Wayzata Bends but Won't Break in Playoff Victory Over Champlin Park

You would think a first-round bye in the section playoffs is a good thing, and most of the time it is. But high school football teams who enjoy a first-round postseason bye are notorious for being upset and sent home.

On Saturday afternoon, against a tough Champlin Park squad, the Wayzata football team showed signs of a team that hadn’t played for almost two weeks.

Amidst a slow start on offense and spotty defensive play, the Trojans found a way to do just enough to get a win and earn a spot in the section finals.

Throughout the game the Trojan defense bent but didn’t break. Champlin Park moved the ball well at times through the air and ran the ball well with running back Michael Sales, but the Wayzata defense came up with big plays when they needed to in order to avert Rebel points.

Wayzata linebacker Chris Whipson was a leader on the defense, making clutch plays throughout the game—including a key interception that he returned to the Champlin Park 1-yard line.

“Chris has had some big plays for us all season,” Wayzata Head Coach Brad Anderson said. “He seems to come up with them when we need them most.”

Game Recap

Wayzata was the first team to score, as running back Antonio Ford found the end zone from one yard out give Wayzata an early 7-0 lead. The Trojans scored once again in the first quarter after Whipson’s interception return, and Erik Roti punched to ball in for the 1-yard score to double Waytzata's lead, 14-0.

But the Rebels responded after getting the running game going. Running back Michael Sales slithered his way down the field, eventually scoring a touchdown and putting Champlin Park well within striking distance at halftime.

At the beginning of the second half, the Trojans came out and tried to put the game away. Wayzata moved the ball 85 yards and ended the drive with a five-yard touchdown run.

They wouldn’t score again in the game.

Champlin Park responded again in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to seven. Sales ran the ball in again from one yard out to make it 21-14 in favor of Wayzata.

The Rebels were unable to capitalize on their following drives, and the Trojans ran the ball well to run out the clock.  

Patch.com Player of the Game: Chris Whipson, Wayzata Linebacker

Coach Anderson named Whipson as the honorary player of the game in the huddle after the game, and Patch agrees with him. The linebacker came up with some of the biggest defensive plays of the game, picking off a pass to set up a Wayzata touchdown and stuffing the line of scrimmage on a critical stop to get the ball back for the offense. The Trojans will need him to keep making plays if they are going to repeat as state champions.

What the Trojans did well

Throughout the game the Trojans did what they do best and that’s running the football.  

Roti had numerous big plays, and Ford got the tough yards the team needed to keep drives going. At the end of the game, when the offensive line needed to be their best, they were.

“The offensive line realized at that point in the game that we needed to grind some clock,” Anderson said. “They did what they had to do.”

What the Trojans Need to Improve

At times throughout Saturday's game the Trojans looked like zombies. They will need to play with more heart and emotion if they are going to play like they did against Eden Prairie to win the Lake Conference title.

“We need to make improvements over the week and it starts with practice,” Wayzata Defensive Coordinator Andy Hover said. “We were a little lackadaisical, and things didn’t come together like they should have.”

Next Game

Section Finals: Friday, November 4 at 7 p.m. against Osseo. The game will be at Wayzata High School because they are the higher seed.