When the Alden-Conger football takes the field Friday night in Alden against Nicollet in the Section 2, nine-man finals Knights head coach Chad Mattson is hoping the same theatrics don’t take place like they did the last time the two teams met in a double overtime thriller.

“I sure hope we can take care of business right away,” said Mattson. “If it comes to that (overtime), it comes to that. Hopefully we just come out on top.”

Alden-Conger came away with a 34-32 double overtime win Oct. 3. The Knights intercepted a pass on a two-point conversion that would have sent the game to a third overtime.

After leading 20-0 in the first quarter of that game, Nicollet came back for two touchdowns in the second quarter to close the game to 20-14 at half.

Nicollet scored on two lengthy plays to climb back into the game. The first touchdown was a 73-yard pass where Dylan Hardel slipped in behind the Knights defense and the second score was a 67-yard run by quarterback Jordan Rudenick.

Hardel tied the game in the third quarter with a 4-yard run and the game went to overtime.

“After the first quarter I think we got comfortable with the lead and those two plays got them right back in the game,” Alden-Conger quarterback Lucas Kleinschrodt said. “We know it’s not going to be easy. We’re pretty evenly matched teams so we’ve got to bring it and come out with intensity.”

The Knights had a chance to win the game in the first overtime but were stopped on a two-point conversion. Kleinschrodt scored for Alden-Conger in the second overtime and E.J. Knight ran in from 2 yards out for the two-point conversion to make the game 34-28.

It was an unpredictable comeback, but then again Nicollet has been a team that continues to surprise opponents. The Raiders entered the postseason with a 3-5 record and a No. 3 seed, but knocked off No. 2 seed Cleveland last week 7-6 to reach the section final. That record is a bit deceiving. Of the five losses, three came against opponents Alden-Conger also lost to.

The Knights have averaged nearly 30 points a game while allowing just over 20 a game. Nicollet has scored an average of just over 16 points a game while allowing just over 20 points a game.

But Alden-Conger (6-3) knows that the Raiders will continue to try to shake things up once again Friday.

“They’ll try anything,” Mattson said. “Every week they always come up with something new so you have to be ready for anything.”

The Knights are playing for a spot in the state tournament, somewhere they haven’t been in 10 years when Mattson was the quarterback of the team.

As for the Knights the game plan that worked so well in the first meeting might be in play again. Alden-Conger rushed for 448 yards with E.J. Knight leading the way with 232 yards and that was without starting running back David Troska. Troska returned to the starting lineup last week against Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton and is excited about being able to be part of the Knights first section final game since 2000.

“I feel really pumped up,” Troska said. “I want to go out there and put my all into the game. I really want to make it to the state tournament.”

Although the run game worked well last time out against the Raiders, the passing game was effective last week against the Bulldogs. Kleinschrodt completed 12 of 18 passes for 196 yards and was able to prevent J-W-P from stacking the box.

“He’s making progress and last week he probably had his best game of the year which really helped us out,” Mattson said. “He’s got a ways to go, but he keeps making steps. The better he gets the better we’ll play.”

Nicollet will try to spread things out offensively and test the Alden-Conger secondary, making the pass rush more important for the Knights.

“Defensively we’ve been doing pretty well on the front line and our coverage is going to have to step up and I think we’ve made the adjustments,” Mattson said.

The offensive has been a real power for Alden-Conger down the stretch and if it can continue to make holes for the running game and pass protect like it did against J-W-P, the Knights expect to be in good shape.

“We’re going to have to run the ball well and we’re going to have to control the line up front especially on offense,” Mattson said. “The offensive line is going to be the biggest thing.”

The winner of the section final will play next Friday at Southwest State University in Marshall against the champion from Section 3.

“It will definitely be a dream season if we can make it to state,” Kleinschrodt said. “Here we are now just a game away.”