Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Colton Brant of Southeast Valley makes a diving catch against Waukon last Saturday in Cedar Falls.

CEDAR FALLS — From day one, Mike Swieter saw something special in his Southeast Valley football team.

It wasn’t because of all the talent on the field or even their cohesiveness, which both bring plenty to the table.

It was all about their work ethic.

All of the drive, determination and toughness has come down to this: a chance to be called state champions.

“The biggest thing that makes this group so special is they put in the extra time and effort in the offseason,” Swieter said. “They have really been determined. They worked and lifted together and built that bond.”

For the first time in school history, Southeast Valley will play for a state title inside the UNI-Dome.

The Jaguars (11-2 overall) will face West Lyon (10-2) at 10 a.m. on Friday in the UNI-Dome.

The path to the championship was a daunting one, as Southeast Valley had to go through a who’s who list of perennial powers.

Packed into one of the toughest districts in the state that boasted all six teams ranked at one point and five in the Top-5, the Jaguars passed nearly every test, dropping only one contest.

The playoffs weren’t any easier, as Southeast Valley went through two-time defending state champion OA-BCIG and defending state champ Waukon — a three-time finalist in as many years.

Now the Wildcats — champions in 2019 — await as the final hurdle to clear.

“Beating OABCIG and Waukon, which have been powerhouses in recent years, along with Estherville-Lincoln Central…if you didn’t know who we were before, you know now,” Swieter said. “To the average fan in a game like Waukon, you think they win because of tradition.

“But our guys went in with no fear and played with confidence.”

Swieter wouldn’t have it any other way, as his squad has carried the mantura of accepting every challenge in front of them and fighting their way to making their dream become a reality.

“Our guys aren’t afraid of anybody,” Swieter said. “They never went into a game thinking they were beat beforehand. We maybe had that in the past sometimes against South Central Calhoun, but not with this group.”

Southeast Valley entered the playoffs coming off of their only loss of the season to Spirit Lake, 21-14. Swieter doesn’t believe a loss is a good thing, but after that defeat, the Jaguars definitely found a new gear.

“Since that day, we’ve played tremendously,” Swieter said. “Was it a wake up call? Maybe. All I know is in the last four weeks, we’ve played great.”

The Jaguars rolled to the championship round, knocking off the Indians (50-14) behind a seven-touchdown performance from senior quarterback Kolson Kruse.

“To be on that type of stage, somewhere we’ve never been and to have our cleanest game of the season — I was proud,” Swieter said. “We came down and stayed the night before to kind of get them acclimated for the situation. I think that really helped.

“They were all business. They really stepped up.”

Kruse rushed for 226 yards and five touchdowns and threw for 240 and two scores against Waukon in an electric performance.

“He absolutely took the whole team on his back,” Swieter said. “He had a lot of help and everyone did their part, but Kolson was on another level. He had the game of a lifetime.”

With their goal of a state championship now just one win away, the Jaguars are hoping for a memorable finish. Southeast Valley is one of the most balanced teams in 2A, running for 2,684 yards and throwing for 2,207.

Kruse has rushed for 1,504 yards and 18 TDs while throwing for 2,184 and 25 more scores.

Senior running back Lathe Muench, the school’s career leader in rushing touchdowns, has accumulated 972 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns.

Senior receiver Tre Fisher has 37 catches for 848 yards and 10 scores. Junior Eli Johnson has 29 grabs, 668 yards and nine TDs.

Senior tight end Colton Brant has caught 28 balls for 477 and six touchdowns.

Defensively, the Jaguars are led by junior Justin Loseke (80 tackles) and senior University of Iowa recruit Aaron Graves (61.5) — the school’s all-time leader in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss.

West Lyon has a 10-game win streak. The Wildcats advanced with a 20-14 overtime win over Williamsburg in the other 2A semifinal here last Saturday.

West Lyon has been a force on the ground, running for 3,058 yards and 41 touchdowns. Quarterback Jaxon Meyer, Hunter Jacobson and Jude Moser have been the groundhogs.

Meyer has 857 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing, while Moser has 584 yards and 12 scores. Jacobson has 757 and seven TDs.

The Wildcats have thrown for only 635 yards.