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EYOTA -- The last time that the Wabasso Rabbits made the state football tournament, it was as a Class A team in 2017, when they finished as state runners-up.
Wabasso has never won the state tournament outright in its seven appearances, but it will get another chance this year after Wabasso defeated Cathedral in the Section 2, Nine-Player Football Championship this past Friday.
"They put in a lot of hard work," Wabasso head coach Joe Kemp said. "Especially happy for our seniors -- before I came back, they were a part of that team that didn't win. They stayed with and battled -- we have an unusual circumstance where we have 10 boys in our senior class and they all play football. They've been part of this whole rebuilding process, worked hard in the training room in the offseasons. For us it's a little bit of feeling like we're back where we belong, competing for these things."
Wabasso earned the third seed in the north bracket of the Nine-Player State Football Tournament, and they will play second-seeded Border West at 7 p.m. Thursday at Dover-Eyota High School.
The Rabbits take their high-flying passing offense into the tourney, led by Drew Kemp, who has 2,102 yards and 29 touchdowns on 69.8% completion percentage with only three interceptions. But Wabasso proved it could also hang in a more defensively-oriented game after a 16-14 win in the section championship.
"We've hit a stretch here at the end where we've played a lot of tight games," coach Kemp said. "[Cathedral head coach] Denny [Lux], I kind of expected that he'd have a high shell over the top, and that's what he gave us. We made a lot of short passes and RPO stuff to get the ball out to our athletes in space.
"Those are the kinds of games you have to win down the stretch. Everybody is going to make you play left-handed, so it's important mentally to be able to do that, because every team left is going to be tough. It's a mental thing."
Drew Kemp's favorite target this season has been Nolan Leopold, who has 43 receptions for 678 yards and nine TDs. Jack Burns has 33 receptions for 528 yards and seven scores, while Brooks Baune has added 28 receptions for 375 yards and seven TDs. But the Rabbits also have an effective run game, with Joe Rohlik leading the group with 550 yards on 76 attempts with four touchdowns and Drew Kemp showing some chops as a rusher with 329 yards and eight touchdowns. Still, the teams' bread and butter is the passing game, which they will rely on in the game against Border West.
"They've been knocking on the door for a few years here," coach Kemp said about Border West. "They're very senior-heavy and a great group. They lost to Hillcrest [Lutheran Academy] the last few years. Thirteen seniors out there."
Border West brings a 10-0 record into the tournament to match Wabasso's record and brings a strong passing attack of its own.
"[Border West is] very big," coach Kemp said. "They're quite a bit bigger than we are, and they have a nice, shifty quarterback, he runs a lot of RPOs and a lot of Veer. We have to pay attention to him, keeping him in the pocket. He throws really well and they have some really nice receivers in space too. And they're very aggressive on defense. There's a reason they're here and it's because they're a really good football team."
Border West quarterback Owen Deal has completed 76.4% of his 174 passing attempts for 1,921 yards and 20 touchdowns to only three interceptions this year, with wideout Teague Nachbor being his favored target with 33 receptions for 507 yards and three touchdowns. Brock Martig (352 yards, four TDs) and Sam Rinke (303 yards, six TDs) have mixed in as receivers as well, while Dylan Groebner leads the rushing attack with 793 yards and 14 touchdowns. Deal also makes his presence felt on the ground with 440 yards and eight touchdowns as the Rabbits will have to contend with his dual threats. Overall, Border West averages 47.9 points per game while giving up 8.2.
"They have four, five really top-end athletes," coach Kemp said. "We're going to have to contain them and then get our athletes in space. I think the size is going to be their advantage, and hopefully we can take our advantage in space."
Wabasso's defense is more than up for the challenge, however, led by Caden Frericks, who has recorded 83 total tackles, two sacks and two interceptions so far this season. The defense has also earned 10 total interceptions this year, with Leopold, Rohlik and Burns all intercepting two passes.
Coach Kemp said that Wabasso was going to have to be mindful of field position to come away with a win.
"When you get to this stage, everybody is really good in terms of flipping the field," he said. "As little as getting two first downs and flipping the field can be important. And getting off to a good start. We haven't been there in a while, they've been there a few times and been really close. So getting off to that good start and settling into your game -- a lot of times you watch these teams, the game is won or lost in the first quarter because somebody is a little shell-shocked. A good start and field position will play big parts in this game."