Park made state history Monday, competing in the first-ever girls flag football state tournament. The Wolfpack finished the season 12-1, with their lone loss coming in the state semifinals to eventual champion Mahtomedi.
Roughly 18 hours later, a number of those same athletes – and their head coach – were at it again on another state tournament stage.
Led by many of those same faces, second-seeded Park downed Elk River/Zimmerman 18-10 in the girls lacrosse state quarterfinals in Chaska.
The Wolfpack (17-0) will meet third-seeded Stillwater on Thursday at 3 p.m. in Eden Prairie in the state semis. Park beat the Ponies 7-6 last month.
But in between the quarterfinal and the semis was another major event for Park’s seniors – Tuesday evening’s graduation ceremony. What a whirlwind. And they don’t want it to end.
“We don’t want to be done with each other,” said senior midfielder Madi Brinkman, who scored four goals Tuesday. “So the motivation to keep playing with each other is keeping us going.”
Even when the legs didn’t want to. Brinkman, Maleah McMorrow, Kyra Stofer and Josie Leonard were all members of Park’s flag football team, which played three games Monday at the Vikings’ practice facility.
Scott Leonard – who coaches both teams – assumed he would crash out of exhaustion upon returning home Monday, but instead was left with his mind racing about the next day’s game.
He noted he was nervous about everyone’s legs Tuesday, even planning his timeouts around getting players additional rest.
“The legs are dying a little bit,” Brinkman noted postgame. “There was a point where I was like, ‘I don’t think I can keep moving, but we’re going to give it a go.’ ”
That contributed to what Josie referred to as a general lack of team support energy, particularly early. Park led by just a goal late in the first half before building up some separation. Josie Leonard led Park with seven goals in the win.
She noted more would be required to beat Stillwater on Thursday and advance to the program’s first state title game. Park’s only previous state tournament trip came in 2009, when it finished third as a co-op with Woodbury.
“It’s been just crazy with everything going on,” Josie Leonard said. “I feel like we haven’t gotten much sleep, so hopefully we can get some rest in the next few days.”
Maybe even sleep in Wednesday?
“Practice in the morning,” Brinkman noted.
That seems a little cruel, no, coach?
“I’m sorry,” Scott Leonard said, “10 a.m. is sleeping in.”
Lakeville South 13, Orono 12
You knew the champs wouldn’t go down easy.
Trailing 11-9 in the final frame, the fifth-seeded Cougars (14-3) responded to score the game’s next four goals to get back to the state semifinals.
The first three of those scores came from Ella Mills. The senior is now up to 79 goals on the season, which ties the leading mark in the state. Charlotte Fannin scored three goals to go with a number of helpers.
The Cougars will meet top-seeded Prior Lake at 5 p.m. Thursday in Eden Prairie in a rematch of last year’s state title game. The Lakers beat Chisago Lakes 18-5 in Tuesday’s quarters.
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