What: Nine-Man football state tournament quarterfinals between Houston and Verndale.
Records: Houston is 11-0; Verndale is 10-0.
Last game: Houston defeated Lanesboro 45-8 in the Section One finals. Verndale defeated Eagle Valley 46-20 in the Section Four finals.
Last year: The same teams played last year, also in the Nine-Man quarterfinals with Verndale winning 28-12 in a game played at Hamline University. Verndale then lost in the state semifinals to six-time state champion Stephen-Argyle.
Nine-Man notes: Three teams that played in last year’s tournament are back, Houston, Verndale, and Littlefork-Big Falls, but that list doesn’t include the champion of the last five years Stephen-Argyle. Kittson County Central, making its first state appearance, knocked off Stephen-Argyle in the Section 8 final and ended its state record win streak of 76 games. Four of the teams at state are unbeaten.
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State history: The Verndale Pirates are making their 14th state appearance and finished ranked No. 2. They won the state title in 1997 and 2002. Houston has two previous state appearances, in 1982 and 2007. The Hurricanes have never won a state championship and were ranked No. 3 in the state poll.
Up next: The winner advances to the Nine-Man state semifinals at 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Metrodome against the winner of the Littlefork-Big Falls (11-0) and Ada-Borup (9-2) game.
Radio: KFIL-AM (1060).
