A First Look at Friday's Anoka vs. Wayzata Football Game

Gameday

Anoka (2-0, 2-0 in Northwest Suburban Conference) at Wayzata (2-0, 0-0 in the Lake Conference)

Playmakers

Nick Martin, Wayzata (Quarterback): Martin has shown in his first year as a starting quarterback that he can use his feet or his arm to tear a defense apart. Last week, when the Eagan defense played soft on receivers and stacked men in the box to stop the Wayzata rushing attack, head coach Brad Anderson gave Martin the go ahead to open fire on the Eagan defensive backfield. This allowed Martin to sling the ball for 230 yards, hitting multiple receivers. He also kept an important drive alive by dancing through the defense for a first down.

Erik Roti, Wayzata (Running Back): With the injury to starting running back Mitch Underhill still bitter on people’s lips, Roti showed his teammates and fans that the running game will still be explosive with him carrying the ball. As one of the best in the state in the 100-yard dash, he demonstrated his speed by breaking touchdown runs of 72 and 15 yards against Eagan. He gained 112 yards in the victory over the Wildcats with only eight carries, averaging 14 yards every time he touched the ball. Anoka will have their hands full trying to contain Roti, who has the ability to change the game if given a seam to wiggle through.

Landon Mathis, Anoka (Linebacker): Mathis is a leader whose value cannot always be measured. His leadership on the Anoka defense has raised the confidence level of those around him. Mathis is back for his senior season after sitting the sidelines last year with a knee injury. He is a tough and physical tackler who has gotten a sack in each of the first two games of the season. He put up eight tackles in the season opener against Park Center and was in on 17 tackles last week against Andover—one of which was a tackle for loss.

The Trojans win if…

They can find a way to settle in early and execute their offensive game plan. Although the team tries to establish the run game early on, they showed last week that they are willing and capable to exploit mismatches and go for big yards with the passing game. They also need to find a way to get running back Erik Roti the ball in space and use running back Antonio Ford to pound the middle of the field.

Look for the defense to come out hungry once again this week. They showed improvement when chasing the football on the outside and also tackled well in the win over Eagan. The first two games of the season have allowed the Trojan defense to gain some swagger. They will need to continue to build on their confidence while tackling well and fight to the ball as a team in order to force turnovers and make things easier for the offense.

The Tornadoes win if…

They play mistake free football. They will also need to play physically on the offensive and defensive lines in order to control field position. Anoka linebackers will have to be ready to play fast and smart when attempting to contain Wayzata’s Erik Roti and defend the short passing game.

Key Injuries

Mitch Underhill, Wayzata (Running back): Underhill tweaked his knee in the opening game against Prior Lake. An MRI revealed a torn ACL. He will be out for the remainder of the season.

Kit Snyder, Wayzata (Defensive End): Snyder dislocated his elbow in the win over the Wildcats last week. He is averaging almost seven tackles a game so far this year, and has recorded three sacks. His continuous pressure on the quarterback will be missed.

Two-Minute Drill

Site: Wayzata High School

Time: 7 p.m.

Projected Weather: Mostly Sunny, 66 degrees

Wayzata Schedule

Thu, Sep 1 at Prior Lake (W, 47-20)

Fri, Sep 9 at Eagan (W, 28-7)

Fri, Sep 16 vs. Anoka

Fri, Sep 23 vs. Carmel Catholic (University of Dubuque)

Fri, Sep 30 vs. Minnetonka

Thu, Oct 6 at Edina

Fri, Oct 14 at Hopkins

Wed, Oct 19 vs. Eden Prairie