Chaska (6-2, back in the state rankings at no. 8 in Class 5A) went on the road on Oct. 15 to face the New Prague Trojans (2-5) for their final regular-season game. Time of possession would prove to be a key theme in this 26-15 Chaska victory
Chaska took the opening kickoff, and on the first play from scrimmage, Trey Castilla III advanced the ball 30 yards. The Hawks’ drive ended on the New Prague 15-yard line after being stopped on a 4th-and-1 attempt. New Prague controlled the ball for most of the first quarter.
With 7:16 left in the second quarter, Sam Summer ran the ball in from the 6-yard line for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked, giving Chaska a 6-0 lead. Late in the half, a New Prague interception set up a 15-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 remaining, giving the Trojans a 7-6 advantage at the break.
New Prague received the second-half kickoff, but the Chaska defense forced a three-and-out. Taking over on their own 3-yard line, the Hawks engineered a 97-yard drive capped by another Sam Summer touchdown, this time from one yard out. The two-point attempt fell short, but Chaska regained the lead at 12-7, with 3:33 left in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth, New Prague moved the ball to the Chaska 6-yard line. Despite a strong defensive stand, the Trojans scored and converted a two-point attempt to go up 15-12.
The Hawks responded with determination. Facing 4th-and-6, Sam Summer broke free for a 41-yard touchdown run, putting Chaska ahead 19-15 with 5:12 to play. After holding New Prague on their next possession, Andrew Olson sealed the win with a 21-yard touchdown run at the 2:40 mark, giving Chaska the 26-15 victory.
The Hawks totaled 433 yards of rushing offense, led by Sam Summer with 204 yards and three touchdowns. Andrew Olson added 154 yards and a touchdown, while Trey Castilla III and Martin Ryder also contributed key yardage. Defensively, Colton Wacker, Smith Meiler and Mason Davis each recorded four solo tackles and seven total tackles.
Senior Slot Receiver Ryder Martin summed up the win: “Satisfying! We wanted to finish strong and continue to refine our play for the playoffs. Our guys are really pulling together.”
Sophomore running back Andrew (Drew) Olson, who saw an expanded role due to injuries, added: “I do what I do — take the handoff and go. The O-line makes me look good. We all work together so we’re ready to do what needs to be done.”
“We had good physical play,” said head coach Bryan Dahl. “These short weeks are always a challenge to prepare for, and New Prague is a strong team with some close losses, so we knew we had to be ready. There are still a couple things we can work on, but it’ll be nice to get some rest and get everyone healthy. It’s been a good year — we’re looking forward to keeping it going.”
Chaska finished the regular season 6-2, averaging 24.3 points per game on offense (an improvement over recent years) while holding opponents to 14.6 points per game.
Elsewhere in the section on Wednesday night, Chanhassen (ranked fourth in 5A) defeated Rochester Mayo 41-17, Mankato East (ranked tenth in 5A) topped Hastings 37-29, Mankato West rolled over Rochester John Marshall 61-0 and Waconia beat Sauk Rapids 45-35.
Section 2AAAAA seedings were announced on Oct. 16:
- Chanhassen
- Chaska
- Mankato East
- Waconia
- Mankato West
Mankato West will face Waconia on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7:00 p.m. in Waconia, with the winner advancing to play Chanhassen at p.m. on Oct. 25 in Chanhassen.
Mankato East will travel to Chaska that same day to take on the Hawks, with the winners meeting in the section championship on Oct. 31 at the higher seed’s home field.
