Game Recap: Minnetonka

Prior Lake nearly pulled off an upset Friday night at Minnetonka, tying the game in the fourth quarter before the Skippers answered late. A 33-yard touchdown run by Caleb Francois proved to be the difference in the 14–7 loss that ends the Lakers’ season at 5–5.

Lakers’ late drive comes up short as they fall to Minnetonka 14–7 in a heartbreaker on a damp and misty Halloween night.

Prior Lake’s upset bid comes up just shy Friday, Oct. 31, at Minnetonka High School as the Lakers drop a 14–7 thriller in the Class 6A second round on a rainy Halloween evening — a much stronger showing for Prior Lake than in the teams’ regular-season meeting earlier this fall.

Prior Lake’s upset bid came up just shy Friday, Oct. 31, at Minnetonka High School as the Lakers dropped a 14–7 thriller in the Class 6A second round, marking the end of their 2025 campaign.

After tying the game early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers were undone by a 33-yard touchdown run from Minnetonka star Caleb Francois, whose score ultimately decided the night. The Lakers had a pair of chances to tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter but were unable to score.

The loss ends the Lakers’ season with a 5–5 overall record. The Skippers improve to 8–2 and advance to the state quarterfinals.

FIRST QUARTER — EARLY MIST AND DEFENSIVE STOPS

Minnetonka opened with the ball but was quickly backed up by a holding penalty. The Skippers went three-and-out after cornerback Griffin Marshall broke up a third-down pass, forcing a punt.

Prior Lake’s first drive started with its own setback — a holding penalty on the first play of scrimmage that pushed them to 1st-and-20. Quarterback Drew Brinkman used a hard count to draw the Skippers offside on back-to-back plays, regaining the lost yardage. A jet sweep by Aiden Mbinda moved the ball near midfield, but on 3rd-and-3, Luke Watkins was stopped short, forcing the Lakers to punt.

Minnetonka again crossed midfield behind quarterback Caden Gutzmer and Iowa State commit Caleb Francois, aided by a personal foul on Prior Lake. Later in the drive, a strange play unfolded when Gutzmer’s pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and caught by one of his offensive linemen in the backfield for a loss of seven yards. The play prevented the Skippers from going for it on fourth down and forced them to punt. The kick sailed through the end zone for a touchback, keeping the game scoreless after one quarter.

SECOND QUARTER — DEFENSE STANDS TALL

The second quarter was all about defense and field position. Both teams traded punts as neither side could sustain a drive. Daniel Vannett delivered two strong punts to flip the field, including one that pinned Minnetonka deep inside its own territory.

Midway through the quarter, the Skippers pieced together their best drive yet. Gutzmer hit Parker Burckhardt on a second-and-long completion, and consecutive runs by Francois pushed the ball inside the Prior Lake 20. After an offside penalty made it 1st-and-5, the Lakers’ defense responded with four straight stops — capped by a 4th-and-2 tackle from safety Jake Written near the line of scrimmage to turn the ball over on downs and keep the game scoreless.

Prior Lake had a chance to break the tie before halftime. Taking over at its own 20 with 1:06 left in the half, Drew Brinkman connected with Aiden Mbinda and scrambled across midfield to the Minnetonka 45. With time winding down, the Lakers attempted one final play, but Brinkman threw the ball out of bounds as the clock expired to send the game to halftime still 0–0.

THIRD QUARTER — TONKA STRIKES FIRST

The Lakers opened the second half with a promising drive. Watkins converted a 3rd-and-1, and fullback Dylan Hawley moved the chains again two plays later. Facing 3rd-and-7, Brinkman took off on a scramble, carrying a defender across the first-down marker. But the drive stalled near midfield, forcing another punt.

Minnetonka capitalized moments later. On 3rd-and-4 from its own 12, Gutzmer rolled right and found Kirion Vogel along the sideline for a 29-yard gain. On the very next play, Vogel beat his man on a slant-and-go and hauled in a 59-yard touchdown to break the deadlock. The extra point gave the Skippers a 7–0 lead with 3:51 left in the third.

FOURTH QUARTER — LAKERS ANSWER, THEN FALL JUST SHORT

Prior Lake responded immediately with its best drive of the night — a 15-play, 75-yard march that stretched from the closing minutes of the third quarter into the first three minutes of the fourth. Facing 4th-and-1 from its own 34, head coach Matt Gegenheimer kept the offense on the field, and Hawley powered behind left tackle Ethan Beckman (with Skyler Werner lined up as a tight end) to move the sticks.

A reverse handoff from Brinkman to Watkins to Mbinda on 3rd-and-5 picked up 21 yards, with tight end Josh Barlass sealing the edge. On 4th-and-1 from the 13, Hawley surged to the goal line, setting up linebacker Sean Nadeau, who entered at running back and punched it in from one yard out. Vannett’s PAT tied the game 7–7 with 9:45 remaining.

The game was even entering the final minutes, setting up a tense finish between two defenses that had controlled play all night. Minnetonka answered quickly. Francois ripped a 16-yard gain to move into Laker territory, then broke loose on a 33-yard touchdown run down the left sideline — stiff-arming one defender and shedding another to make it 14–7 with 7:14 left. Francois’ touchdown ultimately proved to be the difference.

The Lakers still weren’t done. After an out-of-bounds kickoff set them up at the 35, Hawley converted on 3rd-and-1 and Brinkman found Mbinda for 10 yards along the sideline. A strike to Barlass over the middle put the ball at the Minnetonka 20. Two plays later, the Skippers sniffed out a reverse for a loss of three, and Brinkman’s fade toward Colten Gunderson in the end zone was broken up. On 4th-and-11, his pass to Barlass fell incomplete with 3:08 left, ending a promising drive near the red zone and forcing the Lakers to rely on their defense one more time.

Prior Lake’s defense forced a three-and-out to give the offense one last chance. Brinkman connected twice with Hawley in the flat and converted a 4th-and-1 with Watkins. With about 40 seconds left, Brinkman hit Gunderson deep down the right sideline, setting the Lakers up inside the 10.

Then came the chaos. Three consecutive false starts pushed Prior Lake back to the 25 as the clock wound down. On the next play, Brinkman dropped back to pass — but as he raised his arm to throw, the ball slipped out of his hand. He alertly scooped it up in the backfield and raced to the sideline for a 6-yard gain, stopping the clock with nine seconds remaining.

A fade attempt to Gunderson drew pass interference, setting up one final play from the 9-yard line with two seconds left. Brinkman rolled right, avoided pressure, and threw into the end zone toward Griffin Nordrum, but the pass came up just short — sealing Minnetonka’s 14–7 win and bringing Prior Lake’s season to a close.

Francois’ 33-yard touchdown run proved to be the difference. Despite two late possessions — one that ended on downs near the red zone and another that reached the 9-yard line in the final seconds — the Lakers couldn’t convert either drive into points. Still, Prior Lake showed how far it had come since the first meeting, pushing one of Class 6A’s top teams to the brink.

Notable Stats vs. Minnetonka

• QB Drew Brinkman — 15/29, 131 yds
• RB Luke Watkins — 12 carries, 47 yds
• FB Dylan Hawley — 8 carries, 31 yds
• RB/WR Aiden Mbinda — 14 carries, 62 yds; 6 rec, 45 yds
• RB Sean Nadeau — 1-yd rushing TD
• LB Jackson Didion — 8 tackles, TFL
• S Jake Written — 6 tackles, TFL
• CB Griffin Marshall — 6 tackles
• LB Caden Jensen — 6 tackles
• LB Ryan Block — 5 tackles
• DB Zach Gabler — 5 tackles

Season Stats

Full season team and player statistics are available on the Lakers’ MN Football Hub page:
https://stats.mnfootballhub.com/stats/team_instance/10265139?subseason=949732&tab=team_instance_player_stats&tool=5748563

All-Star Game

Seniors Ethan Beckman and Skyler Werner have been selected to play in the Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, December 13 at 1 p.m.

Beckman is an Iowa State commit who anchored Prior Lake’s offensive line at left tackle this fall. Werner, a North Dakota State commit who totaled 29 tackles, including 5 TFL and 2 sacks.

Class 6A State Tournament

Quarterfinals this week:
- St. Michael-Albertville vs. Minnetonka – Friday 7 p.m., Farmington High School
- Edina vs. Eden Prairie – Friday 6 p.m., Osseo High School
- Centennial vs. Moorhead – Thursday 7 p.m., Spring Lake Park High School
- Maple Grove vs. Lakeville South – Friday 6 p.m., Eastview High School

Winners advance to the semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday, November 13 (7 p.m.) or Friday, November 14 (7:30 p.m.), with the Prep Bowl championship set for Friday, November 21 at 7 p.m.

How to watch: Quarterfinals and semifinals are expected on NSPN.tv. The Prep Bowl airs on Channel 45 (KSTC-TV) and streams at Prep45.com.

Be sure to check the MSHSL website for updates.

Thank You

I want to thank everyone who read my Laker football stories this season and in years past. What began as a simple way to combine two things I love — Prior Lake football and writing — has become something I’m truly proud to share each week. Thanks for following along, and I hope to see you in 2026! 

Contact Taylor Smith at tay1@me.com or on X at @taysmith2013.