HARTLEY – It’s been a trying start to the Class A, District 2 schedule for St. Edmond head football coach Dick Tighe.

A veteran of the sport, Tighe has tried over and over again to remind himself that he fields a very green Gael squad that boasts just five seniors total.

Tighe, though, also loves to win and he hopes to add to his record-setting career total here tonight when St. Edmond (1-4 overall, 0-3 in district) takes on Hartley-HMS (1-4, 1-2).

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The two teams have met twice since 2005, with the Gaels picking up wins in both meetings. St. Edmond earned a 31-0 shutout 11 years ago and was victorious 49-7 in 2013.

Logan Fear made his return to the lineup last week after missing a pair of games. The senior fullback ran for 131 yards and the lone SEHS touchdown, pushing his career total to 988.

Previously, 27 players in the history of the program have eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in their Gael careers.

“Logan is such an incredible leader,” Tighe said. “He gets after everybody and anybody if they aren’t doing their job in practice. He’s really the heart and soul of this team, and having him back was so important for us.”

The injury bug continues to torment St. Edmond, as two-way starters Will Woodruff, Charlie Doyle and Jack Rasmussen are all doubtful. Connor Allison, is questionable to return after missing last week.

“It’s just been real tough,” Tighe said. “We aren’t a very deep team as it is, and the players we are losing are the experienced ones.

“I will say this, though, the kids who we’ve asked to step in have really played well for us. They are young and will make mistakes at times, but the experience they gain right now will be important down the road next season.”

Sean Newell, who has seen time at fullback and on both the offensive and defensive lines, will replace Woodruff. He took over punting duties a week ago after he was hurt.

Tyler McCarville takes the place of Doyle – a co-captain with Fear – while freshman Jackson Bemrich and Jake Rossow rotate in for Rasmussen on offense. Bemrich also plays linebacker on defense.

“Jack has had a big year on defense for us,” Tighe said. “Somebody will have to pick up the slack for us there.”

The Hawks ended a 15-game losing streak that dated back to 2014 with a 20-6 victory over North Union last week. Senior Norman Schirmer leads the offensive unit as the top running back, while sophomore Brett Wohlert is the starting quarterback.

“I think in terms of physical play and experience, (HMS) is very similar to us,” Tighe said. “They might try to be a little more open in terms of what they do, but the kids have had a real good week of practice and their spirits remain high.”

Trevor Dodd, Dayton Remmers, Schirmer and Tommy Heetland pace the HMS defense that is under the direction of first-year head coach Tyler Horkey, was former linebacker for Buena Vista University.

Horkey was hired to replace Steve Waechter, who won over 140 games in his career and coached HMS for 23 seasons.

Game notes: Rasmussen ranks tied for eighth entering this week in the state with 61 tackles. He is the Class A leader over North Union’s Eythan Blair by one. … St. Edmond has had a 1,000-yard rusher each of the past five seasons courtesy Tate O’Tool (3), Vinnie Harvey, Alex Mericle and Neil Flattery. … The Gaels have qualified for the postseason 12 times, including nine times since 2004. They are 11-12 all-time in the playoffs. … Hartley-HMS did not win a game last year, going 0-9. … They close against Sioux Central, Bishop Garrigan and MMCRU. … The Hawks last qualified for the playoffs in 2013 and have eight appearances all-time, going 5-8 in those games.