Lakeville South running back Nic Swanson might have been the best-kept secret in Minnesota football. Not anymore.

In Friday’s 28-12 win over crosstown rival Lakeville North, Swanson rushed for all four of the Cougars’ touchdowns on 89 yards.

“I knew I’d have to step up this year, so I was ready,” said Swanson, who helped the 2020 and 2021 state champions bounce back from a 16-12 loss to Shakopee last week.

Last season, Swanson tallied a quiet 200 yards and one rushing touchdown on 22 rushing attempts. He was the sixth-most-frequent rusher to spring out of the Cougars’ backfield as they reached the Class 6A state quarterfinals.

This fall, he racked up more yards in his season opener — a state-high 251 — than he did all last season.

Lakeville South head coach Ben Burk isn’t all that surprised by the 6-0, 200-pound back. The Cougars coaching staff knew what Swanson could do. They also knew he was playing behind a slew of talented seniors last year.

“He was capable last year, but he was behind guys who were proven,” Burk said. “He had his chances last year and did really good, so we knew what we had coming into this year.”

Swanson pointed to the example of graduated Cougars back Hayden Egner — “a big blocking back,” he said. “He had to do his role. [Last year], I kind of learned I had to do my role as the season goes on. Just knowing if I have to step up and score or run more than I have to block, then I’m ready to do it.”

Swanson was in the gym this summer — “every day,” he said. His teammates saw that, said Burk, and voted him captain, alongside senior defensive linemen Kaleb Williams, who recorded five tackles Friday, and Carter Mayer, who had eight.

“My line was stellar tonight. … I give all my credit to them,” Swanson said. “It’s all the work they put in — and they’re also just really big, obviously.”

Most of this edition of the Lakeville rivalry was played on the ground, with junior Griffen Dean putting up another 78 rushing yards for the Cougars, and senior Konsta Mäenpää leading the Panthers (0-3) with 111, while both teams combined for just seven completed passes. Both teams had graduated starting quarterbacks who, last year, slung touchdowns back and forth in North’s 35-31 win.

That Panthers victory had stopped South’s five-season winning streak in the rivalry, which had followed 10 consecutive victories for North.

On Friday, North could never quite keep South within reach. After Swanson’s 3-yard rushing touchdown on the opening drive, North answered with a score from Roman Johnson — committed to Minnesota Duluth as a defensive lineman — who somersaulted all 6 feet, 3 inches of himself into the end zone.

But senior lineman Josh Bergan blocked the Panthers’ extra point, and again, when North could have tied it 14-14 in the third quarter thanks to a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Mason Eberle to junior tight end Brady Kemp, the Cougars snuffed out the two-point conversion attempt.

“If we can execute on our extra points and force them to start stealing points back, it gets you out of your rhythm, when you’re behind it,” said Burk, who credited the Cougars defense of “seasoned veterans.” “That’s a huge deal.”

Two more scores from Swanson in the fourth quarter — first 47 yards, then 5, with an ace night from Terynce Wheeler kicking — made sure that Lakeville North’s hopeful attempt to start another decade-long win streak would have to wait.