MANSON — The ninth-ranked Manson Northwest Webster football team has put together a season to remember so far, but they don’t want it to end.

Gone are the mental hurdles and moral victories. The Cougars are here to win.

For the past two weeks MNW (8-1 overall) has been the underdog, but for the past two weeks the Cougars – who are looking for their first trip to the quarterfinals – have proven the critics wrong.

MNW will host its second straight postseason opponent when it entertains Sumner-Fredericksburg in a Class 1A second round contest.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Manson.

The Cougars won their first two games of the season and then lost on the road to MVAOCOU. They reeled off six straight wins and started to believe.

“After the Sioux Central game, our guys really bought into the postseason feeling,” Noffsinger said. “Sioux Central had been a thorn in our side and it had taken us a while to compete with them.”

The Cougars won their first playoff game since 2013 with an 18-7 win over Hudson. Sumner-Fredericksburg blanked Dyersville-Beckman, 12-0.

Last week, the Cougars got on the board first on an 80-yard interception return from senior Logan Moline. Classmates Matt Condon and Kamden Birkey had touchdown runs of 40 and 26 yards, respectively.

“The win over Hudson was a good team win,” Noffsinger said. “We started with the pick-six then we had our heads down for a while, but our defense kept us in it.

“Our defense has been great. They kept an Emmetsburg team, who was averaging well over 300 (rushing) yards, at around 200.”

Birkey enters the contest with the school record of 13 rushing touchdowns in a season and the most tackles (139.5) since 2005. Northern Iowa graduate Tim Butcher (133) held the record while he was a Cougar.

The senior trio has come up with big plays for the Cougars this season. Birkey has rushed for 1,066 yards on 177 carries. Condon has four rushing touchdowns, two receiving TDs, a kickoff return for a score and a touchdown pass.

Moline has thrown for five scores and 806 yards. He has run for three touchdowns.

“Those guys (Birkey, Condon, Moline) are great for us and make big plays,” Noffsinger said. “It’s nice when we need a play and any of those three can do it. We are a heavy run team, but you have to respect the threat of Condon and Moline to extend plays.”

Junior running back Cooper Harman has 495 yards on the ground and four trips to the end zone.

Birkey is the defensive leader with 51.5 tackles. Junior Carter Van Waes has 47 and three sacks. Other tackle leaders are Condon (42), junior Mason Anderson (39), senior Grant Pohlman (34) and junior Grayson Kolocko (34).

Noffsinger’s coaching staff has come up with plans each week as the season progresses to fit their matchup. Nick Ernst (defensive coordinator), Cullen Noffsinger (OL and DL coach), Caleb Wubben (assistant), Josh Sturgis (assistant) have been key for Noffsinger, along with Wade Wubben and Sean Hood.

“Our coaching staff is constantly talking throughout the week, offensively and defensively,” Noffsinger said. “We look at tendencies and what we do offensively and build that in.

“I can’t say enough about our coaching staff and the gameplans we work up during practice.”

For the second straight week the Cougars will be at home.

“It’s a great feeling being at home with big advantages,” Noffsinger said. “They have to travel and we can stay at home, something Manson hasn’t been able to do for a while.

“This could be our first trip to the quarterfinals ever and being able to do that at home is great. Our community has been a big thing for us and the crowds have supported us.”

The winner of this contest will face the winner of the other POD A game between West Branch and defending state champion Grundy Center.