Last Time: 2001, Moorhead 62, Willmar 7
What's at stake?
A non-conference meeting, but the outcome could have an impact on seeding for each team. Willmar is fourth in Section 2AAAA. Moorhead and St. Cloud Tech are tied for third in Section 8AAAAA behind Cambridge and Brainerd.
Around the Central Lakes
For the eighth time in the last nine meetings, St. Cloud Tech beat cross-town rival St. Cloud Apollo, this time 32-0 ... Sartell (6-0, 7-0) wrapped up the Central Lakes Conference title with a 30-0 win over Sauk Rapids as Luke Sweeter ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns ... Alexandria (4-1, 5-2) ended Brainerd's five-game winning streak 36-33 at the Warriors' Adamson Field. Down 14-0 after one quarter, the Cardinals scored 22 points in the second quarter and 14 more in the fourth quarter -- each time with a 33 mile-per-hour wind behind them.
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The Moorhead file
The Spuds have won four of their last five after 26-21 loss to Rocori and 26-24 setback to Brainerd to open the season. The Spuds shaded both St. Cloud Tech (20-17) and Alexandria (31-28) and crushed Section 8AAAAA foe Bemidji 47-0 last week. Moorhead's offense revolves around 5-foot-10, 180-pound running back Tony Emmerich and quarterback Nic Thielen. Against the Lumberjacks, Emmerich rushed 26 times for 142 yards and two TDs (40 and 43 yards) while Thielen threw 47 yards for one score and ran for two others.
What Willmar coach Ken Heitzman said
On ankle sprain to quarterback Michael Dunham: "It's day to day. Nothing broken. It's being treated."
On Moorhead: "They're similar to the two teams we just played. Big and physical but we know we can play with them."
On 14-7 Rocori loss: "I was extremely impressed with the defense. Other than the opening touchdown drive and that 50-yard run in the third quarter, the defense allowed them very little and gave the offense some great opportunities to score. It's frustrating when you put up 300 yards of offense and get only seven points out of it."
The bottom line
Willmar showed it can beat a Class AAAAA opponent on the road when it beat Tech on Oct. 6 at Clark Field.
