The Cougars, using a power-T formation and misdirection running game, baffled the Royals en route to a 28-14 victory.
DAVID LA VAQUE, Star Tribune11/09/18, 11:15PM CST
Fourth down. Four yards to go for upset-minded Lakeville South inside Woodbury’s red zone with less than two minutes left.
Convert and run out the clock? Cougars’ senior running back Jared Stewart had bigger plans.
“I was thinking touchdown,” Stewart said. “I’m always thinking touchdown.”
The 5-9, 220-pound Stewart barreled left for the clinching score in the Cougars’ 28-14 quarterfinal defeat of No. 1 seed Woodbury on Friday at Osseo High School.
Not bad for a Cougars team that started Friday’s game with a .500 record.
“We came in as prepared as possible,” Stewart said. “We worked hard all week. We watched film, we’re still lifting and doing things that other teams aren’t doing.”
The reward for the Cougars (6-5) is a rematch with crosstown foe and top-ranked Lakeville North next week on the state’s biggest football stage. The Panthers won the teams’ Week 4 meeting 28-3.
“We want North,” Stewart said. “It’s going to be an exciting game playing in U.S. Bank Stadium. Big rivalry game.”
The Cougars’ power-T formation and misdirection running game proved baffling to Woodbury’s typically stout run defense.
Tavian Laden put the Cougars ahead on a 40-yard touchdown run. He set up the next score with a 70-yard burst to the Woodbury 2-yard line. Stewart crossed the goal line for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Woodbury (9-2) cut its deficit to 14-7 on Brock Rinehart’s touchdown run. But Lakeville South roared back on a 55-yard touchdown dash by Johnny Shabaz and led 20-7 at halftime.
“They’ve perfected their craft,” Woodbury coach Andy Hill said. “When we were perfect on defense, we got stops. When we weren’t because we got caught looking or missed a tackle, they turned it into big plays.”
Woodbury’s Zach Ames started at quarterback because Charlie Wilson suffered a broken clavicle last week against Wayzata.
Ames scored on a short run and Woodbury cut its deficit to 20-14 in the fourth quarter.
But Stewart, who also plays linebacker, and the Cougars’ defense let the Royals get no closer.
“We talked at halftime about how the defense was going to have to keep us in the game,” said Stewart, who sealed the outcome with his second touchdown run.
Lakeville South, a .500 football team heading into Friday, upset No. 1 seed Woodbury 28-14 in the Class 6A state tournament quarterfinals.
The Cougars’ power-T formation and misdirection running game proved baffling to Woodbury’s defense in the first half. The Lakeville South defense did just enough in the second half to thwart a Royals’ comeback bid at Osseo High School.
Tavian Laden put the Cougars ahead first on a 40-yard touchdown run. He set up the next score with a 70-yard burst to the Woodbury 2-yard line. Jared Stewart crossed the goal line for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Woodbury (9-2) cut its deficit to 14-7 on Brock Rinehart’s touchdown run. But Lakeville South roared back on a 55-yard touchdown dash by Johnny Shabaz and led 20-7 at halftime.
Woodbury’s Zach Ames started at quarterback over the injured Charlie Wilson, who had replaced an injured Jake Wenzel in Week 6.
Ames scored on a short run and Woodbury cut its deficit to 20-14 in the fourth quarter. But Stewart’s second touchdown of the game, this one on fourth down with 1:06 left, sealed the outcome.
Head coach Tyler Krebs leads Lakeville South (6-5) to play the winner of No. 1 seed Lakeville North and St. Michael-Albertville next week at U.S. Bank Stadium.
