Despite day, teams seeking good fortune

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- All three New Ulm High School football teams hope that Friday the 13th and the full moon will be kind to them as they wind down their regular season schedules and gear up for postseason play.

One team, the New Ulm Eagles, will seek their first out-right South Central Conference football crown since 1951 when they travel to Fairmont, while Minnesota Valley Lutheran hopes to secure a home field for postseason when they travel to face Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin.

Meanwhile New Ulm Cathedral, fresh off a huge win over McLeod West, will be the only team playing at home when they celebrate homecoming by hosting Faribault Bethlehem Academy.

Next week, being MEA Week, teams will experience a short practice week with games on Wednesday.

NEW ULM HIGH SCHOOL (4-2, 4-0) AT FAIRMONT (0-6, 0-4), 7 P.M., FAIRMONT

That's right. Fairmont is winless going into their homecoming game with the Eagles as NUHS attempts to end a 51-year old drought by winning an outright SCC football crown. And they can do that with a win in Fairmont tonight.

A victory would also secure New Ulm in the No. 2 spot in Section 2AAAA (behind Mankato East) for sectional seedings.

"I don't know if Fairmont has ever had a winless season," said Eagle head football coach Rick VanRoekel. "This is unusual for them.

"They still run the wishbone offense, but they will be getting some players back for this game from injuries," said VanRoekel. "They will have different personnel in the game. We are still figuring that they will run the wishbone, and they will have quicker personnel."

In the past games, the Cards have used a 1-9 defense but last week they returned to a 5-2 monster. "We are looking at that (5-2) as the defense that they will use against us or they will use a 6-1 defense. That 1-9 was something that they just tried to see what kind of success they would have."

Returning is key running back Joel Haycraft, who also plays linebacker on defense. "He is a good athlete."

VanRoekel said that he hopes that his team is not overconfident going into this game with Fairmont winless with losses to St. James (a team New Ulm beat 55-19) and Waseca (who lost to the Eagles 37-7). "But sometimes you see that the better team doesn't always win. If you think that just by showing up you are going to win, we will get beat. We stress that this is their homecoming. If we play our game like we have been the last few weeks, we should win. But if we don't execute on offense and make some bad reads on defense, we will get beat."

This is a big game for both teams as Fairmont does not want to go winless or lose their homecoming and the Eagles need this win for seedings and momentum going into their final regular season home game against Redwood Valley. "And the win gives us an outright conference title. Plus, wins mean home field (with the No. 2 seed), and home field is big in playoffs."

FARIBAULT BA (3-3, 2-1) AT NEW ULM CATHEDRAL (5-1, 3-0), 7 P.M., JOHNSON PARK

After two big wins, the Hounds now face Faribault BA for homecoming.

"They (Faribault) are improved this year," commented head coach Denny Lux. "They have a good quarterback in Alex Zweber. They have been throwing a lot lately and have a nice target in tight end Rory Kratt. He is 6-foot 5 and they also have a good split end/running back in Nick Navarro. Those are the guys that they look to on offense and we have to stop them. They have opened up their offense more and try and spread you out with the passing game."

Lux said that the Cardinal running game "is a lot like we saw last week (against McLeod West). They will run some power-I and some motion; try and get you outside a little bit."

Lux said that BA "is aggressive on defense and does some blitzing. It is a team that is on an upswing and a win for them moves their playoff spot up."

The Hounds are coming off wins over Sleepy Eye St. Mary's and McLeod West and now face their homecoming game. But Lux is not worried that the two wins and homecoming will turn the focus off the game.

"The thing that we have talked about in practice is that we have had two very tough games; they have been tough physically and mentally. We want to take all of that experience that we have gotten and take that into this game. We don't want to leave that behind."

Lux also knows that a win tonight and then at Wabasso Wednesday improves CHS postseason position. "It is no secret to our team, we knew every win gives us better (post-season) position. We will play our hearts out. We will not be flat for tonight's game."

MVL (3-3, 2-2) AT MLBO (0-6, 0-3), 7 P.M., MOUNTAIN LAKE

If you ask a football coach what team worries him the most, he will tell you that it is a winless one. That will be the concern of head coach Jim Buboltz when his Chargers travel to Mountain Lake to face the winless Wolverines tonight.

"'They are ready to win a game," commented Buboltz. "They want to get that (winless) monkey off of their back and they see an opportunity of giving us a run and I expect them to come out with a lot of fire."

The Wolverines will come at you with a power-I "and try to get that running game going, and on defense they will use a 5-3 defense. A lot of teams have used that defense against us and hopefully, our front line is ready."

Buboltz said that the win last week against Cedar Mountain/Comfrey "pretty much propelled us into a playoff spot, which we are very happy about. A win against MLBO will give us a better seeding spot."

The Chargers then host Red Rock Central Wednesday afternoon to conclude their regular season.

And MVL will see running back/linebacker Joel Russow back into a full-time spot. "He is looking really good. He came back on Monday (for practice) and said that his knee was feeling very good. He looks 100 percent, is cutting well and he has his power. "

Buboltz said that offensive lineman Chris Orth, who was hampered by a bad back, also returns to the MVL lineup tonight. "We appear to be at full-strength for the season, finally.

"We want to not only get the running game going but also get the passing game going," Buboltz commented. "Dan (Unke, MVL quarterback) came up to me at practice this week and said 'the more options, the better.'

"We will use more 5-3 and six-man fronts to try and shut down their running game and put the ball up. Last week, when Cedar Mountain passed, we were able to put our hands on the ball, with Jon Enter getting two interceptions in the first half."

Buboltz said that MVL is "looking at this as a playoff game. We are getting everyone healthy, and we are excited. It seems like the year is just starting because of all of the injuries."