Minnetonka was one of six highly-regarded Class 6A teams to take part in a scrimmage Saturday at Maple Grove.

Skippers coach Mark Esch thought his team played well in spurts, but against Maple Grove, the defending Class 6A champ and the team that defeated the Skippers in the Prep Bowl last fall, Esch was far less pleased.

“We didn‘t show up against Maple Grove,” Esch before Thursday’s season opener against East Ridge.

Esch indicated to his players that he had higher expectations for them.

“I let them know,” Esch said, a wry coach’s grin crawling across his face.

Message received.

Minnetonka dominated East Ridge on Thursday, rolling up a 34-point halftime lead en route to a 41-0 victory at Minnetonka’s Einar Anderson Stadium.

The rout started early and didn’t slow until halftime.

Senior running back Caleb Francois, back at running back after a superb season at quarterback in 2024, made a statement right out of the gate, blowing through the East Ridge defense for a 70-yard touchdown run on Minnetonka’s third offensive play from scrimmage. The Skippers led 7-0 before the game was five minutes old.

“Our line came out and locked them up, and that allowed that to happen,” Francois said. “It’s nice to have trust in the line and see them come through like that.”

Minnetonka, No. 2 in the Minnesota Top 25, continued its offensive onslaught the next time it touched the ball. Junior quarterback Caden Gutzmer found receiver Cody Braun along the right sideline, and he sidestepped a couple of East Ridge defensive backs and waltzed into the end zone for a 29-yard score and a 14-0 lead.

Things snowballed on East Ridge after that. Raptors starting quarterback Cedric Tomes, committed to the Gophers for basketball, left the game with a broken finger on his left hand. Not long after, a botched punt snap gave Minnetonka the ball on the East Ridge 22-yard-line. It took just one play for running back Quinton Restrepo to find pay dirt, bumping the Skippers’ lead to 20-0.

Meanwhile, the young Minnetonka defense kept the East Ridge offense in check. The Skippers allowed East Ridge just two first downs before halftime, one of which came on a penalty on the Minnetonka defense.

Defensive coordinator Matt Lombardi talked before the game about the youth of the defense, saying he’d need to play as many as 10 inexperienced juniors. He admitted to being thrilled by how well they responded.

“We had 10 kids who had never played a varsity anything, and they come out and played their hearts out,” Lombardi said. “I’m super proud of these kids. I think by the end of the year, we’re going to be pretty tough.”

Francois finished with 178 yards rushing and three touchdowns for Minnetonka, and Gutzmer passed for two scores before sitting out the second half with cramps.

Esch admitted after the game that there was work yet to do, but he was pleased with the result.

“Our goal is perfection. We’re never gonna reach it, but we’re gonna coach you to be perfect,” he said. “We’re gonna point out every little mistake, but we’re also gonna point out the positives. I think there’s a balance. And that’s how you get better.”