Prior Lake rallies past Mounds View in first round of Class 6A football playoffs

Those 18 losses in a row in road playoff games gave Prior Lake extra motivation Friday night, senior quarterback Caden Wick acknowledged.

But he had another number in mind.

"We're 1-0," Wick said. "That's all that matters."

The Lakers, who have won four straight games this season, defeated host Mounds View 17-15 in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs in a thriller that included solid defense, a 68-yard touchdown run, a safety and a final defensive stand that gave Prior Lake (5-4) its first road playoff victory since 2000, when it defeated Orono on the road.

Prior Lake scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2 minutes, 41 seconds left in regulation. Wick passed to junior Levi Eiter, who ran for the corner and hit the pylon for the 13-yard score and two-point lead that held up for the victory.

"Levi, or Mac [Hunter MacGillivray], they seem to always make a play in the end to get us on track," said Lakers coach Matt Gegenheimer.

The Lakers have been resilient all season, Gegenheimer said, "and they found a way to win in the end."

The Mustangs still had a chance in the closing minutes, but they didn't get a first down on the possession following Eiter's touchdown and turned the ball over on downs. Prior Lake could have sealed the game with one more first down but turned the ball over on downs with 59 seconds left to play.

One more chance, but the Mustangs ran out of time at midfield.

"Our defense really stepped up at the end of the game," Wick said.

Mounds View coach Aaron Moberg called the tight game "a slugfest" and one when it was unfortunate that someone had to lose.

The Mustangs (4-5) held a 6-3 halftime lead on 43-yard and 21-yard field goals, but they missed chances to put more points on the board.

"Sometimes, football games come down to the red zone and being able to finish drives," Moberg said. "And unfortunately, tonight we missed a couple of opportunities to finish, and sometimes that can be the difference in the game."

*To see the the section tournament brackets in six classes and the state tournament bracket in Class 6A, click here.