The game of the century was all that it was hyped up to be. Rarely at any level of football do you get to see the hands down 2 best teams play for a championship, we got it tonight. MaxPreps had this football game rated as its 5th best game in the country this weekend, finally a little Minnesota football love.

The first half would come and go with not much scoring as to be expected. Eden Prairie would take a 3-0 lead into the half on a 36 yard field goal from Jake Ibach at 11:49 of the 2nd quarter. Ep was held to 2 yards per carry, and Wayzata turned the ball over twice. The Trojans ran the ball effectively, but the turnovers and penalties limited their ability to extend drives. Ep 3 Wayzata 0

As the second half began, Eden Prairie started to open some holes for Andrew Larsen. The Eagles would capitalize with another field goal from Jake Ibach late in the 3rd quarter.

There were two plays in the second half that will distinguish this game forever. The Eden Prairie stand inside their red zone holding Wayzata to a field goal and in turn holding onto an all important lead. Alex Scott the talented kicker from Wayzata put the Trojans on the board, 6-3 EP.

In the middle of the 4th quarter after a muffed punt by Wayzata, Ep would have a 4th down and 15 deep in Wayzata territory. Mike Grant would call the play of his career, a double reverse flee flicker from junior QB Grant Schaffer to wing back Jacob Woodring would get the Eagles a huge first down at the Wayzata 5 yard line and Larsen would put the game away with a scamper into the end zone to ice this contest.

Eden Prairie wins its 7th state title, 13-3 over the Trojans of Wayzata

This Class A final pits two big names in small school football with Mahnomen and Dawson-Boyd. Both teams come in at 11-0 and ripped through their respective schedules without much resistance. Today we found out who is the better of the best.

Mahnomen would get on the board first. With a pace setting 11 play 75 yard drive that ticked away 4:59 of the first quarter. Senior RB Avery Fairbanks would finish the drive with a 1 yard run at 7:01 of the first quarter. Kick would fail, 6-0 Mahnomen.

Dawson-Boyd didn’t even flinch, a drive like that could make most teams fearful and play tight, not the Blackjacks. They would score the next 3 touchdowns of the first half. Sophomore Joey Lee would get the first, on a 1 yard td run. Kick was good 7-6 D-B. Esten Weber would get the next, on a 5 yard TD run, and Justin Lee from 2 yards at 2:05 of the 2nd quarter to make the halftime score 21-6.

The first half was even in yards, TOP, first downs. The factor as usual was turnovers. The 2 fumbles lost by Mahnomen was too much to overcome, and that would be the deciding factor of the half and eventually the game.

After some back and forth 3 and outs forced by both defenses, Mahnomen would put together an impressive 8 play 79 yard drive that Jacob Pavek would finish with a 1 yard dive. With a perfect 2 point conversion play, Mahnomen trimmed the lead to 21-14.

Dawsom-Boyd would respond immediately with a 9 play 58 yard drive of their own as Justin Lee gained his 2nd rushing td of the game to extend the lead for good. Later in the 4th quarter, Webber would also get his 2nd td of the game to put it on ice for the Blackjacks. Mahnomen would score as time expired in garbage time.

Final score: Dawson-Boyd 35 Mahnomen 20

Mankato West and Bemidji run out to a 17-14 1st quarter score. Phillip Nelson is as advertised, and Carey Woods is the best player you’ve never heard of. Both teams running versions of the spread offense, and having defensive breakdowns, letting wide recievers run free through each others secondaries.

West started the scoring barrage with a Nelson touchdown pass to his favorite target Hunter Friesen from 25 yards out, extra point was good. After recovering a muffed kick by Bemdiji, West scores again on the next play from the 20 yard line with another strike from Nelson to Friesen, again the extra point was good from kicker Bill Leitch at 9:21 of the 1st quarter.

Bemidji would answer back at 6:47 of the 1st quarter with Mitch Brown capping the drive on an 11 yard touchdown, extra point attempt good by Kyle Fodness.

Mankato West would storm back down the field with quick passes and Philip Nelson’s legs only to have Bemidji come up with a huge 3rd down stop and force a field goal and Bill Leitch would connect on a 22 yard field goal putting the Scarlets up 17-7.

If that wasn’t enough action for you, Bemidji’s Woods takes a pitch off an option pitch from Mitchell Hendricks 92 yards to close in on West cutting the score to 17-14 after the conversion of the extra point. Bemidji showing a lot of character against the favored Scarlets. The quarter ended that way, as both teams were playing explosive offensive football.

As quarter 2 opens, Hendricks hits Woods on a 61 yard TD pass only :44 into the 2nd. We’re finding out quickly that the guys in blue and white are as dynamic offensively as their counterparts, and the presence of 3 year starter Mitchell Hendricks at QB is playing a major role. After a horrific start, Bemidji leads 21-17.

West shows their own bit of swagger with an 11 play 53 yard drive that is capped with a 33 yard field goal by Leitch, making the score 21-20 just 3:49 in to the 2nd quarter.

Bemidji takes possession at the 6 minute mark and goes 99 yards on 11 attempts in just 2:59 with Cody Rutledge catching a 5 yard pass from Hendricks putting the Lumberjacks in frony 28-20. The pace of this game is mind boggling as both offenses are executing with precision.

Mankato would take over with :37 seconds remaining in the first half and drive all the way to the red zone of Bemidji only to have time expire on a touchy judgement by the linesman saying the reciever did not make it out of bounds in time. West coaches were not pleased. 28-20 Bemidji leads at the half.

Bemidji adds on to the lead with a 7 play 41 yard drive ending in a 31 yard field goal by Fedness putting the surprising Lumberjackets up 31-20.

After a Nelson interception, Bemidji stopped by the Scarlet defense and forced to punt. For the first time in the game both teams force the ball back from each other without points scored. Can you say track meet??

at :51 in the 3rd quarter we see the future Gopher QB Nelson, tuck one away and run 67 yards to pull his Scarlets to a 5 point deficit as the conversion failed. 3rd quarter ends with a score of Bemidji 31- Mankato West 26. The 4th quarter will be a wild one!

Bemidji owns the 4th quarter, with a 67 yard reception by Woods and a 46 yard run by Hendricks and another Phillip Nelson interception. Allowing the Lumberjacks to cruise on to the 4A finals 45-26

Almost by accident, I caught some of the US Open Racquetball Championships at the Lifetime Fitness in Target Center last week. If I hadn’t had a gym membership and regularly worked out in that club, I probably would have missed the event entirely. Mysteriously, it generates almost no local media coverage.

That’s a shame because during the tournament, I encountered one of the most amazing athletes I’ve ever seen. Kane Waselenchuk, the world’s No. 1 ranked racquetballer, dominates his sport in a way few people - if any - ever have.

Even at his peak, Tiger Woods didn’t win every golf tournament. While he held all four grand slam titles at the same time, Woods didn’t win them all in a calendar year. At the height of his powers, Roger Federer lost about 10% of the time. Waselenchuk meanwhile, seems to have found an antidote for losing. He hasn’t lost in nearly two years; he never comes close.

In the US Open, competitors play games up to 11 in a best-of-five format. Waselenchuk lost just one game during the tournament, the finals opener to Rocky Carson, 11-7. The average score in Waselenchuk’s 16 games was 11-3.

I had a chance to watch two of Waselenchuk’s matches close up, his first round demolition of qualifier Mauricio Zelda and his semifinal match-up against No. 6 ranked Jose Rojas, a 21-year-old who is considered one of the sport’s up and coming stars.

With his match scheduled at 4pm Saturday on stadium court - a transparent, Lucite cube - running nearly an hour late, the 7-time champion was eager to get started. Immediately after the women’s semifinal between Rhonda Rajsich and Keri Wachtel, Waselenchuk brushed by the competitors to start his warm ups. With a relentless energy bordering on obsession, the 29-year-old had the court to himself for nearly 10 minutes before Rojas showed up.

When it was time for the player introductions - a darkened laser show that would make an NBA arena proud - Waselenchuk sat calmly, in an almost meditative state while Rojas fidgeted nervously. During the match itself, Rojas put forth a tremendous effort, diving and straining, but points rarely came his way. Waselenchuk easily defeated the upstart 11-1, 11-2, 11-3.

At times during the match, it seemed like Waselenchuk was on a different planet than his hapless opponent. He saw angles and hit shots that that inspired awe. When I asked some seasoned courtside observers if Carson, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, had a chance against Waselenchuk in the final, they both quickly said “No” and agreed that the rest of the field was “playing for second place.”

It’s hard to describe Waselenchuk’s moves, especially for a novice racquetball observer like me, who has little knowledge of the industry jargon. You don’t however need to be an expert on the sport to appreciate the quickness, athleticism, anticipation and vision that Waselenchuk displays. It’s like watching Keanu Reeves during a fight scene in “The Matrix”, hitting the fast-forward button on your DVR or playing with Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl on the old Nintendo. He moves on a different plane - the game slows down and he speeds up. Don’t blink because you’ll miss something.

Waselenchuk, a native of Edmonton and current resident of Austin, TX, leaves Minneapolis with his mind boggling 122 match winning streak intact. He’ll return next October seeking his 5th straight US Open title, will anyone have beaten him by then?

(Photo by Freddy Ramirez, restrungmag.com)