REMSEN — The St. Edmond football team gets their opportunity to square off with No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s off here Friday night.

The Gaels complete the non-district portion of their schedule against the Hawks, beginning at 7 p.m.

St. Edmond (2-2 overall) plays on the road for the second consecutive week, as they fell to Harris-Lake Park last Friday, 63-34. So far through four games, Matt Dillon’s squad has rotated wins and losses, starting the season with a 65-19 triumph over Ar-We-Va.

The following week, they fell at West Bend-Mallard, 66-22, before rebounding in Week 3 to down North Iowa at Dodger Stadium, 48-18.

“We are going to go there, play hard and whatever happens, happens,” Dillon said. “Listen, this is the best team in the state in eight-player football without a doubt.

“It’s a great challenge, but our kids are going to compete and going to give them everything we have.”

After taking a 7-6 lead on the Wolves, the Gaels were outscored 22-0 in the second quarter and allowed three more touchdowns in the third. Junior JT Laufersweiler threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 135 and another score.

Dominic McClain caught two TDs with Johnny Dickerson and Klay Baker each having one. Dickerson finished with five receptions for 101 yards.

On the year, Laufersweiler has completed 41 of 85 for 700 yards and six TDs, while rushing for a team-high 331 yards and seven scores. Dickerson has 26 receptions for 383 yards and three TDs.

Remsen St. Mary’s (4-0) features senior standouts Cael Ortmann, Brenden Fisch and Alex Schroeder. Ortmann has completed 77 percent of his passes for 513 yards and eight TDs, rushing for another 201 yards and three scores.

Fisch has 306 yards rushing and eight TDs, while Schroeder has caught 13 passes for 217 and a TD, adding another 92 yards and two scores on the ground.

“They are big, strong and good at every position,” Dillon said. “Since we joined eight-player, I have not watched a better team than this Remsen St. Mary’s one. They are experienced and physical across the board.”

The Hawks have allowed just 13 total points in four games, scoring at least 42 each week. That includes back-to-back shutouts over Siouxland Christian (73-0) and Kingsley-Pierson (49-0).

Last year, the Hawks posted a 58-6 victory over the Gaels inside Dodger Stadium, scoring 23 points in the first quarter. Ortmann had five rushing touchdowns and 103 yards, while completing 5 of 9 for 63 and a score.

“Up front, they have a junior and two sophomores who started last year for them along the line,” Dillon said. “They were good last year and they are even better this season.”

Remsen St. Mary’s has won 49 consecutive regular season games while winning the 2020 state title. They were runners-up last year and reached the semifinals in 2019, going a collective 37-2 since the start of that season.