Northfield at Mayo
7 p.m. Wednesday at Mayo Stadium
Records:Northfield is 5-2 overall, 3-1 in the Big Southeast District, Red Subdistrict; Mayo is also 5-2, 3-1.
Last week:Northfield won its second straight game at home 14-7 over Century. Mayo snapped a two-game losing skid with a 21-12 win at John Marshall.
Last meeting:Northfield beat Mayo 24-7 in Northfield in the last game of the 2015 regular season. Northfield held Mayo to 10 net yards rushing, and QB Trajan Grimsrud passed for 217. The Raiders meanwhile rushed for 270, led by two 100-yard rushers who both graduated.
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Northfield notes:This is the Raiders' third consecutive game against a Rochester school; they won 36-14 against JM two weeks ago, and then beat Century last week, both games at home. Against JM, Raiders QB Lars Prestemon passed for 257 yards and 3 TDs. For the season he's just 30-of-64 for 495 yards with 6 TDs and 2 interceptions. Three backs have more than 45 carries, John Vitito (399 yards, 4 TDs), Mitchell Stanchina (287, 3) and Brandon Foster (268, 5). The star WR is Isiah Walker (19 catches, 322 yards, 5 TDs).
Mayo notes:The Spartans are coming off a win but they didn't move the ball very well on offense at JM, with just 97 yards rushing and 45 passing against the Rockets. Worse news: Three Spartans were injured last week at JM and are doubtful or out this week; junior RB Malik Franklin (156 rushing, 206 receiving, 3 TDs), junior TE Jake Klingele (107 receiving, 3 TDs), and senior WR Ethan Sawallisch. It may mean a bigger workload for two RBs who've combined for more than 800 yards and 10 TDs, senior Ray Motley (386 yards, 6 TDs) and sophomore Israel Lozoya (410, 4).
Mayo coach Donny Holcomb:"Northfield is a team that is very well coached in the way that they do a number of things out of a variety of formations based on what the defense is allowing them. We really need to take a step further in being disciplined on defense to account for lining up correctly to their formations and being accountable on their option and play-action plays. Century did a nice job of this and played fast against them. Northfield has taken it to us in the past two meetings and our team has been challenged with the position we're in heading into the last regular season game. Their defense is built on playing sound techniques and this will be a very physical challenge for our offense. They have had quick starts to a number of their games so our goal is to play fast, physical and limit the mistakes on offense that kept us from playing four quarters of offense last week."
— Donny Henn
