Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Former Fort Dodge standout Logan Finowski blocks for the Grand View junior varsity squad against Iowa Central inside Dodger Stadium last Saturday.

DES MOINES — Logan Finowski and the Grand View football team will embark on their quest to claim the NAIA FCS championship beginning here Saturday.

The Vikings will host Dordt in a Top-20 matchup in the opening round. Kickoff is set for noon.

Grand View went a perfect 6-0 during the fall portion of the season, earning the No. 2 ranking in the nation. They have spent the days, weeks and months since a 44-28 victory on Nov. 14 over Culver-Stockton preparing for this game.

“It’s a lot bigger workload,” said Finowski, a former Fort Dodge Senior High standout. “Our coaches are doing a good job giving us time off to rest when we have the time for it.

“This past week we were only in helmets so it allowed our body to rest up a bit. But obviously, we’ve practiced a lot more with less playing time this year. And less time off with having to go from one season to the next so to speak.”

Finowski did return to the field last weekend, suiting up for the Grand View JV as they faced Iowa Central at his old stomping grounds — Dodger Stadium.

“It was really cool,” Finowski said of his return. “Pretty surreal and felt weird. Being in the away locker room that I haven’t used since I was a freshman in high school and seeing my family on the opposite stands and being on the opposite sideline (was different) but it felt good to play there one last time.”

The 6-foot-1, 275-pound Finowski is a sophomore center on the offensive line for Grand View. The Vikings scored 302 points during the fall, including a 70-0 victory over Graceland.

Finowski and his teammates are ready to get back to it after the lengthy break between games.

“I’d say we’re pretty excited,” he said. “We got a great opportunity here. Last Sunday we watched the announcement as a team at the field. We had a good practice and Coach Barr cooked us some hamburgers and we watched it. I was actually in the locker room getting my burger when they announced who we are playing and I could hear the yelling from out on the field about us getting announced.

“And we are playing at home, too. Just gotta take it one game at a time though.”

Along with Finowski, ex-Dodgers Drake Miller, Levi Egli and Austin Lee are also on the Grand View roster with Humboldt grads Devon Clark and Tyler Vitzthum, and former Algona standouts Cole Lewis, Andrew Hamilton and Gavin Meints.

The roster also includes a handful of former Iowa Central standouts and ex-Triton coaches, including Andy Jepson and Jon Pilcher.