Winner and Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan face off in the 11B state championship on Friday at 10 a.m.. Winner is coming into the matchup on a 23-game winning streak dating back to the start of the 2020 season.
The last team to defeat Winner was Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan in the 2019 state title.
Winner head coach Trent Olsen said this game will be a battle of running games.
“It’s going to be a physical game,” coach Olsen said. “I know we’re going to come out and run the football, and we’re going to focus on stopping the run. That’s what coach Van Leur and Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan do is come out and run the ball at you and try to control the clock … The team the takes care of the football and the team- that runs the ball better is going to have the inside track.”
The Seahawks of Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan come into the championship with an 8-3 record and climbed through the bracket as a No. 7 seed. The Seahawks previously lost to Winner in late August 44-0.
Seahawks head coach Jeff Van Leur said his team will need to play mistake free football.
“They do a great job of executing their offense and defense,” coach Van Leur said. “Defensively, they really come at you hard a send a lot of people at you. You just cannot make a mistake. You make a mistake, and they’re going to make you pay for it.”
Coverage on KOOL 983 tomorrow will begin at 9:40 a.m. for the 11B state championship with kickoff at 10 a.m.