Brainerd Warriors host Sartell in bid for first section title since 2017
The 8-1 Warriors face the 6-3 Sabres Friday at 7 p.m. in the Section 8-5A Final.
By Grace Anderson ·
The Brainerd Warriors host the Sartell Sabres at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Adamson Field in the Section 8-5A Final. The top-seeded Warriors enter the contest with an 8-1 record and aim to secure a state tournament berth for the first time in nine seasons.
Brainerd has not won a section title since 2017. The team last reached a section final in 2023, falling to Alexandria 24-19. The Warriors last hosted a section championship game in 2017, defeating Alexandria 23-14 in that matchup.
The Sabres, seeded third, advanced to their first section title game since 2022. They defeated the No. 2-seeded Alexandria Cardinals 8-6 in the semifinals. Sartell’s only touchdown came in the first quarter, and they held Alexandria scoreless in the second half. The victory improved their record to 6-3.
Head coach Scott Hentges described the squad as focused and prepared for the challenge. “It’s been four years since we have been in the finals,” Hentges said. “This is something this group has worked for over the past three years. We knew it was going to be an uphill battle as the third seed, but our guys are great at focusing on the task at hand and taking each game one play at a time.”
Brainerd and Sartell met on Sept. 25, with the Warriors winning 35-28. Sartell took a 28-14 lead midway through the third quarter, but Brainerd scored the final 21 points to secure the victory. Quarterback Malik Lauer threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns in that game. He also rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Lauer added a 15-yard game-winning touchdown with 2:35 remaining.
Warriors head coach Jason Freed noted that the teams know each other well from their regular season meeting. “When it comes to game planning, it really comes down to executing, turnovers and playing a clean game,” Freed said. “Both teams know each other so well.”
Brainerd has scored touchdowns on 14 of its last 19 drives. The team recorded a season-high 502 yards of total offense in their 49-35 win over Bemidji. Sartell’s Jonah Ambrosier rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns in the Week Four loss to Brainerd.
The Sabres are currently on a five-game winning streak. They dropped to 1-3 early in the season with losses to Cambridge-Isanti and Alexandria. Brainerd’s only loss this season came against top-ranked Monticello in Week Six.
