Football: Willmar Cardinals sit back and watch

Oct. 23—WILLMAR — It'll be an extended wait for postseason play for a pair of area football teams.Only one West Central Tribune area football team earned a No. 1 seed when section play gets underway next week.That squad is the Willmar Cardinals.The Section 2AAAA vote took place Monday prior to the Week 8 contests. The Cardinals easily claimed the top seed after an 8-0 regular season, the team's first undefeated regular season since 1989.Willmar looks to go to state for the first time since finishing as the Class AAAA runner-up in 2018.While quarterfinal games start Tuesday, Willmar plays the waiting game that night. The Cardinals host the winner of fifth-seeded St. Peter against fourth-seeded Rocori at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 at Hodapp Field."You got to have a plan for both squads and you got to go into the weekend (deciding) how you're going to use your time as a coaching staff to get prepared for both possibilities," Willmar head coach Jon Konold said following his team's 63-0 victory against Big Lake on Wednesday."The next couple days here, we gotta watch some film and correct some things from tonight. We've got to get into the weight room and we got to work out some kinks in the next couple days. ... You got to plan for two until you know on Wednesday."Second-seeded Marshall also got a first-round bye. The Tigers face the winner of sixth-seeded New Ulm and third-seeded Hutchinson at 6 p.m. on Oct. 31 in Marshall.The Section 2AAAA championship is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 at the high seed.Also getting a first-round bye is the Benson Braves.Benson is the No. 2 seed in the six-team Section 5A tournament. With Long Prairie-Grey Eagle opted out of postseason play, the Braves are now off Tuesday.They play the winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal match-up between sixth-seeded Browerville and third-seeded West Central Area. The 5A semifinal is at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 at Brock Field in Benson.The Braves hope to reach state for the first time since 1998."It's just rewarding for the players," Braves head coach Brady Dokkebakken said of his team's 6-2 record after beating LP-GE 36-6 on Tuesday. "These guys have worked so hard to put us in a good position."Upsala/Swanville Area is the top seed in 5A. The Patriots have a first-round bye and host the winner of fifth-seeded Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and fourth-seeded Ashby/Brandon-Evansville.The Section 5A championship is at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 at the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota.Dawson-Boyd is also a two seed in Section 4A. Being a seven-team section, the Blackjacks play in Tuesday's quarterfinals, playing host to seventh-seeded Yellow Medicine East. Dawson-Boyd's last state appearance came in 2014, where it finished as the Class A runner-up.Also being host to quarterfinal games Tuesday are New London-Spicer and Litchfield in 6AAA, Minnewaska in 8AAA, Paynesville in 5AA, Lac qui Parle Valley in 4A and Renville County West in 2 9-Player.All involved aim for state berths Nov. 12-14. The semifinals are Nov. 19-21 and the Prep Bowl is Nov. 27-28 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.Area section tournaments:Byes: 1-Willmar (8-0), 2-Marshall (6-2)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-St. Peter (5-3) at 4-Rocori (3-5), 7 p.m.6-New Ulm (4-4) at 3-Hutchinson (6-2), 7 p.m.Oct. 31SemifinalsSt. Peter/Rocori winner at 1-Willmar, 3 p.m.New Ulm/Hutchinson winner at 2-Marshall, 6 p.m.Nov. 6ChampionshipSemifinal winners, 7 p.m. at high seedByes: 1-Albany (6-2)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-Sauk Centre (1-7) at 4-Litchfield (4-4), 7 p.m.6-St. Cloud Apollo (0-8) at 3-New London-Spicer (5-3), 7 p.m.7-Montevideo (0-8) at 2-Melrose (7-1), 7 p.m.Oct. 31SemifinalsSauk Centre/Litchfield winner at 1-Albany, 2 p.m.Apollo/NLS winner vs. Montevideo/Melrose winner, 2 p.m. at high seedNov. 6ChampionshipSemifinal winners, 7 p.m. at Rocori High School, Cold SpringByes: 1-Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (8-0)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-Morris/Chokio-Alberta (2-6) at 4-Minnewaska (4-4), 6 p.m.7-Thief River Falls (2-6) at 2-Perham (7-1), 6 p.m.6-Park Rapids (2-6) at 3-East Grand Forks (6-2), 6 p.m.Oct. 31SemifinalsMCA/Minnewaska winner at 1-Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, 2 p.m.TRF/Perham winner vs. Park Rapids/EGF winner, 2 p.m. at high seedChampionshipNov. 6Semifinal winners, 5:30 p.m. at FargoDome, Fargo, North DakotaByes: 1-Redwood Valley (8-0)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (2-6) at 4-Paynesville (5-3), 7 p.m.6-St. Cloud Cathedral (1-7) at 3-Eden Valley-Watkins (4-4), 7 p.m.7-Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (0-8) at 2-Kimball (5-3), 7 p.m.Oct. 31SemifinalsACGC/Paynesville winner at 1-Redwood Valley, 2 p.m.Cathedral/EVW winner vs. KMS/Kimball winner, 2 p.m. at high seedNov. 6ChampionshipSemifinal winners, 6 p.m. at St. Cloud Apollo High SchoolByes: 1-Springfield (8-0), 2-Sleepy Eye United (5-3)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (4-4) at 4-Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (5-3), 7 p.m.6-BOLD (1-7) at 3-Murray County Central (5-3), 7 p.m.Oct. 31SemifinalsTMB/RTR winner at 1-Springfield, 3 p.m.BOLD/MCC winner at 2-Sleepy Eye United, 3 p.m.Nov. 6ChampionshipSemifinal winners, 4:30 p.m. at Southwest Minnesota State University, MarshallByes: 1-Minneota (8-0)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-MACCRAY (2-6) at 4-Lakeview (3-5), 7 p.m.7-Yellow Medicine East (1-7) at 2-Dawson-Boyd (6-2), 7 p.m.6-Canby (2-6) at 3-Lac qui Parle Valley (5-3), 7 p.m.Oct. 31SemifinalsMACCRAY/Lakeview winner at 1-Minneota, 3 p.m.YME/Dawson-Boyd winner vs. Canby/LQPV winner, 3 p.m. at high seedNov. 6ChampionshipSemifinal winners, 2 p.m. at Southwest Minnesota State University, MarshallByes: 1-Upsala/Swanville (8-0), 2-Benson (6-2)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (4-4) at 4-Ashby/Brandon-Evansville (5-3), 6 p.m.6-Browerville (2-6) at 3-West Central Area (4-4)Oct. 31SemifinalsBBE/ABE winner at 1-Upsala/Swanville, 2 p.m.Browerville/WCA winner at 2-Benson, 2 p.m.Nov. 6ChampionshipSemifinal winners, 3 p.m. at FargoDome, Fargo, North DakotaByes: 1-Wabasso (8-0), 2-New Ulm Cathedral (7-1)TuesdayQuarterfinals5-Red Rock Central (3-5) at 4-Renville County West (4-4), 7 p.m.6-Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (2-6) at 3-Nicollet (4-4), 7 p.m.Oct. 31SemifinalsRRC/RCW winner at 1-Wabasso, 2 p.m.BLHS/Nicollet winner at 2-New Ulm Cathedral, 2 p.m.Nov. 6ChampionshipSemifinal winners, 7 p.m. at Lakeview High School, Cottonwood