The Lowdown - Round of 32

(Cover Photo: Bre McGee/MN Football Hub) X Factors QB Aidan Bouman – Buffalo (at Prior Lake) Bouman lit up opponents through the air again this season with almost 3,000 yards and 35 touchdowns for the Bison. He eclipsed the 400-yard mark on four occasions, throwing for 23 scores in those contests. The 6-foot-5 southpaw has already committed to Iowa State, but what he’d like is a playoff win to go on his resume. Bouman posted gaudy statistics last year too, only to be humbled by Lakeville North in the Class 6A opening round contest with just 87 yards passing and two interceptions. He’ll get another huge challenge on Friday aganst Prior Lake and its battle-tested defense. RB Parker Freiberg – Irondale (at Spring Lake Park) Freiberg and Irondale were humbled in their season-opening 35-13 loss to Spring Lake Park. The Knights now get their shot at revenge in the Section 5AAAAA semifinals. The Knights senior running back rushed for only 74 yards and one score in the loss to the Panthers, which is the only contest he didn’t hit the century mark in rushing yards all season. Freiberg has eight-straight games of 145 yards or more, including a 150-yard, two touchdown performance on Tuesday against Park Center. It will be a much-improved run defense for the Panthers, however, as Spring Lake Park hasn’t allowed a team to gain more than 100 yards since Week 3 of the regular season. QB Reegan Nelson – Melrose (at Pierz) Nelson curiously did not play in the Dutchmen's 27-18 win over Litchfield on Tuesday to open the Section 6AAA playoffs. He had taken almost every first-team snap on offense in the regular season, so his status on Saturday will be pivotal against defending Class AAA champion Pierz. In the first meeting against the Pioneers, Nelson nearly led Melrose to the upset before falling by eight on a Pierz score late in the final quarter. The 6-foot-3 senior threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 44 yards and another score. He’ll need another performance like that to give the Dutchmen a chance at ending Pierz’s reign. RB Josh Navratil – Pine Island (at Rochester Lourdes) The Pine Island turned in his best performance of the season in the Panthers quarterfinal win over Stewartville. The North Dakota-commit rushed for 319 yards and four touchdowns and also returned an interception for a score to almost single-handedly will his team to victory. Navratil has only been held to less than 85 yards once this season, and it was by Saturday’s opponent Rochester Lourdes. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder was limited to 15 carries for 58 yards in the Lourdes win. Can the Panthers ride Navratil again and find a way to pull a huge upset against the No. 2 Eagles? [caption id="attachment_4986" align="aligncenter" width="312"] Can Benilde-St. Margaret's pull off its second upset victory of the week at second-seeded Providence Academy? (Jeff Lawler/MN Football Hub)[/caption] <div class="mceTemp"></div> O/D Matchups Benilde-St. Margaret’s O vs Providence Academy D The Red Knights flipped the script from their loss to Holy Angels in the regular season, outscoring the Stars 14-0 in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory. Isaiah Smith rushed for both touchdowns, including the game-winner with 6:35 remaining. It was the most the BSM offense had scored in the final quarter the entire season. Smith, quarterback Nick Peterson and the entire offense is going to need to carry over the momentum against Providence Academy’s stellar defense. The Lions have recorded seven shutouts, while allowing only four touchdowns the entire season. Senior Jaden Morton is the team’s top tackler, while fellow seniors Taylor Meissner and Mark Richelsen are two menacing players on the d-line. Park (Cottage Grove) Pass O vs Hastings Pass D The Wolfpack hasn’t had the same prolific passing attack we’ve seen the past few years, but Darin Glazier’s squad boasted an above-average offense this fall after some early-season woes. Park has averaged 27.3 points per game over the past six contests, five of which have been victories. Junior Jake Kuemmel has settled into the starting quarterback role nicely after taking over midway though the season. His favorite targets have been seniors Charlie Gorres and Ashton Morrison. The Raiders defense did not face Kuemmel in their 24-21 win over the Wolfpack in Week 3, a game in which they allowed two touchdowns of over 35 yards. If there is a weakness to Dana Strain’s defense, it might be through the air. Will the defensive back combo of Ben Streeter and Noah Kuhlmann disrupt the Wolfpack’s passing game and help the Raiders advance to the section final? Chanhassen Rush O vs Mankato West Rush D The Storm isn’t going to stray from what they do best on offense against Mankato West, and that’s play power football. Chanhassen rushed for more than 240 yards per game during the regular season, led by Jacob Miller and Rolando Alvarez. The health of Miller, a senior quarterback, is unknown after he was held out of last week’s season finale loss to Waconia. They were held to just 131 rushing yards in the loss, which is where the Scarlets will undoubtedly focus their attention defensively. West’s defense has been stout all season against the run, led by linebacker Clay Herding. Herding has 94 tackles, including 27 for a loss, to lead the team, while defensive lineman Garrett Shumski anchors the interior. Dassel-Cokato Pass O vs Marshall Pass D Dassel-Cokato quarterback Paul Raisanen has cooled down slightly after his hot start to the season the past two weeks. Raisanen only threw for 177 yards and one touchdowns against Holy Family Catholic and Zimmerman, as the Chargers offense was held to an average of 13 points in the two contests. The 6-foot-4 senior and his favorite receiver, Caleb Keith, get a chance to bounce back against Marshall. The Tigers were torched by Jordan’s passing game in Week 8, allowing 341 yards and five touchdowns in the 42-39 loss. The Orange-and-Black did bounce back with a 48-7 rout against another pass-heavy team, New Ulm, in the section quarterfinals. The play of defensive back Josh Deines figures to be a key to Marshall’s success, as the senior has 11 tackles and two interceptions over the past two games. Round of 32 Best Bets Class AAAAAA – Friday Buffalo at Prior Lake – 7 p.m. Centennial at Wayzata – 7 p.m. The Cougars and Trojans have combined for nine losses. Eight of the nine setbacks were by single digits, with a combined margin of 30 total points. Expect a close one in Wayzata. Class AAAAA - Saturday St. Cloud Tech at Sauk Rapids-Rice – 3 p.m. Mankato West at Chanhassen – 3 p.m. Two of the top-10 teams in Class AAAAA square off the in Section 2AAAAA semifinals. The Scarlets have ended the Storm’s season in the section playoffs on five occasions since 2012. Only two games (2013, 2016) have been decided by more than one possession. Class AAAA - Saturday Waseca at Hutchinson – 3 p.m. Orono at SMB – 7 p.m. SMB is the No. 1 seed, but not necessarily the favorites in Section 5AAAA. The Wolfpack have not played the same type of schedule as the three-loss Spartans, which played a mix of Class AAAAA & AAAA teams in the suburban district. The winner of this game gets either second-seeded Providence Academy or 2016 state champ Benilde-St. Margaret’s. <div class="mceTemp"></div>