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Lakers Take The Heat Out Of The Blaze

By Tom Schardin, 09/30/18, 9:45PM CDT

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The Prior Lake football team took the heat right of the Blaze Sept. 29.

The No. 10-ranked Lakers snapped Burnsville's two-game win streak with a 21-0 home win. Prior Lake also snapped a two-game losing skid of its own.

Prior Lake is also still unbeaten in the Battle of Savage. The named series between the two South Suburban Conference schools started in 2010 and there's even a traveling trophy given to the winner.

The Lakers have won all six contests in the the series — 34-33 in 2010, 13-10 in 2011 and 41-7 in 2012, 42-14 in 2013 and 22-20 last year. The two programs did not play from 2014 to 2016 due to the new district format alignment.

The last time Burnsville beat Prior Lake was in 2006 when the Blaze won 20-8 in a first-round playoff game at home.

In Sept. 29's win, Prior Lake shut down the Blaze's offense for most of the game — on the ground and through the air. Burnsville struggled to move the ball all game consistently, but did have some good runs from senior Darien Clayborne, who finished with 91 yards on 14 carries.

The Lakers led 8-0 after the first quarter, getting a 6-yard touchdown run from senior Spencer Shaver and then following with a safety. A punt snap sailed high over the Blaze senior Marcus Shepley's head. He retrieved it in the end zone, but could not get out.

Down 8-0, the Blaze got the ball inside Prior Lake territory when a bad punt snap from the Lakers set Burnsville up in good field position. But Prior Lake's defense held.

The Blaze attempted a 27-yard field goal, but a low snap forced the holder, junior Landon Rocheleau-Schultheis, to try to run to the end zone. He was met near the sidelines by Shaver.

Prior Lake got the ball back with 1:48 left in the first half and didn't sit on the ball. Senior quarterback Colin O'Connor hit junior Nick Theis in the middle of the field and Theis nearly took it all the way to the end for a 68-yard touchdown pass.

 

But Theis was caught from behind by senior Marquel Brooks at the 2-yard line. Shaver took it from there for a 14-0 Laker lead.

Burnsville tried to get a score before the half, but senior Austin Gordon picked off a long pass at the 10-yard line to end that Blaze threat.

Prior Lake got the ball to open the second half, used nearly six minutes of the clock and went up 21-0 when O'Connor found junior Parker Ellis all alone in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown pass.

It was pretty much over at that point since Burnsville had trouble all game generating any kind of sustained offense. Senior quarterback Sam Bardwell finished 12 of 28 for just 52 yards for the Blaze.

O'Connor was 23 of 32 for 245 yards for Prior Lake. Senior Spencer Marlier had 12 catches for 73 yards, while Theis caught three balls for 73 yards and Ellis had six catches for 62 yards.

The Blaze (2-3) is back in action Oct. 5 at home versus Farmington (1-4). Prior Lake (3-2) will play at Eagan (0-5) the same day. Both games start at 7 p.m.