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JOHANNESBURG, Mich. — The Johannesburg-Lewiston Cardinals football team will look to add more hardware to their trophy case this Saturday. The Cardinals (9-0) will battle Iron Mountain at the Superior Dome in a regional final game.

However, both Iron Mountain and Johannesburg-Lewiston will have to bring their own energy in this match. Hours after the MHSAA announced that only 250 fans were allowed in attendance, Northern Michigan University informed both teams saying that no fans were allowed in their facility. Even though the Cardinals won’t have their fans in the stands, they’re very excited for the opportunity to play at the Superior Dome.

“It’s super unique,” said Tommy Runyan. “The opportunity to play there is so awesome and it’s something you imagine.”

This will be the first meeting between these two teams. On paper, Iron Mountain has a 7-2 record. However, they’ve only played three games and the other six games resulted in forfeits. In the three games they’ve played, Iron Mountain averages over 44 points on offense and have allowed only 10 points per contest. For Cardinals head coach Joe Smokevitch, the keys to success will be to set the tone early and to contain senior running back Caleb Evosevich.

“They rely on Evosevich quite a bit,” said Smokevitch. “I think if we stop him, we are going to win the game. That’s going to be the biggest thing.”

The opening kickoff for Saturday’s regional final game is set for 5 p.m.