The top-seeded and top-ranked Grand Meadow football team has grown accustomed to winning games by large margins with the starters spending as much time on the bench as the backups this season. But that probably won’t be the case this Friday.

The Superlarks (10-0 overall) will be facing their first major hurdle in their quest to repeat as Class nine man state football champs when they square off against No. 2 seeded Spring Grove (9-1 overall) in the Section 1 nine man title game at RCTC Stadium in Rochester Friday at 5:30 p.m.

The last time GM and SG met, the Larks held on to a 20-18 win in GM Sept. 5.

“I honestly think that we were lucky to win the first time. They controlled the line of scrimmage on offense and defense,” GM head coach Gary Sloan said. “Landon [Jacobson] had three touchdowns, but they held him to about three yards a carry.”

The Lions have completely changed their identity this season as they went from a power running football team to a a squad that looks to air it our. SG lost its top running back and middle linebacker Dustin Vickerman to injury, but Sloan is still expecting a tough game.

GM was hampered by missed tackles, three turnovers and penalties in the first meeting with SG and the Larks are hoping to play a cleaner game this time around.

The toughest aspect for GM may be how it responds to playing its first competitive game since week two.

“We hope [we play well], but we don’t know for sure,” Sloan said. “Our starters have not only played just one full game, they’ve only started one fourth quarter. That is a concern to me, because how are we going to handle pressure and things like that?”

One advantage the Larks do have is playing the game in RCTC Stadium, where GM has won the section title two straight seasons.

“We like playing there,” Sloan said. “We call it our second home and It’s a fun place to play.”