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Tough stretch looms after No. 1 Chaska volleyball loss

By Jim Paulsen, 09/02/14, 7:17PM CDT

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The Hawks played Tuesday at Hopkins, ranked No. 5 in Class 3A, and will play host to an improved Shakopee team on Thursday.

 

Sue Murphy, head coach of Class 3A, No. 1 Chaska, has made no secret of her admiration of Prior Lake’s volleyball program. Her assessment proved spot-on when the Lakers defeated the Hawks in five sets on Aug. 28.

The two teams split the first four sets, with each one decided by the minimum two points. Prior Lake took a quick early lead in the fifth and deciding set and won 15-10 to take the match. Prior Lake outside hitter Ella Francis had a near-perfect night, posting 22 kills with no hitting errors.

Things don’t get any easier for the Hawks this week. They played Tuesday at Hopkins, ranked No. 5 in Class 3A, and will play host to an improved Shakopee team on Thursday. Then it’s off to Marshall to play in the first big tournament of the season, the Southwest Minnesota Challenge, over the weekend.

Short gain, big play

In the scorebook, it went down as a simple 3-yard gain. But the run by Minnetonka quarterback Braden Sikes, largely forgotten in the tumult after the Skippers’ crazy 25-24 last-second victory over Becker on Friday, may have saved the game.

With Minnetonka trailing 18-15 with about three minutes left in the game and facing third-and-9 from its own 43-yard-line, the elusive Sikes leapt futilely as the snap from center sailed over his head. He chased down the ball at the 30-yard line, eluded two Becker defenders in hot pursuit and raced toward the sidelines. He broke a tackle at the Minnetonka 40 before finally getting blasted out of bounds at the Skippers 46, turning a potentially catastrophic loss into positive yards.

Sikes then hit receiver Matthew Watt for a 7-yard gain on fourth-and-6, setting up Vance Barnes’ electrifying 48-yard touchdown reception two plays later that gave the lead back to Minnetonka 22-18 with 2:04 left in the game.

Two more scores awaited in the final two minutes of play, but Sikes’ run proved the importance of keeping a play, and hence a drive, alive.

Speed kills

Osseo head coach Derrin Lamker was more than pleased with the performance of his skill players in Thursday’s 56-8 rout of Irondale. Quarterback Malik Gaillard completed six of seven passes for 101 yards and four touchdowns while playing just the first half. Running back Prince Kruah scored twice and sophomore Martelius Hughes ran for another touchdown.

But the breakout player was senior receiver Justin Ekiyor, who made a spectacular one-handed grab for a 47-yard touchdown in the first quarter and outran the Irondale defense on a 68-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. “We have always had playmakers, guys with speed,” Lamker said. “In the past, we’ve only had one or two. This year, we’ve got four or five. Our problem has always been size. We don’t get that many of the big guys we need.”

Quick slants

• Minneapolis Edison, without a home this season due to renovations to its field, opened on the road in style, routing St. Paul Humboldt 40-7 Thursday. Sophomore running back Quindell Perry rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, pacing a Tommies’ offense that amassed 491 total yards.

• Ashley Wittman, a two-time Star Tribune Metro Volleyball Player of the Year when she was at Shakopee, is an assistant volleyball coach at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Wittman recently completed an award-winning career at the University of Minnesota, finishing as a three-time All-America selection.

• Correction: Last week, it was written that the Wayzata girls’ soccer team had not qualified for the state tournament since 2009. It’s the boys’ team with the drought. The girls’ team made five appearances from 2008 through 2012, winning Class 2A state titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

 

Jim Paulsen • 612-673-7737

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