There have been plenty of big wins and section victories for Park High football the last several years.

But rarely has there been a half like the first one the Wolfpack played Friday at Hopkins.

The Wolfpack got back on the right side of the season with a dominating effort over host Hopkins in the first half Friday, rolling to a 39-7 lead en route to an impressive 45-7 triumph.

“We executed fairly well in that first half,” said Park head coach Rick Frylund.

It was quite a turnaround from the previous game against Eastview.

“I really believe that last week caused everyone to look at themselves in the mirror from the first-string offense or defense to the coaches to the reserve players, everything,” said Fryklund. “We really challenged them in every single thing that we did. And showed them time after time after last week how those little things become very, very important. And all week it was all about how disciplined you can be and how well can you execute. That was the challenge for them all week.”

The first half was so decisively Park that it was easy to forget that Hopkins started the game with a 95-yard scoring run.

After that shocker, however it was all Park. The Wolfpack scored five touchdowns in the first and second quarter and added a pair of safeties following bad snaps just for kicks.

“It was pretty good, but we missed a couple chances to make it even better,” said Park senior linebacker Will Smoot. “So (we) capitalized on all of those opportunities. I thought we finished a lot better than we did last game. Scoreboard shows that. But our players just played hard, both ways, never gave up, stayed humble kept our keys, everything. It was a good game.”

Park senior quarterback Evan Bearth had himself a day, completing 14 of 22 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns. He added two more rushing touchdowns giving him five total scores for the day and 16 touchdowns on the season.

While Park’s offense was rolling, the Wolfpack defense were stone killers in the first half. Park ended up giving up just 136 yards in total offense, most of that occurring after the game had been decided.

Park built up a 17-7 lead on the strength of two quarterback runs by Bearth sandwiched around a pair of safeties, the first one recovered by Brandan Lee after a wild snap on a punt, the second by David Laturnus.

The Wolfpack then socked this one away with a 21-0 second quarter run. Or pass, as was probably more accurate. Brady Perryman scored on a 7-yard pass from Bearth, Perryman scored on a two-yard run and David Ola-Kazem caught a 15-yard pass to make it a 39-7 Park lead at halftime.

The second half was anti- climatic, Park winning 6-0. The Wolfpack didn’t play as well in the second half as they did in the first, but they also didn’t have the letdowns that led to a loss to Eastview and a closer-than-it-shouldhave- been win over Eagan the previous two games.

If nothing else, the lopsided win proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Park could hang with, and even dominate, 6A competition.

“We played really well,” said senior linebacker Micah Reunion who returned to the starting lineup after a shoulder injury and led Park with seven tackles, six assists and two tackles for loss. “Our defense had their eyes trained, they were making plays, our offense was scoring. It was just overall good.”

Park sophomore defensive lineman David Laturnus had a little bit of everything, with four tackles, an assist, a sack, three tackles for loss and recovered a safety. Junior Brandan Lee had four total tackles, a tackle for loss, a safety and an interception.

Park’s players absorbed a lesson in humility the last two weeks and took it to heart, said Park junior lineman Braden Karnitz.

“The line play, I think it’s always been good, the whole season it’s always been good,” said Karnitz. “Coach has been challenging us to do even better because he knows exactly what we’re capable of and I think our play shows that.”

“I think we played a little more disciplined,” Karnitz added. “And a lot more humble. We sort of got in our own heads and we have fixed that during this week. We have stayed humble and just know your assignment and do your job.”

Park’s Ola-Kazeem led all receivers with three catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Perryman caught seven passes for 56 yards and a score.

Blake Johnson ran 13 times for 65 yards, with a long run of 20yards.

“I think that our defense played a whole lot better than last week,” said Fryklund. “And we really stuck the pedal to the metal on them and challenged them (The Park players) and if you think you can play better than last week, prove it. If you think you can close out a game, prove it. If you think you can actually be called a defense, then come out and prove it. And I feel like the kids responded to that.”

Park squared its record at 1-1 in the Metro-Maroon South Division and 2-2 on the season.

Hopkins came into the game winless at 0-3, with losses to Prior Lake (49-0), Burnsville (14-7) and East Ridge (34-0). Now add Park to that list.

Next up for the Wolfpack (2-1, 2-2) s a home contest against Burnsville (1-1, 1-3) this Friday, kicking off at 7 p.m. Burnsville lost to Farmington in the season opener (35-12), beat Hopkins (14-7) and then lost to Anoka (24-7) and to Woodbury (28-0).

Park defenders Micah Runion (32), Chris WIlson (21) and Braden Karnitz (58) swarm a Hopkins ball carrier in the first half Friday. Park held Hopkins to 136 total yards in the game. Photo by John Molene