Mike Grant, the Eden Prairie coaching legend, has found himself unsurprised by Cashman’s contribution to this phenomenal Vikings season — 14-2 after Sunday’s 27-25 victory over the Packers, twice the number anticipated preseason in sports books.
Eden Prairie was rolling to four consecutive state titles (2011-14) as Cashman ended his high school career in 2014. The last of those came 28-27 against potent Totino-Grace, with Cashman moving to receiver to catch a 24-yard touchdown pass and then leading a charge to stop Grace’s try for a winning two-point conversion.
“Blake might not like it when I say we had better athletes, more gifted players physically, but that’s true,” Grant said. “What he always did was make plays. He was a very good athlete, but most of all, he had a quick-twitch mind.
“You see players that are in between, not out of the play, but not really in it. Blake Cashman … for us, for the Gophers, and now the Vikings: He’s in the middle of the play.“
That was the case late Sunday afternoon and into the evening. The Packers put up the last 15 points, putting a dent in what had been a Vikings domination.
Still, it was never really a nail-biter, and now the Vikings can go to Detroit next week and take the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win over the Lions.