LAKEVILLE, Minnesota - Mitch Leidner passed for 182 yards and one touchdown, as well as rushed for two more scores as the Lakeville South Cougars defeated the Eagan Wildcats 35-21 in a game where both teams were on the road.

Due to unsafe field playing conditions at Lakeville South high school, the teams played at Lakeville North high school, and longtime Lakeville South and former Lakeville head coach Larry Thompson looked right at home early, as the Cougars got on the board early with a Leidner 35-yard pass to Matt Heller for a 7-0 lead. Eagan, however, scored two touchdowns inside of 30 seconds late in the first quarter on two touchdown passes by Mitch Bauer to take a 14-7 lead at the end of the first.

Lakeville South tied the game with 4:08 in the half on a Leidner 6-yard run to close out the half at 14-14.

The Cougars would score the next 21 points in the game as well to pull away in the second half. Leidner scored his second touchdown of the day on a 1-yard run for a 21-14 lead, and then let his running backs do the work for the next two scores, Austin Britnell on a 2-yard run with 11:15 remaining in the game, and then Chris Moore on a 3-yard scamper for the 35-14 lead. Eagan would make some noise late with Mitch Bauer's third touchdown of the day, but Lakeville South would close out the win following an onside kick for the final of 35-21.

Lakeville South now travels to Eastview in week two for a date with the Lightning, while Eagan opens up their home season with defending state champion Wayzata. Both games can bee seen on MSBN.

MSBN Players of the Game:

Eagan: Drew Bauer - 3 Passing TD's
Lakeville South: Mitch Leidner - 182 Yards Passing, 1 TD; 2 Rushing TD's
Lakeville South: