Last Friday night we were fortunate to come up with a victory against a well-prepared, hard-nosed Anoka team that plays good defense and always keeps the game in reach.  We were fortunate to get two touchdowns in the first two drives of the game and then after that, we played good defense and controlled field position to get the win and continue towards step 2 of the journey that is the playoffs.

Our defense was the heart and soul of this game and they provided great field position throughout.  Peder Olson had a huge game with 8 tackles, 3 sacks, and an interception for a TD that sealed the game.  Emmanuel Ehrich continued his strong play with 12 total tackles and a sack, Blake Whitecotton had one of his best games ever with 9 total tackles and two tackles for loss, and Jake Engelken had another great game with nine total tackles and a forced fumble.  It's fun to see the defense getting better every week, and I look forward to seeing what they do against a formidable opponent this weekend in Minnetonka.

Offensively we moved the ball well but had trouble finishing drives and getting it into the endzone.  It is something we have to work on because we were unable to take advantage of opportunities given to us to allow us lengthen the lead.   As a team we were able to rush for over 280 yards with Clark Wieneke, Tahi Nomane, Evan Pukal, and Isaac collins all over fifty yards rushing.  Our passing game struggled a bit, but I think showed glimmers of being an asset to our playoff run because there were opportunities out there for us to take advantage of that hopefully arise next week in our game.

Also, our special teams played a huge part with Isaac Collins returning a kickoff for 93 yards and providing a huge touchdown for our squad to give us a three score lead.    We can never underestimate the importance of special teams and we look forward to what they can do for us next week because they have been a huge asset to our team all year long.  

On the first day of November we will play our final home game at the Grove as we take on Minnetonka for Step 2.  The winner of this game will enter the state tournament and be a part of the final eight that is progressing towards the Prep Bowl.  We truly look forward to the game on Friday because it will be an exciting game with an exciting atmosphere.  It will be crucial to have every one of our fans there and to hear the Crimson family ringing loud, making noise while Tonka has the ball on third down, and just having a blast all night!    It's great to have a team here that does it the right way, and has a program that truly competes week in and week out.  It's a great opportunity for us, and we look forward to see what Friday brings!  It's the fun of the playoffs!  You can't beat it!   Go Crimson!!!