When Kasson-Mantorville hosts Stewartville in the Section One, Class AAAA football title game Friday the circumstances have to be more normal then the teams' first meeting, right?
Back on Oct. 4, K-M posted a 22-0 win in Stewartville to hand the Tigers their only loss. That was the night of the big area lightning storm. After six minutes of play, the game was delayed for 90 minutes. Then it was called off with just over five minutes remaining. In between steady rain made it tough for Stewartville's strong passing game to click.
"It was slick and the balls were wet," K-M coach Broc Threinen said. "That will be a big difference (this time)."
That victory earned K-M the top seed in the section while Stewartville is the second seed. Both teams enter the section championship game with 8-1 records and the KoMets are ranked ninth in the state and Stewartville is 10th.
While Stewartville relies heavily on the strong and accurate right arm of junior quarterback Aaron Quandt, the KoMets like to run the ball behind a big and strong offensive line.
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"He's very good and he can put the ball in a (tight) space," Threinen said of Quandt.
Quandt has passed for just under 1,800 yards in nine games and Connor Hanf is his favorite target. While the first game was played in the rain and mud, this game will be contested on FieldTurf in Kasson.
"They will move the ball," Threinen said. "We just have to make stops and make plays when we need to."
And Stewartville will have to try and slow the K-M ground attack, something it struggled to do in the first meeting as the KoMets line opened some big holes.
"That's what we hang out hat on, being strong up front," Threinen said. "They're not only big and physical, they're smart. We're going to ride them as far as they can take us."
Freshman quarterback Brady Berge has rushed for more than 1,200 yards for K-M. The team's second leading rusher, Nic Bauer, is out with a back injury, but Tanner Minette rushed for 90 yards in his absence in last week's playoff win over Byron.
K-M is looking for its second straight state berth and third in four years. Stewartville has not been to state since 1986.
"I don't mind playing a team twice," Threinen said of facing the Tigers again. "In fact I like of like it."
