The lowdown
Jackson County Central vs. Le Sueur-Henderson in the Section 3AA football semifinals
Date/time: Saturday, Oct. 26, 3 p.m.
Site: Swearingen Field, Jackson
Series: JCC leads 5-1 (scores listed at end)
Series streak: JCC has won 2 straight
Longest JCC streak: 3 (1998-2001)
Longest LSH streak: 1 (2002)
Postseason meetings: JCC leads 3-1
With an undefeated regular season now a fairly distant memory with 10 days between games, Jackson County Central starts postseason play Saturday with a 3 p.m. game vs. Le Sueur-Henderson in the Section 3AA football playoffs at Swearingen Field.
The top-seeded Huskies finished the regular season with an 8-0 record.
That gave JCC a first-round bye and an opportunity to heal up a little as the Huskies start what they intend to be another five weeks of football with the stakes getting a little higher each step along the way to their goal, which is winning a state championship.
Meanwhile, LSH will be playing its second game in five days as the fourth-seeded Giants (5-4) won 41-21 over fifth-seeded Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Tuesday in Le Sueur.
Le Sueur-Henderson came to Jackson on Sept. 20 and the Huskies scored 40 points in the first quarter and 61 in the first half and went to win 61-14. Since then, LSH has won four out of five games including three in a row.
Saturday’s other semifinal has third-seeded Redwood Valley (7-2) at second-seeded Pipestone (6-2). The winners play for the section title at 7 p.m. Friday at Trojan Field in Worthington.
Schedule/results
JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL (8-0)
Friday, Aug. 30: at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, W 44-0
Friday, Sept. 6: Worthington, W 62-7
Friday, Sept. 13: at Blue Earth Area, W 63-0
Friday, Sept. 20: Le Sueur-Henderson (homecoming), W 61-14
Friday, Sept. 27: at Redwood Valley, W 46-7
Friday, Oct. 4: Minnesota Valley Lutheran, W 64-8
Thursday, Oct. 10: at Luverne, W 38-0
Wednesday, Oct. 16: Pipestone, W 45-6
Saturday, Oct. 26: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, 3 p.m.
LE SUEUR-HENDERSON (5-4)
Friday, Aug. 29: Redwood Valley, L 38-22
Friday, Sept. 6: at Pipestone, L 19-7
Friday, Sept. 13: Minnesota Valley Lutheran, W 31-20
Friday, Sept. 20: at Jackson County Central, L 61-14
Friday, Sept. 27: Sibley East, W 45-0
Friday, Oct. 4: at Maple River, L 35-21
Friday, Oct. 11: Blue Earth Area, W 56-32
Wednesday, Oct. 16: at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, W 28-19
Tuesday, Oct. 22: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, W 41-21
Saturday, Oct. 26: at Jackson County Central, 3 p.m.
Section 3AA Playoffs
Tuesday, Oct. 22
First round
LeSueur-Henderson 41, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 21
Redwood Valley 34, Windom 13
Saturday, Oct. 26
Semifinals
LeSueur-Henderson (5-4) at Jackson County Central (8-0), 3 p.m.
Redwood Valley (7-2) at Pipestone (6-2), 3 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 1
Championship
At Worthington
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
The series
Jackson County Central leads the series 5-1.
1998: Jackson County Central 44, LeSueur-Henderson 6 (Section 3AAA semifinals)
1999: Jackson County Central 39, LeSueur-Henderson 15 (Section 3AAA quarterfinals)
2001: Jackson County Central 22, LeSueur-Henderson 18 (Section 3AA semifinals)
2002: LeSueur-Henderson 22, Jackson County Central 16 (OT) (Section 3AAA semifinals)
2023: Jackson County Central 2, LeSueur-Henderson 0 (forfeit)
2024: Jackson County Central 61, LeSueur-Henderson 14