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MARSHALL -- Coming off a 21-7 home win over No. 10 Delano last Friday, Marshall football head coach Terry Bahlmann has his Tigers back on track and rolling into another major test.
This week's opponent is none other than last year's Class 4A state champion -- and a team Marshall knows all too well -- the Orono Spartans.
Marshall, now ranked third in MaxPreps' Class 4A rankings and eighth overall, has knocked off back-to-back top-10 opponents in Hutchinson, 27-13, and Delano, 21-7.
Those wins came after the Tigers' lone setback of the season, a loss to the current No. 1-ranked Class 4A team, Willmar.
In the win over Delano, Bahlmann was pleased with the way the Tigers handled the Spartans' defensive pressure.
"Offensively, we were great at physical play on the line of scrimmage. Delano did a lot of blitzing on us, and our running backs were used a bit more than normal but adjusted great," Bahlmann said.
Bahlmann said another key was controlling the clock and keeping Delano's offense off the field, but Marshall's defense once again came through when it needed to.
"Two weeks in a row, we stopped a team inside the one-yard line, so that sets a great tone for us," Bahlmann said.
After Marshall defeated a top-five team the previous week, Bahlmann was also pleased with the way his players handled the challenge of preparing for another highly ranked opponent without getting too high or too low.
"We know our schedule is top-10 teams all the time. We have gotten used to playing some of the best teams in the state every week, and you have to bring it. We enjoyed the win over the weekend, but got right back to work on Monday," Bahlmann said.
That approach will be especially important this week, with another ranked opponent waiting on the other side of the field.
"We are looking forward to this Orono game. They have been ranked near the top all year, and being state champs last year, they probably deserve it," Bahlmann said.
Marshall and Orono are no strangers to close games. The Tigers defeated the Spartans by one point in Marshall last season, but Orono got its revenge later in the year, defeating the Tigers by one point on a two-point conversion in the Class 4A state semifinal.
Bahlmann said that history provides even more motivation for his players.
"This is the third time we have played Orono in 15 or so games. We are getting to know each other fast. Each game last year was one where every play is crucial, but another thing that jumps out about Orono is their speed. They have a ton of speed on both sides of the ball, and that only helps our guys get better," Bahlmann said.
For Marshall, the formula this week will be similar to the one that helped the Tigers defeat Delano: control the clock, sustain long drives and finish those drives with points.
The Tigers will get their chance in the state semifinal rematch Friday at 7 p.m. at Orono High School.