A three-game winning streak has the Martin County West football team in a position where a home game in the opening round of the Section 3A playoffs is a possibility.
To do so, the Mavericks almost certainly need to run the table to close out the regular season and the first assignment is a road game at Springfield Wednesday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Riverside Park.
The game was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved up a day due to a forecast calling for a nearly 100 percent chance of rain and possibly a thunderstorm starting Thursday morning and continuing into Friday.
The Tigers have a 5-1 record. Their lone loss was 16-14 at Sleepy Eye United on Sept. 29.
MCW started the season with three losses but has won three straight since including a 16-8 win over Sleepy Eye on Friday.
The teams have played three times in the past two years with the Tigers winning them all, but each game has been very competitive.
Last year Springfield won 14-8 late in the regular season with the game ending with the Mavericks on the Tigers’ four-yard line. Springfield won 21-7 when the teams played in the Section 3A semifinals.
The Tigers defeated the Mavericks 32-27 in Sherburn in 2021.
Martin County closes out the regular season at home vs. St. James Area on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Section standings
Martin County West will play in Section 3A in postseason play. Here are the latest QRF standings for the section. Listed are team, won-loss record and QRF number.
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 5-1 45.5
Sleepy Eye United 5-1 41.0
Springfield 5-1 36.7
Adrian/Ellsworth 4-2 32.6
Murray County Central 3-3 26.5
Martin County West 3-3 25.9
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 1-5 10.9
Wabasso 0-6 5.0
If the playoffs started today
Wabasso (8) at Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (1)
Murray County Central (5) at Adrian/Ellsworth (4)
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (7) at Sleepy Eye United (2)
Martin County West (6) at Springfield (3)
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Martin County West at Springfield
Friday, Oct. 13
Adrian/Ellsworth at Wabasso
Murray County Central at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton at St. James Area
Windom at Sleepy Eye United
MCW football schedule
Fri., Sept. 1: at Canby, L 21-0
Fri., Sept. 8: Adrian/Ellsworth, L 35-12
Fri., Sept. 15: at Tracy-Milroy-Balaton, L 39-0
Fri., Sept. 22: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, W 12-0
Sat., Sept. 30: at Wabasso, W 28-6
Fri., Oct. 6: Sleepy Eye, W 16-8
Thurs., Oct. 12: at Springfield, 7 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 18: St. James Area, 7 p.m.