By Scott A. Kolb
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN
The powers-that-be didn’t seem too impressed by the unbeaten record of the Southland Rebels and seeded them third in the upcoming Class AA, Section Two football playoffs.
Lyle/Austin Pacelli is right where it expected to be after losing the regular season finale. Lyle/Pacelli is seeded sixth in the Section One, Nine-Man playoffs.
Instead of getting the top seed in their section, the Southland Rebels wound up in the third spot. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, also unbeaten and ranked in the state’s top 10, will be the top seed and start off with a home game against United South Central.
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Triton, the defending state champions but a team with one loss, received the second seed in the section. The Triton Cobras open the 2AA playoffs at home in Dodge Center against Kenyon-Wanamingo.
Despite a perfect 8-0 record, the Rebels will only have one playoff game at home. The section opener on Tuesday night brings sixth-seeded Montgomery-Lonsdale to the Southland Athletic Field. The rest of the journey in the quest for state will take place on the road for the Rebels.
Lyle/Pacelli lost to third-seeded Lanesboro by 28 points in the final game of the regular season, and a rematch now takes place in the section opener on Tuesday night. Houston is the top seed in the section.
The L/P Athletics were in the game against the Lanesboro Burros, until quarterback Sam Stier was injured. It was confirmed on Thursday that Stier broke his hand while trying to make a tackle in the first half against Lanesboro in the regular-season finale. Stier will be out for the playoff game, and Matt Buntje will take over at quarterback.
Both of the section playoff games for Southland and Lyle/Pacelli are scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Tuesday. The next round of the Section 2AA playoffs will be next Saturday afternoon, while the second-round nine-man games are at night.
