It’s a matchup of a team with something to lose and a team with something to gain when Pine Island hosts Chatfield on Wednesday.

Watch the regular-season finale live at 7 p.m. here.

Pine Island, ranked No. 18 in Strib Varsity’s Minnesota Top 25, holds a perfect record, with shutouts against five of its seven opponents. The Class 3A Panthers are averaging 41.6 points while holding opponents to an average of 3.9 points.

With good odds of reaching the state tournament for the first time since 2013, Pine Island will want to maintain its streak and avoid a loss to end the regular season.

The Panthers’ Nick Thein is among the state’s top running backs, rushing for 1,106 yards and 20 touchdowns so far this season. Quarterback Alex Knox has passed for 11 touchdowns and rushed for two scores.

Chatfield suffered its first loss of the season last week at Caledonia, falling 14-0. With a tough section that includes Caledonia and Triton, the Gophers could use momentum generated with a win over a top Class 3A program.

The Gophers reached the Class 2A semifinals last year. They won the state title in 2021 and finished runner-up in 2022.

Looking for more to watch after the game? Pine Island coach Mitchel Schiltz is scheduled to appear on “Strib Varsity Live With Randy Shaver.” The show starts at 9:30 p.m. here.