Brainerd Warriors Face Bemidji Lumberjacks in 5A Semifinal

High school football fans in Section 8-5A will watch two rivals meet again on Saturday. The top-seeded Brainerd Warriors host the No. 5-seeded Bemidji Lumberjacks at 2 p.m. at Adamson Field at Brainerd High School. This matchup follows a regular-season game that ended with a one-point margin.

Brainerd finished the regular season 7-1 and went 4-0 against Section 8-5A opponents. However, the Warriors won all four of those contests by seven points or fewer. The closest victory came on Oct. 2 against Bemidji, when Brainerd won 28-27.

Head coach Jason Freed emphasized that his team does not overlook the Lumberjacks despite the regular-season result. He noted that Bemidji earned a first win of the season after starting 0-8, defeating the Sauk Rapids Storm 35-21 in the opening round of the playoffs on Oct. 27. "This is a really respected rivalry between the two teams," Freed said.

The Oct. 2 game featured a change at quarterback for Bemidji. Josh Arel started in place of Owen Vandermeer. Arel passed for 132 yards on 9-of-13 attempts with one touchdown and one interception. Garret Halverson led the Lumberjacks with 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Freed described the switch as a challenge that put Brainerd on its heels initially.

For Brainerd, Malik Lauer threw for 174 yards on 13-of-18 passing with two touchdowns and one interception. Brady Vanek caught seven passes for 115 yards. Kyle Syrdal rushed for 78 yards on 20 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown with 10:02 left in the fourth quarter. The Warriors stopped Bemidji on a two-point conversion with 58 seconds remaining to secure the win.

Babe’s Bell, a travelling trophy awarded to the winner of the regular-season series, remains in Brainerd regardless of the playoff outcome. Freed said the Lumberjacks are expected to use a ball-control offense, aiming to control the clock with running back Halverson. The Warriors intend to give their offense more possessions and finish drives quickly.

Brainerd had a 10-day break after defeating Spring Lake Park 52-42 in the final regular-season game. Freed prioritized rest for his players, sending them home for three days before returning to fundamentals. He stated that the team aims to stay relaxed but focused, preparing both mentally and physically without placing excessive pressure on the players.

In the other Section 8-5A Semifinal, the No. 2-seeded Alexandria team hosts the No. 3-seeded Sartell squad at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Brainerd-Bemidji game will be broadcast on KLIZ 1380 AM and 105.1 FM, with a web stream available at www.kliz.com.