Plymouth, MN: Garrett Englehardt Sparks Wayzata’s Homecoming Victory with Three Touchdowns
In a thrilling homecoming matchup, Garrett Englehardt showcased his prowess by scoring three crucial touchdowns, leading the Wayzata Football Trojans (4-0), currently ranked second in the Metro Top 10, to a triumphant victory over the Apple Valley Eagles (3-1), ranked fourth.
The first quarter set the tone as Englehardt’s early touchdown, complemented by a safety resulting from a botched punt snap, propelled Wayzata to a 9-0 lead. Apple Valley responded with a 69-yard touchdown pass from Boomer Hermes to Ray Watson, narrowing the gap to 16-8 by the end of the quarter.
The second quarter witnessed a competitive exchange of plays, with Apple Valley closing in at 16-14 following a defensive safety and a punt return touchdown. However, Wayzata’s resilience prevailed as Englehardt’s second touchdown, a 2-yard pass from John Ries, secured a 23-14 lead at halftime.
The third quarter highlighted Wayzata’s defensive prowess, with interceptions from Jack Eagan and Robbie Heflin, contributing to the Trojans’ expanding lead. Eagan’s interception return for a touchdown and subsequent extra point by David Stranghoener further solidified Wayzata’s dominance at 30-14.
As the fourth quarter unfolded, Wayzata continued to command the game, with Ries connecting with Adan Hassan for a touchdown and Chris Kroeten breaking free for a 52-yard touchdown run. The Trojans sealed their victory with a final score of 37-14.
Notably, the game drew an impressive announced attendance of 72,871, reflecting the community’s fervent support. Englehardt, reflecting on his stellar performance, acknowledged the exceptional teamwork and execution that contributed to his three touchdowns.
In the post-game address, Coach Brad Anderson commended his team for overcoming adversity and praised the defensive adaptability displayed by players in various positions. The victory marked a significant achievement for Wayzata, affirming their prowess against a formidable opponent.
Coach Brad Anderson told his players after the game, “I told them I was really proud of the way they played, and I said we beat a good club tonight. We knew it would be a tougher game, we had some adversity during the week, we had some players injured, and guys just stepped up and made plays and that’s what it is about. Defensively, we had a couple of guys that played out of position. A couple of our cornerbacks, Robbie Heflin, moved from corner to outside linebacker. He did very well. It was nice to see John Connely, who is normally a safety, came down into the box and played linebacker for us tonight. He was playing with a sprained ankle tonight. Grant Olson, [was] pretty dinged up, didn’t practice the whole week. Yesterday we were practicing, and Coach Lombardi through out a 3-1-7, 3 down lineman, 1 linebacker, and 7 defensive backs. They did a great job of just hanging together, glueing the pieces together, playing a very good club, they did well.”
Garrett Englehardt reflected on his three touchdowns: “The first one was about a a five yard run, I just went through the hole and it opened up. The offensive line did great tonight. The second one was a dive to the left, and the hole opened up again… I got through, hit the safety, and fell into the end zone. [The touchdown catch] is one of our favorite ones to run in practice, the running backs gather together to run that play, it just so happens that Coach pulled it out at the end of the half to try and see if we could get a score, I went through, did the motions, and caught the pass for a touchdown.”
Scoring Summary:
First Quarter
- W – Engelhardt 2 run (Stranghoener kick)
- W – Safety – punt snap out of end zone
- W – Engelhardt 5 run (Stranghoener kick)
- AV – Watson 69 pass from Hermes (Bauer pass from Hermes)
Second Quarter
- AV – Sonie 45 punt return (pass failed)
- W – Englehardt 2 pass from Ries (Stranghoener kick)
Third Quarter
- W – Egan 26 INT return (Stranghoener kick)
Fourth Quarter
- W – Hassan 12 pass from Ries (Stranghoener kick)
- W – Kroeten 52 run (Stranghoener kick)
