Eagles smother Edina in dominant victory

Two years have passed since the Eden Prairie Eagles defeated Edina.

Mike Grant’s top-ranked squad trounced the Hornets 36-14 in Week 2 of the 2023 season, only to have Edina return the favor in stunning fashion two months later in the state semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium.

That postseason reprisal was a coming-out party for then-sophomore Edina quarterback Mason West, who delivered a command performance in Week 2 last season, throwing for 270 yards and four touchdowns in the Hornets’ 35-14 thumping at Kuhl Stadium in Edina.

But 2025 is a new year, one in which the Eagles had an answer for West – and his high-powered Hornets offense.

“You kind of wait for films to know exactly what happened,” Eden Prairie head coach Mike Grant said after the game. “But hey, we played hard against the top team in the state and won.”

In no uncertain terms, Eden Prairie established itself early in Friday’s contest at Aerie Stadium, with key defensive stops and disciplined offense, in a dominant 40-19 upset win over the No. 4 Hornets.

“They’re a top five team,” Grant said. “If we’re going to say we’re a top five team, then you’ve got to win these games.”

Eden Prairie set the tone on the first offensive series. Senior quarterback Jackson Bakkum connected with senior wide receiver Cooper Fahning for 47 yards on the first play from scrimmage.

The Eagles suddenly found themselves within striking distance with the ball on the Edina 28-yard line.

Junior running back Windlan Hall broke off a pair of seven-yard runs before senior running back Justice Bates punched it in from the 2.

The Eagles drove 80 yards in five plays and with just 2:08 gone in the first quarter, they led 7-0.

“It all starts with the guys up front, those O-linemen,” Bakkum said. “They practiced hard all week. We knew we had a challenge with fast, physical guys on their team. And we knew we had to make time for ourselves, and they did a great job protecting me and the other guys on the field.”

Just as the offense got off to a fast start on its first drive, the Eagles found a way to get to West on their first defensive series of the game.

Edina’s all-state quarterback connected with receiver Jabari Strader for gains of 5 and 39 yards on consecutive plays, but that was as far as the pair would venture.

With the Hornets threatening on a first-and-10 from the Eden Prairie 16-yard line, senior defensive end Gavin Walden stopped the Hornets’ Chase Bjorgaard for no gain.

On the next play, Eden Prairie’s Phillip Moita and Andrew Johnson led a swarm of tacklers to sack West for a 14-yard loss.

After a West incompletion on third-and-24, Eden Prairie freshman defensive end Jayden Bates sacked West on fourth down and the Eagles took over on downs.

Eden Prairie’s defense held Edina to 3-for-11 on third-down conversions and 2-for-4 on fourth downs.

“All week, our coach has been really hard on us, since our Maple Grove loss,” Eden Prairie linebacker Luke Henry said.

The Eagles lost 28-14 to the defending state champion and top-ranked Crimson in Week 2.

“We’ve been doing gassers, up-downs, push-ups, everything,” Henry said. “And our coaches have been moving people around, putting people in the right spots, and we’re working on everything we can.”

The extra work paid off for Eden Prairie, which held Edina to just 30 yards rushing while allowing 279 yards passing for West in a “bend but don’t break” defensive performance.

“There were turnovers on both sides, but I thought we competed and did a better job in the secondary and the rush in the second half,” Grant said.

Bakkum connected with Fahning again on Eden Prairie’s next offensive series, picking up 14 yards on third-and-17 from the Edina 45-yard line.

Senior running back Andrew Johnson picked up the first down on fourth-and-3, running 16 yards to the Edina 15-yard line.

On fourth-and-4 from the Edina 9-yard line, Bakkum found Walden for a touchdown and a 14-0 Eagles lead with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter.

“Bakkum played well,” Grant said. “He made some big throws.”

Edina scored back-to-back touchdowns in the second quarter, but a two-point conversion failed on the second score and the Eagles held on to a 14-13 margin.

Eden Prairie restored its cushion on the next offensive series. Leading rusher and sophomore running back Owen Konrad raced 58 yards for a touchdown and a 21-13 lead with 2:40 remaining in the first half.

Konrad led the Eagles with 150 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.

“We’ve got young guys, we’ve got older guys,” Bakkum said. “Owen Konrad, a sophomore, is running the ball better than anyone else out here.”

West went to work for Edina on its next series, completing five straight passes on a scoring drive covering 65 yards in eight plays over 1:41.

West found Strader on a 12-yard pass to bring the Hornets within two.

At the half, the Eagles held on to a 21-19 lead.

“We came out after halftime with intensity,” Hall said. “We were all excited.”

The Eagles held Edina scoreless in the second half. Henry led Eden Prairie with 5 solo tackles and 3 assists. He also recovered a fumble and had an interception in the third quarter.

Isaiah Kelly and Max Wykle also picked off West. Wykle returned his interception 61 yards to the Edina 38-yard line late in the fourth quarter to set up the victory formation for the Eagles.

“We’re just out there playing hard football,” Henry said. “That’s all we got. Play by play, working on it, fixing our mistakes, and we all came together as a team.”

Walden scored on a 5-yard run with 4:05 remaining in the third quarter, capping an 8-play, 25-yard drive that gave Eden Prairie a 28-19 lead.

Hall scored on a 20-yard run to finish a 9-play, 74-yard drive with 4:59 remaining in the fourth quarter. Hall finished with 105 yards on 12 carries to go with his touchdown.

Bakkum, who connected with Branden Minta on a 34-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, finished 4-for-9 passing for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns in one of his best performances in two seasons.

The Eagles generated 478 yards of total offense in their 40-19 victory.

“It feels great,” Hall said. “We lost to them last year, pretty bad. So it felt good winning that game.”

The Eagles, ranked eighth in Class 6A, are now 2-1 on the season. They will travel to St. Michael-Albertville for a clash with the Knights on Friday.

“I’ve watched (STMA) a little bit, but anytime you go over there, they’ve got a rich tradition of being good,” Grant said. “So we’ve got to play well.

“You don’t have a week off here.”

Editor’s note: EPLN photographer Rick Olson contributed to this story.