File photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye United’s Gavin Fischer takes a handoff during a prep football game against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton on Sept. 5 at Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s High School.

SLEEPY EYE – Both years since Sleepy Eye and Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s joined to form the Sleepy Eye United football program, the team has faced off against Springfield during the regular season.

This year is no different as SEU hosts the Tigers on Friday in the sixth week of the season.

The first time the two teams matched up, SEU pulled off an upset, handing Springfield its only loss of the regular season in a 16-14 defensive showdown. Last year, Springfield came away with a 34-6 victory as it got its offense going again.

This year, Springfield continues to be one of the top teams in the state, staying undefeated through five weeks. SEU, meanwhile, holds a 1-4 record after starting the season with a win over BOLD.

SEU head coach Brent Kucera knows that Springfield is the toughest team on the schedule this season, and his team will have a lot to handle in the game.

“They’ve got talent all over the place,” he said. “They have a good quarterback, they have great athletes, they have a good line. They’ve got athletes everywhere, so if you make a mistake, they’re going to burn you with it.”

Kucera points out defensive lineman/linebacker Aiden Moriarty as a piece to look out for on defense, while Madden Lendt will prove to be a strong athlete on the outside for the offense.

“Moriarty, he’s a different breed when it comes to single-A football,” Kucera said. “There’s no answer for a guy that size that moves that well. Madden Lendt is a phenomenal athlete and he’s really big and really athletic. You’ve got to limit the explosives that they give you to hold them back a bit.”

On the year, Moriarty has 34 total tackles and two forced fumbles, along with a fumble recovered for a touchdown. Lendt is a deep threat for the Tigers with 340 yards receiving with five touchdowns. Lendt also has two interceptions on defense, returning one for a touchdown.

Springfield’s Parker Kuehn continues to have a strong season at quarterback in his second season starting, recording an average of 264.8 yards passing with 19 touchdowns through five games. His top target has been Isaac Fredin, who has caught 28 passes for 401 yards and 11 touchdowns. Payten Johnson has been the lead back for the Tigers, recording 479 yards on 54 attempts with four touchdowns. Defensively, Elisandro Trevino leads the team in tackles (45)m sacks (3) and tackles for loss (9) in a breakout campaign.

Springfield head coach Adam Meyer said that SEU presents a balanced offense that can get big chunks of yards all at once.

“They have a balanced offense that does a nice job of getting the ball to multiple players in different ways,” he said. “A lot of their scores have been explosive plays this season, so it will be really important to stay disciplined and communicate to avoid giving up the big play.”

Meyer said that the Tigers would have to keep an eye on SEU’s backfield throughout the game.

“They have a nice tandem in the backfield with Gavin Fischer and Merrick Mathiowetz,” he said. “Both players run hard and have speed in the open field. In the passing game, they do a good job of moving Carson Uecker around the formation and getting him the ball downfield. They have also involved Tyler Mathiowetz in the passing game.”

Kucera is looking for his team to execute on the details during the game.

“We’ve got to do the small things right and we can’t turn the ball over,” he said. “We can’t give them too many possessions. We have to run the ball and run the clock to give them less possessions. That’s where the key is.”

Meyer, meanwhile, said the emphasis would be on special teams.

“They have quality athletes and have had some nice returns this season that we need to limit so we can force them to have long drives on offense,” he said. “Also, I think we need to come out of the gates playing fast and playing hard. We have been able to start most of our games this year playing really well and have been able to set the tone early, which has been a key to our success this year.”

While the Tigers are still undefeated, Meyer believes there are still a few things his team can work on to improve.

“Our district and section is very strong, with a lot of quality teams that play a wide variety of styles of football,” Meyer said. “We will continue to add different looks and packages on both sides of the ball. This will require great communication and teamwork as we move forward, and this game will test us in many ways.”

Kucera said he expects his team to come out with some fight.

“It’s a rivalry, so I expect them to come out and play hard,” Kucera said. “It’s always fun playing a rival. On paper they’ve got us outmatched, but I expect them to play hard.”