The Tigers knocked off Tracy-Milroy-Balaton in last year’s Section 3A finals game at Southwest Minnesota State University, and this year saw a new test. But with a strong run game and several big stops by the defense, the Tigers topped SEU 36-18 in this year’s section finals Friday night at SMSU.

The win also gave the Tigers a little payback for a 16-14 Week 5 loss to SEU in Sleepy Eye. The Tigers turned the ball over five times in that loss, but they were able to limit the turnovers to just one on Friday.

“We talked before the game that when you play really good teams during the regular season, it shines a light on things you need to work on,” Springfield head coach Adam Meyer said. “It also shines a light on things you do well. Obviously, we turned the ball over too many times in Week 5, so that’s been something in practice that we talked about quite a bit, we focus on it, we drill it and then hopefully it translates into a game setting like it did tonight. Obviously, the one fumble, still maybe too much, but extremely proud of the way our kids battled back, didn’t let that deter their energy or effort the rest of the game, and then when we got our opportunities later in the game, we did punch them in.”

The Tigers are no stranger to dominating opponents with an aerial attack, but things were a bit different this time around as Sam Rummel and Ashton Toll pounded the ground for nearly 200 yards rushing. Rummel rushed for 147 yards, while Toll ran for 48 yards and two touchdowns.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Springfield’s Ashton Toll runs the ball during the Section 3A championship game with Sleepy Eye United on Friday night at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

“We knew we wanted to set the pass up with the run this game,” Meyer said. “We feel like our offensive line has been playing at a really high level the last few weeks. We knew they had a really good front, so we had to execute at a high level, too. But seeing how Ashton was running the ball early and Sam throughout the game, life is easier when you set the pass up with the run.”

Tigers quarterback Jakob Nachreiner still did get involved despite the run-heavy approach as he threw for 185 yards and three TDs. He also got involved on the ground with a big 44-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up a 10-yard pop-pass TD to Carter Olson and give the Tigers a 36-18 lead after a 2-point conversion catch by Brayden Sturm.

Olson ended the game with seven catches for 61 yards and two scores, while Sturm had six catches for 73 yards and a TD.

SEU quarterback Caden Evers threw for 171 yards, while Talan Helget had four catches for 70 yards and an 80-yard TD run. Jon Petermann was held to 26 yards on 16 carries for SEU, but he did get into the end zone for two of SEU’s touchdowns.

A pair of tackles for losses by Joe Nachreiner and Gavin Vanderwerf forced SEU into a three-and-out on their first drive of the game, but the SEU defense forced the Tigers into a three-and-out of their own on their first drive to start the game as a stalemate.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Springfield’s James Filzen sacks Sleepy Eye United quarterback Caden Evers during the Section 3A football title game on Friday night at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

SEU then found the end zone first, thanks in large part due to a 24-yard catch by Austin Uecker, who finished the game with four catches for 68 yards. Petermann later took it 3 yards into the end zone to give SEU a 6-0 lead with 4:12 left.

Springfield answered with a 63-yard drive that ended after Toll plunged into the end zone from 1 yard out to tie the game.

Toll scored the Tigers’ second TD of the game also with 7:25 left in the half on a 4-yard outside run, and Sturm’s 2-point conversion catch gave the Tigers the 14-6 lead.

“We were just getting yardage,” Toll said. “Our line was pushing them, we got a great push and we just ran the ball.”

The Tigers ended up turning the ball over twice inside the SEU 5-yard line after that Toll TD, one on a fumble by Olson and one on downs, allowing SEU to kneel the clock out and trail 8 at halftime.

After forcing a Springfield punt to open the second half, SEU pulled something out of their bag of tricks after a reverse to Helget went 80 yards down the left sideline to trail 14-12 with 8:33 left in the third. The Tigers didn’t panic after that as Sturm hauled in a 25-yard TD grab minutes later to have the Tigers up 20-12.

A fake and handoff to Kameron Kosak on SEU’s next drive fooled some Springfield defenders, but Kosak was hit and the ball popped up into the hands of Sturm for a fumble and turnover.

Olson made up for his fumble in the second quarter with an 11-yard TD grab in the closing seconds of the third to put the Tigers up 28-14 after a 2-point conversion run by Vanderwerf.

Evers found Helget down the field for a 38-yard pass to keep SEU in it, and that fourth-quarter drive was finished with a 3-yard TD run by Petermann. After the Tigers’ final score on Olson’s second TD of the night, SEU was able to drive down the field late in the fourth but a red-zone catch by Helget and run to the end zone came up short as a fumble was forced and recovered in the end zone by Lucas Milbrath.

Tigers senior defensive end Kaden Rosenstengel credited SEU after the game, but he said making the bigger plays was where the Tigers shined.

“They’re a really good team, I’ll give it to them, they’re a really good team,” Rosenstengel said of SEU. “They’re tough, up front especially, but we made bigger plays and that was the difference.”

James Filzen added a sack for the Tigers on defense.

SEU’s defense was led by Winsten Nienhaus, who had 10 tackles and a sack.

The Tigers will now take on Fillmore Central in the first round of the state tournament at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Jordan High School.

“I’m proud of this team,” Toll said. “There’s no other team I’d want to be a part of. We just did this thing as a team, it was awesome.”

Rosenstengel said returning to the state tournament was the goal from the beginning, and he’s looking forward to Friday.

“That was the goal from the beginning,” he said. “Ever since we lost last year in that state championship, we wanted to get back there. That was the goal of the season, that’s what pushes up and now we’re finally back in it and we’re going to try to make our way to the state championship again.”