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Wabasso, Cathedral meet again in 3A finals

MARSHALL — When the initial QRF football rankings came out for Section 3A this season, Wabasso was No. 1 and New Ulm Cathedral was No 2.

Ten weeks later, these same two teams have survived and will meet at 1:30 p.m. on Friday at Southwest State University in Marshall for the 3A title.

The winner will meet the Section 2A champion at 1 p.m. next Saturday at New Ulm High School in the first round of the Class A State Football Tournament.

For Cathedral head coach Denny Lux it will be a rematch of the two teams who met October 6 with the Rabbits coming away with a 38-0 win.

“This is one of the better Wabasso teams,” Lux said. “They have been so solid across the board both offensively and defensively and special teams. This is a very good football team that we are playing. Our effort and execution is going to have to be our best all year.”

This season, the 10-0 Rabbits have totally dominated their opponents, outscoring them an average of 46-7 a game.

Wabasso head coach Joe Kemp feels that it is going to be a well-coached game.

“I know that Denny is going to have his kids prepared,” Kemp said. “They will probably throw something different at us from last time. They have 12 seniors who are going to give everything they can and will leave everything on the field. We expect a very competitive game on both sides of the ball.”

The Rabbits have 11 seniors and four of them have started four years for Kemp.

“That is unheard of and we have three that have started at least three years,” Kemp said.

And that experience has brought about discipline.

“Very seldom do you see us make the same mistake twice,” Kemp said. “They see what a team is trying to do on a blocking scheme and they really figure it amongst themselves. We have a great defensive co-ordinator in Cody Kittelson [four shutouts this season]. And our kids are football smart.”

Lux said that he and his coaching staff have watched the film of the earlier game this season.

“Our team has used that film more for our part in scheming and technique,” Lux said. “We are thinking that we are a better football team now at this point of the season and I know that they have also improved. It is a whole different game now because we are in the playoffs. A lot of the aspects of the game have changed now the second time around.”

Kemp said that the Rabbits’ season thus far has been a group effort.

“Cooper Taylor has scored 28 touchdowns and has 1,500 yards rushing but it is the team and that is what we really preach.”

Lux said that today his team’s mindset will be basic.

“It is one play at a time for us,” Lux said. “We need to concentrate on that play. With our running backs we have had a lot of long runs this season so we have to keep doing what we have been good at. We have to be confident that sooner or later we will catch a break.”

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