A pair of familiar foes will face off in the Class 9A semifinals on Friday as top-seeded Warner will host fourth-seeded Canistota at 7 p.m. with a trip to state championship game on the line. The Monarchs and Hawks are no strangers to one another as the teams have matched up in state championships and playoff contests in recent history, including last season’s thrilling quarterfinal game that resulted in a 48-31 come-from-behind win for Warner.

Monarchs coach Kerwin Hoellein is well aware of the teams’ most recent clash.

“Last year we played them in the second round of the playoffs and in the first half they built up a real comfortable lead at halftime and we were fortunate enough to have a good second half and come back out on top,” Hoellein said.

This season, the Monarchs have been on top in every contest, outscoring their first 10 opponents by 40 points per game, thanks in part to a group of players that Hoellein said “enjoy playing the sport of football.” Hoellein says the success now is a result of the players’ hard work the last few years.

“Over the last few years or so we’ve been fortunate to have some success on the football field,” Hoellein said. “We’ve had a successful JV program and the kids in the fall, they are excited about getting on the football field and seeing how well they do, and having some talented kids in the mix certainly helps as well.”

That talent has included senior do-it-all player Hunter Cramer, who has rotated between quarterback and running back throughout his career. Cramer will no doubt be a key player in Friday’s contest, and Hoellein says the senior does what needs to be done to lead the Monarchs.

“He’s elusive, he’s strong, he does a really nice job of throwing the football,” Hoellein said. “But if the defense breaks down and he sees a gap or rolls out and breaks containment, he’s very capable of hurting people with his legs as well.”

Canistota (8-2) also boasts several talented players, including quarterback, senior Tage Ortman. The Hawks defeated Centerville, 58-6, in the opening round before taking down defending champion Gregory in the quarterfinal round, 70-19. Against Gregory, Ortman accounted for seven touchdowns, including four passing and two rushing, as well as an interception return for a score. Hoellein compared Ortman to Cramer and said the two are very similar in their style of play.

“You got to know where he is. You have to be very disciplined when you play him because if he breaks the pocket, he’s going to hurt you with his legs,” Hoellein said.

Hoellein also said Ortman has the capability of throwing the ball downfield to several talented Hawks receivers, and said that discipline will be the key when the Monarchs are on defense.

“The main thing is you’ve got to play good, disciplined football when you play a team like Canistota,” Hoellein said. “Read your keys and just be real disciplined.”

Friday’s contest will include two teams with recent playoff success, along with several state championship appearances. Canistota has been a part of eight state championship-game appearances since 2010, winning titles as the Hawks in 2010, ’11, ’12, and ’15, before teaming up with Freeman and winning three state titles as the Pride in 2018, ’19, and ’20, while also finishing runner-up in 2021. Two of those state titles included wins over Warner in 2012 and 2020.

In addition to those runner-up finishes, the Monarchs also finished runner-up in 2016 and last season. Warner returned several players that played in last year’s state title game as well as a few, including Cramer, that played in the 2020 title game. Hoellein said their experience from the last few years has given his team confidence every time they step on the field.

“Our kids expect when they step on the football field that they think they’re going to win the game, and having that confidence and that culture helps in order to get back to where you want to be,” Hoellein said.

Despite the fact that a state title has still managed to elude him during his coaching career, Hoellein says his goal remains the same.

“I’ve been at this a very long time and for a lot of years your goal is to make it to the Dome,” Hoellein said. “We’d really like to take it to the next level and try to finish one off and be state champions, but that’s not an easy task.”

Friday’s matchup for a trip to the Dome will not be an easy task either, and Hoellein said it will take a full team effort to get the Monarchs back to the state championship for the third time in four years.

“We’ve got to limit their big plays,” Hoellein said. “We’ve got to do our jobs, play mistake-free football, be disciplined on defense, not turn the ball over on offense, and limit our penalties and play hard.”