Senior Aiden Mbinda made his final regular-season appearance at Dan Patch Stadium one to remember, scoring three touchdowns — capped by an 88-yard kickoff return — to lift the Prior Lake Lakers past the Farmington Tigers 29–15 on Oct. 15 at Dan Patch Stadium.

The win moved the Lakers to 4–4 overall (4–2 Metro South) and locked up the No. 3 seed and a home playoff game in next week’s Class 6A section quarterfinals. Farmington closed the regular season 4–4 overall (2–4 Metro South) and earned the No. 5 seed.

Farmington opened the night with a surprise onside kick, recovering just past the 10-yard mark for the game’s first possession. The Laker defense held firm, forcing a turnover on downs when cornerback Griffin Marshall broke up a 4th-and-8 pass at the Prior Lake 36-yard line.

Head coach Matt Gegenheimer decided to be aggressive early. After the Lakers failed to move the chains on their first three plays, they faced 4th-and-2 from their own 44-yard line.

Fullback Dylan Hawley took the handoff to the left side and was met near the line. Farmington celebrated what it believed was a stop, but the side judge ruled Hawley had stretched far enough for a first down, keeping the drive alive.

Running back Luke Watkins followed with a pair of double-digit runs to push into Tiger territory. On first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, linebacker/running back Jackson Didion checked in as part of the short-yardage package and powered through for a 2-yard touchdown. Kicker Daniel Vannett added the PAT to give Prior Lake a 7–0 lead with 2:00 left in the first quarter.

Farmington’s single-wing offense moved the ball efficiently to open the quarter, mixing in more passes than usual. A 15-yard completion brought the Tigers inside the 10-yard line, but on third-and-goal, cornerback Noah Kalipe broke up a pass in the end zone. The ensuing 24-yard field goal attempt missed wide left, keeping the score 7–0.

On Prior Lake’s next possession, quarterback Drew Brinkman dropped back on 3rd-and-5 near midfield but was chased down for a sack by Tiger standout Chris Rehak, who made plays on both sides of the ball all night.

The Lakers quickly rebounded on their following drive. Brinkman connected with wide receiver Colten Gunderson on a 3rd-and-5 dig route and later bootlegged right to find Mbinda for roughly 15 yards. Mbinda then motioned into the backfield and capped the series with an 8-yard touchdown run. Vannett added the extra point to extend the lead to 14–0 with 2:19 remaining in the half.

Farmington’s last chance of the half ended when Lakers linebacker Ryan Block shot through on a blitz for a key sack, with the Lakers holding a two-score lead into halftime.

Farmington came out strong to start the second half. Quarterback Cade Boyles hit wide receiver Darin Neubert on a slant to convert 3rd-and-7, then kept the drive alive with another short pass.

Facing 2nd-and-3 from the Prior Lake 10-yard line, Rehak rolled right, reversed field and beat the defense to the pylon for a 10-yard touchdown. The extra point cut the Laker lead to 14–7 with 4:18 left in the third quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Mbinda returned the ball 34 yards to the 45-yard line. Two plays later, a jet sweep by Mbinda pushed the Lakers into Farmington territory. But facing 3rd-and-4 from the 27, Watkins fumbled while stretching for the first down, and the Tigers recovered at their own 20-yard line.

Farmington controlled the ball for nearly nine minutes on a 17-play, 81-yard drive, leaning on its single-wing power run game behind Rehak and Boyles. Rehak capped the march with a 4-yard touchdown run, then took the direct snap again on the two-point attempt, following his blockers into the end zone to give Farmington its first lead at 15–14 with 3:43 remaining.

The momentum lasted only seconds. On the ensuing kickoff, Mbinda fielded a rolling ball at the 12-yard line, followed his blockers, broke a tackle near the 45 and sprinted 88 yards for a game-changing touchdown. Brinkman rolled right and found Mbinda for the two-point conversion, putting Prior Lake back in front 22–15 with 3:30 to play.

Farmington picked up one first down but was forced to the air in the final minutes. Four straight incompletions followed, including a halfback pass where the receiver appeared open but the throw was just out of reach — the Tigers’ best chance to retake the lead in the closing moments. Marshall’s tight coverage on 4th down forced the turnover on downs with 1:58 left.

Brinkman on the very next snap handed to Mbinda on a jet sweep. The senior turned the corner and raced 44 yards down the left sideline for his third touchdown of the night. Vannett drilled the extra point to make it 29–15 with 1:38 left in regulation.

A roughing-the-passer penalty on Farmington’s final drive gave the Tigers one more chance, but safety Cole Brinkman intercepted Boyles’ pass to seal the win and cap Prior Lake’s Senior Night celebration.

NOTABLE STATS VS. FARMINGTON
QB Drew Brinkman — 7/10, 61 yds, 2-pt conversion
RB/WR Aiden Mbinda — 7 carries, 86 yds, 2 TD; 5 rec, 40 yds; kickoff return TD
RB Luke Watkins — 11 carries, 48 yds
LB Jackson Koenig — 11 tackles
CB Griffin Marshall — 10 tackles
LB Zach Gabler — 9 tackles
LB Ryan Block — 8 tackles
S Cole Brinkman — 8 tackles, INT

The No. 3-seeded Lakers will host No. 6 White Bear Lake in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Dan Patch Stadium.

White Bear Lake enters the postseason at 2–6 overall, having lost six straight, though several contests were competitive. The Bears dropped close games to Stillwater (31–21), Woodbury (30–20), East Ridge (21–14) and Mounds View (35–21) after opening the season with wins over Park of Cottage Grove (28–14) and Coon Rapids (30–14). Common opponents with Prior Lake include losses to Farmington (22–6) and Forest Lake (32–3).

The Bears are coached by Ryan Bartlett. Laker fans will recognize former Prior Lake activities director Russ Reetz, now principal at White Bear Lake.

Quarterback Oluwatomi Animasaun leads the offense, completing 57 of 133 passes for 799 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 450 yards and six more scores. Animasaun is also one of White Bear Lake’s top track athletes in the spring, known for his speed and athleticism. Containing his scrambling ability will be a key for the Lakers’ defense on Friday night.

Running back Brian White III has totaled 588 rushing yards and three touchdowns in six games. Wide receiver Antonio Brown has caught 17 passes for 270 yards and three scores. Receiver Colton Butts adds 11 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns.

The winner will meet either No. 2 Minnetonka or No. 7 Anoka on Oct. 31 at the higher seed’s home field.

Friday’s matchup could mark the final home game of the season for the Lakers. Should Prior Lake and Minnetonka both win, the Lakers would travel to Minnetonka next week. However, if the Lakers win and Anoka pulls the upset, the next game would be played at Dan Patch Stadium.