrated with some of the officials’ calls.

“It’s a close game,” Grant said. “And our kids did a lot of really good things, but you’ve got to finish these games.”

Eden Prairie was flagged for nine penalties totaling 100 yards, while Maple Grove had four for 46.

The Crimson carried the momentum from their long first-half scoring drive into the second half, dominating the Eagles with a punishing rushing game.

Maple Grove running back James Engle rushed for 233 yards on 33 carries as the Crimson put up 366 yards of total offense.

Engle exploded up the middle for a 71-yard touchdown with 5:08 left in the third quarter, giving Maple Grove a lead they never lost.

“In the second half, we couldn’t execute,” Kelly said. “It’s a two-half game, and we only played one good half this game.”

Maple Grove struck again when Hamey connected with Jeffery Nordvol for 49 yards and another touchdown with 27 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Crimson led 21-7 through much of the fourth quarter before Eden Prairie running back Owen Konrad scored on an 8-yard run with 2:11 remaining in regulation.

With a tie game a possibility, Eden Prairie attempted an onside kick that slipped through the grasp of an Eagles defender.

Maple Grove silenced any hopes for a comeback on its first play from scrimmage on the ensuing series. Hamey broke loose on a quarterback sneak for a 57-yard touchdown and a 28-14 lead.

Konrad bolstered the Eagles’ offense for the second straight week, sharing the backfield with junior running back Windlan Hall.

Hall rushed for 54 yards on seven carries, while Konrad, a sophomore seeing his first varsity action in the season opener against Anoka on Aug. 28, rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries.

“We played fine, we could have played better, could have played worse. Mistakes happened,” Konrad said. “It’s week two, so we have six more games after this, and we’re going to get better and better each week, so that’s all we really care about.”

One year ago, Konrad was playing on the freshman 9A squad. This season, he leads the Eagles with 279 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns through the first two games.

Konrad said he was thankful to be on the field with an opportunity to contribute, but wasn’t surprised by the amount of playing time he’s had so far in the young season.

“You’ve got to put in the hard work, and hard work pays off, and that’s what I did,” he said. “So I mean, I’m surprised, but not surprised at the same time.”

Behind a formidable offensive line with the likes of Sather, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound guard, fellow senior Jake Gau, a 6-7, 290-pound tackle, and the rest of the men up front, Konrad and fellow running backs Hall and Justice Bates are poised to generate big yards in the running game.

“(Konrad) is such an amazing athlete. All of our backs are,” Sather said. “It’s a privilege to be able to block for a guy like him.”

The head coach agreed. “He plays great for a sophomore. He’s fantastic. Got to keep him healthy, and he’ll have a big year,” Grant said.

The Eagles will need the services of all their backs when they face Edina Friday night at Aerie Stadium.

The Hornets reached the state quarterfinals last season and handed the Eagles a 35-14 loss in Week 2 of the 2024 campaign.

The No. 4 Hornets enter the contest with a 2-0 record, coming off a 40-14 drubbing of Wayzata on Friday.

“I’m excited to face Edina. It should be a good test,” Sather said. “We just can’t have small things happen. We’ve got to eliminate those mistakes.”