Submitted Photo Outlaws junior Gracin Schroeder carries the football during last Saturday’s home playoff win against Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood.

The Ray/Powers Lake Outlaws of Region 8 earned their first win in the opening round of the NDHSAA 9B State Playoff Tournament last Saturday.

In that game, the Outlaws topped the Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood Mavericks of Region 7 by a final score of 44-14 at home. It was the second time in as many weeks that the Outlaws have beaten the Mavericks. Back on Oct. 8, Ray/Powers Lake earned a 58-26 win over MLS.

In Saturday’s playoff contest, RPL dominated from the outset as they registered a pair of touchdowns in both the first and second quarters to take a commanding 30-0 lead by intermission. Defensively, junior Chase Kunze provided the first highlight of the game with a 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown which gave the Outlaws a lead they would not relinquish.

All told, RPL rolled up 421 yards of total offense compared to 138 yards for MLS. The Outlaws also held the MLS passing game to -2 yards on the day.

The Minot Daily News reached out to RPL co-head coach Seth Wisthoff for his thoughts on the club’s recent playoff win, as well as insight on this Saturday’s playoff showdown with the 6-1 Surrey Mustangs. Here is what Wisthoff had to say.

MDN: What was the biggest adjustment you made against MLS this past Saturday as opposed to when you last played them on Oct. 8?

Wisthoff: I think we were able to get in more preparation with the extra day and no JV game. Our guys were focused all week and that focus led to increased performance on the field.

MDN: The defense allowed just 138 yards of total offense to MLS. What made their performance so special?

Wisthoff: The focus into our preparation allowed us to execute well. We set out a plan and the guys did a great job of understanding their role and carrying it out. We encourage our guys to be physical each week and they did a nice job as the game went on of getting pads to the ball.

MDN: With 37 unanswered points to start off the game, what was the key to such consistent production?

Wisthoff: Everybody was ready. Each person, regardless of their role, knew what we needed from them and gave great effort when called on.

MDN: Talk about Chase Kunze, his first quarter fumble return for a touchdown, and his overall effort in the win.

Wisthoff: Chase has improved tremendously throughout the season. He has worked hard and put himself in position to be a major contributor on defense. He played fast and it allowed him to react to a backward pass. His scoop and score was a huge boost of energy for us early in the game.

MDN: Surrey will be your opponent this Saturday. What do you know about their team and what will be the game plan heading into that matchup?

Wisthoff: We have had a lot of physical battles with Surrey over the years. Mark Kennedy is a great head coach and he will have his crew ready. They like to run the ball and they are good at it. We need to do our best to slow their run game and play opportunistic football.