SEU looks for another Homecoming hurrah

Sleepy Eye High School welcomes TMB Friday

SLEEPY EYE - After Merrick Mathiowetz pulled out all the stops to help give Sleepy Eye St. Mary's a Homecoming to celebrate last Friday, it could easily be Keeyan Netzke or Carson Uecker giving Sleepy Eye High School a Homecoming to remember also this Friday.

Those are just a handful of playmakers the Sleepy Eye United football team can - and has - thrown at opponents this season, and it's a big reason for their three-game win streak.

SEU (3-1) hosts Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (2-1) at 7 p.m. this Friday at Sleepy Eye High School in a Mid-South District, Purple Subdistrict game, which will also serve as Sleepy Eye's Homecoming game.

Mathiowetz, a St. Mary's High School senior, had three touchdowns in the win over the defending Section 3A champion Murray County Central Rebels last week, scoring on an 82-yard kickoff return, a 25-yard run and a 36-yard reception.

While Mathiowetz did a little bit of everything, Netzke, a Sleepy Eye High School junior, earned his flowers in the win also with 17 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns. That type of offensive production has helped SEU average 43 points per game this season.

"That's a strength of our team coming in," SEU head coach Joe Hoffmann said. "A lot of these guys had experience playing younger in previous years and we knew there was talent there. What we knew is that yeah, these guys, given the opportunity, they're going to make the most of it. We have a couple of touchdowns on special teams with guys returning and it's not just one, it's not just Carson, Merrick demonstrated he can take it all the way as well.

"We have a couple returners like Karter Haala that we have confidence in. There's a lot of different guys that can make plays and we kind of knew that and we're just trying to distribute the ball, that way we can keep our opponents off balance, that way they can't just key in on one guy."

Uecker, a senior at Sleepy Eye High School, might have had a quiet game against MCC offensively, but he still drew attention and leads the team in receiving yards (248 yards) and touchdown receptions (six) this year.

Last Friday's big win not only gave SEU its third consecutive victory of the season, but it also gave it a win over MCC.

"We're really hitting our stride now," coach Hoffmann said. "It's good to see, we're playing well. We did learn a lot about ourselves that first game. We learned we're going to be resilient and we're going to keep battling and we just carry it forward now."

SEU lost to New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in a 42-37 Week 0 shootout on Aug. 28, a game that SEU trailed by as much as 21 points in the third quarter. Since then, it's been more big scoring performances from SEU, which downed BOLD 51-13 in Week 1, rolled Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 36-6 in Week 2 and then defeated MCC 48-28 last week.

Coach Hoffmann said after going back and forth with the Rebels, a big interception by Jony Flores helped create separation as SEU ended up turning it into a 24-yard touchdown run by Gavin Fischer for a 41-21 lead.

While there have been two games this year that SEU may have liked to have seen a smaller number on the opponent’s side of the scoreboard, coach Hoffmann has been happy overall with what he's gotten out of his defense.

"The heart of our defense is our linebacking group," coach Hoffmann said. "Nick Tauer, our middle linebacker, has been playing extremely well this year. I think he's been leading the team in tackles each and every week. If not, he's near the top. He's been playing really well. Then our secondary, we've had to move some guys around there and some guys really stepped up.

"Jony Flores came in, who wasn't a starter at the start of the season, then he got opportunities and made the most of it and he's been playing extremely well as well. Then down on our d-line, we do have a solid d-line. Keeyan Netzke and Eli Hoffmann and Brecken Hulke and Conner Kyllonen all have been playing for us there and they've been solid."

As SEU moves its attention to TMB, coach Hoffmann said his players will need to keep an eye on Panthers quarterback Jackson Kruse, who isn't afraid to air it out or pick up ground with QB keepers.

"I know they had a big senior class last year, but they've got some [returners]," coach Hoffmann said. "On their offensive line, they're big in the middle, their center and guards, there's some bigger boys, and everything for them runs through their quarterback. He's an athletic kid, he throws the ball well and he can run. He has touchdowns doing both, throwing and running and he's also their kick returner; he has a kick return for a touchdown. So, he's a guy that they like to get the ball into his hands and that's going to be one of our biggest focuses defensively, we've got to keep him contained."

Coach Hoffmann is also hoping to wear down the TMB offensive line by wearing down the defensive line first.

"Their d-line is basically the guys they've got on the offensive line, so that's gonna be a key thing for us," he said. "If we can establish our running game, move the ball, we're gonna wear them out and it's also hopefully gonna affect their offense."

That offensive line helping get the SEU run game going consists of Braylon Nelson at left tackle (6-4, 220 pounds), Tauer at left guard (5-9, 190), Ethan Schwartz at center (5-11, 210), Eli Hoffmann (6-1, 190) at right guard and Conner Kyllonen (6-1, 230) at right tackle.

TMB will be looking to wash its hands of a 67-6 loss to undefeated Springfield last Friday, so SEU will once again have to come in focused and not expecting an easy game. Coach Hoffmann said the potential for big plays from both teams is possible Friday, but he'll be looking for at least a few more from his team.