Sleepy Eye United Football

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United 14, Mayer Lutheran 29

Sept. 26, 2025

Sleepy Eye (1-4) scored twice early in the first quarter and took a 14-12 lead into halftime against Mayer Lutheran (4-1), but the Crusaders took the lead in the third, and penalties and turnovers helped close the door on any United comeback in the fourth.

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Dancers from Just For Kix performed for the crowd before the game.

Grade schoolers from Sleepy Eye Public also performed as part of a cheer camp.

Davin Suess gets a hit on Mayer Lutheran quarterback Gabriel Shimanski during the Crusaders' first possession.

Adam Steffensmeier and Merrick Mathiowetz try to wrap up Crusaders receiver Ben Lindesmith.

Sleepy Eye's Carson Uecker opened the scoring with an interception that he returned about 90 yards for a touchdown, bringing the home crowd to its feet just minutes into the first quarter.

United quickly scored again on its next possession, with Uecker catching a pass across the middle from Brayden Heiderscheidt and taking it 79 yards for the touchdown.

Uecker celebrates the long score with lineman Emerson Johnson.

Freshman kicker Adam Braulick converts the point after, his second of the game, to put United up 14-0.

Mayer Lutheran's Jonathan DeBoer on a long gain. The Crusaders would score on the drive, making the score 14-6, and put one more touchdown on the board just before halftime to make it 14-12 United entering the break.

Gavin Fischer puts a crunching hit on Mayer Lutheran's quarterback in the second quarter.

Fischer, with United on offense, tries to pick up more yards against the Mayer Lutheran defense before the half.

Third- and fourth-graders from the Sleepy Eye United elementary program scrimmaged on the field during halftime.

The program has nearly 60 players in the two grades from Sleepy Eye Public and St. Mary's, including a number of girls.

George Kober brought shades for his Friday night lights scrimmage.

Sleepy Eye High School's Homecoming royalty, from left: Yuri Fernandez, Noah Rossbach, Queen Jaelynn Schaumann, King Kayden Klein, Sam Price, Taylor Berkner, and Hannah Meyer. Front row: Junior Attendants Madelyn Seifert and Reese Braun. Not pictured are football players Logan Ludewig, Ari Krzmarzick and Hunter Mertz.

Defensive lineman Ari Krzmarzick gets his hands on the Crusaders' ball carrier in the backfield.

Uecker cradles the ball after making another interception in the third quarter, this one on a tipped ball.

Keeyan Netzke looks on near the student section after scoring what would have been a go-ahead touchdown for United early in the fourth quarter. The score was called back due to a face mask penalty by Sleepy Eye. Mayer Lutheran would add a safety, a 40-yard field goal and a late interception return for a touchdown to make the final score 29-14.