ALEXANDRIA - Following back-to-back road wins, the Alexandria Cardinals football team is back home trying to stay unbeaten as the Bemidji Lumberjacks come to town on Friday at 7 p.m.
"This start has been really fun," Alexandria head coach Mike Empting said. "We've played some close games and got some victories. And those close games, I think the guys are learning how to win not just in our preparation but also throughout the course of the football game. Guys are figuring out what we need to do in different situations to gain the advantage, to get the win, pick up the first down to get the stop to get the ball down the field, and get a score when we need it. Those are all exciting things that we hope pay off for us down the road."
Alexandria, ranked No. 4 in Class 5A, is facing a Bemidji team that's had its fair share of close games.
The Lumberjacks are 2-2 in one-possession games this season as they lost to Monticello, 28-26 on Sept. 1 and Moorhead, 26-21 on Sept. 15 but beat Cretin Durham-Hall, 14-7 on Sept. 8 and St. Cloud Tech, 43-35 on Sept. 22, 2023.
Bemidji heads into Friday's game on Oct. 6, 2023, after having beaten Sartell-St. Stephen 41-14 on Sept. 29, 2023.
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"They're pretty much sticking with what they've done in the past with their sort of triple-option offense," Empting said. "They aren't as big upfront as they have been in the past, but they still do have good size and are very quick. They're really good athletes on the perimeter. Their quarterback is, again, primarily a runner, but he throws the ball well. They like to get to the edge, and they have a nice inside-outside attack. They have a very planned attack between the tackles and a very planned attack on the outside. So it puts a lot of stress on the defense to stay honest and cover the entire field sideline to sideline."
The Lumberjacks are averaging 29 points per game so far this season.
"They pose a lot of challenges between the tackles because of their number advantages, or they just put a lot of guys at the point of attack," Empting said. "We're going to have to be disciplined and stout upfront. We're going to have to hold our ground against the blockers that are coming at us."
The Lumberjacks have held their opponents to 22 points per game in 2023.
The Cardinals are holding opponents to 13.2 points per game so far this season and are averaging 35 points per game.
Alexandria comes into this game following a 35-21 win against a previously unbeaten Brainerd team.
And a solid all-around performance by the offense was a big reason why.
"We've had good quarterback play," Empting said. "Chase [Thompson] makes really good decisions with the football. He's got the good athletes on the outside to throw, and the offensive line played well against Brainerd. They're coming together nicely. I think we should be able to continue moving the ball pretty well through the air, and I look forward to seeing our run game continue to develop. I thought it took a big step forward last week, and I look for that to continue as well."
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The 2022 matchup between Bemidji and Alexandria came down to the wire. Alexandria scored 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat Bemidji 41-38 on the road.
Being Section 8-5A teams, Alexandria and Bemidji have become very familiar with one another.
"Bemidji always plays well against us," Empting said. "The last few times we've played them, they've been close games. We've had to pull out some last-minute wins. I don't think this one's going to be any different than that. I think it's going to be a close game. We know each other well, and there's that preparation piece from one year to the next."
Alexandria currently stands alone atop the Section 8-5A standings with a 3-0 record in section plays, while Brainerd, Bemidji, and Moorhead are all 2-1 in section play with three weeks left in the regular season.
"They're a great group to coach," Empting said about his team. "They're great to work with, they're hard-working, and they've done what's been asked of them in terms of what's been needed for the team, whether it's been switching a position or playing somewhere that they may not love or not comfortable with or anything like that. They've been all about the team. They've been all in for each other, and it's refreshing."
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