Marshall earns No. 2 seed in section tournament, eyes third straight state tournament trip

MARSHALL -- Marshall football has become accustomed to a challenging schedule over the years, and this season has been no exception.

The Tigers enter the final week of the regular season with a 5-2 record and a No. 3 ranking in the state. The only teams ahead of Marshall are defending state champion Orono, which defeated the Tigers 20-7 in Week 6, and second-ranked Willmar, which handed Marshall a 34-14 loss in Week 3. Both teams remain undefeated at 7-0.

Along the way, Marshall has picked up victories over several highly ranked opponents, including Delano, Rocori and Hutchinson, all of which were ranked among the state’s top 10 at the time of their matchups.

The Tigers also earned a dominant win over Fergus Falls, another team that reached the state tournament last season.

As of Oct. 20, four of Marshall’s five victories have come against teams ranked in the top 15 of Class 4A: Hutchinson at No. 8, Fergus Falls at No. 11, Delano at No. 13 and Rocori at No. 15.

On Monday, the Section 2AAAA playoff bracket was released, revealing Marshall’s path toward a potential third consecutive trip to U.S. Bank Stadium for the state tournament.

The Tigers earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, giving them an opportunity to prepare for the section semifinals.

Marshall will face the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 3 Hutchinson and No. 6 New Ulm. That game is scheduled for Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in Hutchinson, with the winner advancing to face Marshall at the SMSU football field on Oct. 31 at 6 p.m.

Before turning its full attention to the postseason, however, Marshall has one regular-season game remaining. The Tigers will travel to face Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Wednesday night, looking to finish the regular season on a strong note before beginning their playoff run.