Fourth-seeded Sleepy Eye United edged fifth-seeded Martin County West 9-8 in the first round of the Section 3A football playoffs Tuesday at Sleepy Eye High School.
The Mavericks took the lead late in the first half and were ahead until the early stages of the fourth quarter.
Lucas Larson took in a six-yard touchdown from Maddex Faber with 1:33 remaining in the second quarter and Cameron Meyer ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.
SEU would move down field and get on the scoreboard on the final play of the first half on a 34-yard TD pass from Carson Eucker to Cody Schultz.
That’s where the scored stayed until a 32-yard field goal by Talan Helget gave Sleepy Eye United a 9-8 lead that it would hang onto until the end.
Faber was 10-for-16 passing for 73 yards and the one touchdown. Larson caught six passes for 48 yards.
Berent Kosbab was the leading rusher for MCW with 61 yards on 11 carries.
Eucker was 11-17 passing for 87 yards for SEU. Helget was the leading receiver with four catches for 18 yards.
Faber led the Mavericks in tackles with seven. Kosbab, Torrey Paplow and Pierce Rohman had five apiece.
Martin County West ends its season with a 4-5 record.
SEU (6-3) travels to Springfield (8-0) for a semifinals game at 3 p.m. Saturday. The other semifinal has Murray County Central (7-2) at Adrian/Ellsworth (7-1).