White Bear Lake opened with an early first down, but the drive stalled after linebacker Jackson Koenig dropped quarterback Oluwatomi Animasaun for a four-yard loss. Two plays later, pressure from the Lakers’ defensive line forced an incompletion and a punt.
Prior Lake responded with a steady nine-play march that drained much of the quarter, but a fumble at the 12-yard line ended the drive. The defense quickly got the ball back, forcing another punt, and Aiden Mbinda scooped up a short kick to gain better field position, setting up the Lakers at the Bears’ 30-yard line.
Facing 4th-and-2, fullback Dylan Hawley powered left for a key first down. Two plays later, Watkins cut through the middle for a 13-yard touchdown. Kicker Daniel Vannett’s point after touchdown made it 7–0 with 41 seconds left in the quarter.
The Bears answered midway through the second quarter, capping a creative drive with a 10-yard reverse touchdown run by wide receiver Colton Butts to tie the game 7–7.
The Lakers responded immediately. On the first play of the next drive, Watkins broke loose reaching midfield on a toss sweep behind offensive lineman and Iowa State commit Ethan Beckman. Two plays later, Brinkman rolled right and found wide receiver Colten Gunderson deep downfield inside the 10. Brinkman capped the drive himself on a QB sneak, restoring the lead at 14–7 with 4:26 left in the half.
After a quick defensive stop, Brinkman connected with Gunderson again — this time on a 28-yard strike to the end zone — to push the margin to 21–7 with 2:28 remaining.
White Bear Lake briefly narrowed the gap as wide receiver Brian White took a slant pass 48 yards for a touchdown, making it 21–14 with 1:04 left. But Prior Lake had one more answer before the break. Aided by a short kickoff and personal foul, the Lakers started at midfield. Watkins accounted for all 50 yards of the ensuing drive, including an 8-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left to make it 28–14 at halftime.
A late interception by safety Jake Written sealed the half.
The Lakers opened the second half aggressively. On 2nd-and-12 from the 43, Brinkman found Mbinda across the middle for an 18-yard gain, though the drive later stalled on downs.
The defense responded with a four-and-out, and on the next series, Brinkman escaped pressure and dumped a short pass to Mbinda, who sprinted 37 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 35–14 with 4:10 left in the third.
Moments later, defensive back Cole Brinkman — twin brother of quarterback Drew Brinkman — read a screen perfectly, intercepted the pass, and raced 34 yards for a defensive touchdown, making it 42–14 with 2:39 remaining in the quarter.
The Lakers’ defense continued to dominate, highlighted by a sack from linebacker Ryan Block that forced another punt. Backup quarterback Bauer Tabatt entered in relief and led a late scoring drive capped by a 40-yard touchdown run from runningback Dearris Hubbert to make it 49–14 with 3:18 left.
White Bear Lake added a late score, but Prior Lake’s balance on both sides of the ball proved decisive in the 49–22 final.
Notable Stats vs. White Bear Lake
- QB Drew Brinkman — 9/15, 145 yds, 2 TD; rushing TD
- RB Luke Watkins — 13 carries, 113 yds, 2 TD
- RB Dearris Hubbert — 7 carries, 50 yds, TD
- FB Dylan Hawley — 7 carries, 50 yds
- WR Aiden Mbinda — 4 catches, 58 yds, TD
- WR Colten Gunderson — 2 catches, 64 yds, TD
- LB Ryan Block — 8 tackles, 2 TFL, sack
- LB Jackson Koenig — 8 tackles, TFL
- S Jake Written — 8 tackles
- LB Jackson Tetzlaff — 7 tackles, 2 TFL
- LB Jackson Didion — 5 tackles, 2 TFL
- CB Griffin Marshall — 5 tackles, TFL
- S Cole Brinkman — 34-yard INT TD
- K Daniel Vannett — 7/7 PATs
Playoff Preview: Prior Lake vs. Minnetonka
This Halloween matchup will be a rematch of the Week 4 meeting between Prior Lake and Minnetonka — a game the Skippers won 33–15 on Sept. 19 at Dan Patch Stadium. This time, the stakes are even higher, as the winner advances to the Class 6A state tournament.
The No. 3-seeded Lakers (5–4) will travel to face the No. 2-seeded Skippers (7–2) at Minnetonka High School.
Since their first meeting, Minnetonka has remained among Class 6A’s top programs. The Skippers followed their win over Prior Lake with victories over Eden Prairie (21–14) and Wayzata (28–0) before dropping consecutive games to Edina (27–20) and defending champion Maple Grove (30–14). They rebounded last week with a 34–16 win over Anoka to open postseason play.
In the earlier matchup, Minnetonka quarterback Caden Gutzmer left in the first half due to injury, prompting Minnetonka to move senior standout Caleb Francois from running back to quarterback — a switch that powered a 417-yard rushing performance and ultimately decided the game. Francois went on to play quarterback for the entirety of Gutzmer’s absence, guiding the Skippers’ offense for four games before Gutzmer’s return.
With Gutzmer now healthy, Francois has shifted back to his natural position at running back, where he continues to be one of the state’s most explosive players. Through nine games, Francois has rushed for 1,534 yards and 25 touchdowns on 225 carries, while also completing 11 of 26 passes for 153 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions — season totals that reflect his production both as a rusher and during his stint at quarterback. Stopping Francois — whether as a runner or when he lines up behind center — will be key if Prior Lake hopes to pull the upset.
Gutzmer has completed 36 of 56 passes for 644 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions in five appearances. Running back Quinton Restrepo adds balance with 581 yards and four touchdowns on 93 carries, while Francois, Cody Braun and Kirion Vogel headline the receiving corps. Francois has 14 receptions for 255 yards and two touchdowns; Braun adds 12 catches for 217 yards and three scores; and Vogel has 12 for 195 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, linebacker Myles Augustyn paces the Skippers with 92 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two sacks.
This marks the Lakers’ fourth straight trip to the second round, and they’ll look to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2017. Minnetonka, meanwhile, aims to make a return trip to state after finishing as runner-up in 2024, falling to eventual champion Maple Grove in the Prep Bowl.
The winner will advance to the Class 6A state quarterfinals, where they’ll meet the winner of Rosemount vs. St. Michael–Albertville on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. at Farmington High School.
