Scoring hasn’t been a problem for the Superlarks this season. But they’ll have to bring their best effort if they want to put up points against Nicollet in the first round of the nine-man football state quarterfinals at RCTC Stadium in Rochester Saturday at noon.

GM (10-1 overall) scores 40.1 points per game, while Nicollet allows just 10.2 per contest.

“We will try and establish our running game and mix the pass in as needed,” GM head coach Gary Sloan said. “They play a five man line and with that many guys on the line of scrimmage, we may have to open things up a bit to loosen them up.”

Nicollet (8-2 overall) likes to throw the ball and their quarterback is their leading rusher, according to Sloan. They also have speedy receivers.

GM, which is ranked No. 9 in the state and allows 16.4 points per game, is making its fourth state tournament appearance and its first since 1997. It is also the Raiders’ fourth trip to the state tournament.

“Our guys are very excited to get to play on turf as well as playing in the state tournament,” Sloan said. “They are proud of the accomplishments up until now but are not satisfied.”

While it’s tough to compare teams from different conferences, both squads played Alden/Conger this season. GM beat A/C 49-28 and Nicollet, which scores 26.5 points per game, beat A/C 20-12.