So, I was proud of those guys for not backing down from a challenge but embracing an opportunity.”

Park head coach Rick Fryklund

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Park’s next game is at third-ranked Minnetonka in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs, set for Friday, Oct. 25 with a 6 p.m. kickoff.

A shorthanded Park football team – with several players missing or inured and others playing in new positions – couldn’t hang with host Stillwater in the regular season finale Thursday.

Stillwater took a 45-17 decision from the Wolfpack, dropping Park to 2-6 on the season.

The Ponies evened their record at 4-4.

“A lot of stuff to celebrate,” said Park head coach Rick Fryklund when asked what he told the Wolfpack in his post-game talk. “This has been kind of an eventful week; would be the word I would say. A lot of guys got injured in that last game, some guys made some choices to not be a part of our program anymore, so we had a lot of people playing some brand-new spots or getting action under the Fright Night Lights for the first time against a very good opponent as you know in Stillwater.

“So, I was proud of those guys for not backing down from a challenge but embracing an opportunity,” Frylund added. “And while it didn’t turn out how we wanted I bet in the first half we made them a little nervous.”

Stillwater held just a fairly narrow lead statistically, outgaining Park 458 to 406 in total yards, but dominated on the scoreboard.

The Ponies led 14-0 in the second quarter and were up 17-6 at the half. The Ponies then pushed across four touchdowns in the third and early fourth quarter—sandwiched around a Park field goal -- to take a commanding 45-9 lead. The Wolfpack added a late touchdown on a 29-yard run by junior Kody Aikens for the final margin.

Park’s next game is at third-ranked Minnetonka in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs, set for Friday, Oct. 25 with a 6 p.m. kickoff. Minnetonka (6-2) is one of four top seeds in the 32-team playoffs, along with fifth-ranked Lakeville North (7-1), unranked Mounds View (6-2) and top-ranked Maple Grove (8-0). Park will then have played two of the top four seeds in the state tournament, along with meeting Maple Grove in last season’s playoffs.

Minnetonka’s only two losses on the season came at the hands of seventh-ranked Eden Prairie (20-21) and No. 1 Maple Grove (21-31).

One of the silver linings in the game was another standout performance from junior running back Kody Aikens.

“It’s a devastating loss but I feel really good and I’m grateful for my o-linemen,” said Aikens, who leads Park with 586 rushing yards and nine touchdown on the season and is averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. “I have to give a big shoutout to all my o-linemen because they’re the reason I have (success) and it wouldn’t happen without them.”

Park’s offense had success everywhere but finding the red zone Thursday. The Wolfpack rushed for 154 yards and passed for 252 more but stalled once they got close to scoring range.

Senior quarterback Miskir Esayas completed 19 of 29 passes for 226 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. Esayas spread the ball around nicely, with nine different players catching at least one pass. Bryan Wright had five receptions for 73 yards and Naod Tewelde gained 62 yards on six catches.

Aikens led the rushing attack, gaining 79 yards on 15 carries, including a late 29-yard touchdown run with just six seconds to play. Tewelde scored Park’s only first-point points on an 11-yard run.

Asked what kind of lesson the Wolfpack can take away from this game, junior lineman Adam Johnson said, “Come prepared. As usual as I think we do in practice. We always go hard. We aways compete with each other. And just come ready to play, whoever it I we have to play in the playoffs.”

Zach Carr led the defense with eight solo tackles, two assists and two tackles for losses. Aidan Boche had nine total tackles and Anthony Giadyu had eight. Robert Schmitzer had a productive night for the defense with five solo tackles, three assists, a sack and two tackles for losses.

But Park’s defense had trouble all game stopping the Ponies. Stillwater rushed for261 yards and passes for an additional 197. The Ponies were 10-of- 12 in third down conversions and 1-of-1 on fourth down tries.

“He (coach Fryklund) said he’s proud that we fought to the end, like the very last play where we scored and that we didn’t give up on ourselves,” said linebacker Mitchell Dimock, who was one of the Park players in a brand-new spot against the Ponies. “And that we shouldn’t hang our heads because we played a good game.”