stillwatergazette. com Stillwater Ponies Football Preview • Friday, August 22, 2025 Page 5
Outlook
( Continued from page 4)
The Mustangs earned the top seed in Section 4AAAAAA a year ago and advanced to state for the first time since 2019. Mounds View, which was stopped by Shakopee 24-17 in the state quarterfinals, experienced significant losses to graduation on both sides of the ball, but especially on defense after allowing just 237 yards per game in the regular season.
Mounds View will also miss quarterback Jacob Sampson, who was voted the Metro East Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. Sampson threw for 13 touchdowns and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. The Mustangs also graduated leading rusher Mitchell Olson, who gained 597 yards and scored five touchdowns on 110 carries( 5.4 avg.), but they can expect contributions on both sides of the ball from North Dakota State University recruit Godson Rufus- Okomhanru.
“ They have some good speed and they have some good track kids on that football team,” La- Bore said.
Mounds View boasted a plus- 13 turnover margin last season.
Stillwater follows that game by traveling to Woodbury for Week 5. The Royals finished 2-7 a year ago after ending the season on a six-game losing streak. Woodbury struggled on both sides of the ball while averaging less than 200 yards per game on offense and allowing more than 317, but it was a young team expecting better things this fall.
Prior to last season, Woodbury was the most recent Metro East team to defeat the Ponies, which occurred during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The teams did not meet in 2021 or 2022 and Stillwater snapped a five-game losing streak against the Royals while prevailing 28- 25 in 2023 and followed with a 34-15 win a year ago.
“ They played with a lot of seniors on defense, but they return a bunch of players and should be better,” LaBore said.“ I think a lot of their offense comes back and they started a fair number of sophomores as the season went along.
Stillwater leads Woodbury 36-9 in a series that dates to 1975.
The Ponies will host White Bear Lake in Week 6.
Last season’ s loss to the Bears cost Stillwater a share of the sub-district title and a potential No. 1 seed in the section. The Bears, who finished 3-6 overall, lost five in a row before defeating Stillwater 24-17 and then tacked on two more victories to close out the regular season.
Quarterback Tomi Animasaun helped lead the charge for the Bears a year ago while leading the Metro East with 1,246 passing yards. White Bear Lake is expected to return its leading rusher Brian White, who gained 401 yards on just 67 carries( 6.0 avg.) as a sophomore.
See Outlook, Page 6
2025 Metro East Sub-District schedule
All games at 7 p. m.( unless noted) Thursday, August 28 * Maple Grove at Stillwater * East Ridge at Minnetonka * Park at White Bear Lake * Woodbury at Roseville * Prior Lake at Forest Lake
Friday, August 29 * Mounds View at Lakeville South
Friday, September 5 * Stillwater at Park * WB Lake at Coon Rapids, 6 p. m. * Hopkins at East Ridge * Moorhead at Woodbury, 6 p. m. * Forest Lake at Anoka * Roseville at Mounds View
Friday, September 12 * Shakopee at Stillwater * Mounds View at Maple Grove * East Ridge at Roseville * Farmington at White Bear Lake * Park at Forest Lake * Woodbury at Hopkins
Friday, September 19 Stillwater at Mounds View Woodbury at Forest Lake White Bear Lake at East Ridge
Friday, September 26 Stillwater at Woodbury Mounds View at East Ridge Forest Lake at White Bear Lake
Friday, October 3 White Bear Lake at Stillwater Mounds View at Woodbury East Ridge at Forest Lake
Friday, October 10 Stillwater at East Ridge Woodbury at White Bear Lake Forest Lake at Mounds View
Wednesday, October 15 Forest Lake at Stillwater Mounds View at White Bear Lake East Ridge at Woodbury
Section playoff dates Semifinals— Friday, Oct. 24 Finals— Friday, Oct. 31
State tournament dates Quarterfinals— Nov. 6-8 Semifinals— Nov. 13-15 at U. S. Bank Stadium Prep Bowl— Nov. 21-22 at U. S. Bank Stadium
* Denotes non-Metro East game