The Lake Superior Rage cruised to a 62-0 victory over the winless Menomonie Thunderhawks Saturday afternoon in a Northern Elite Football League game played at Public Schools Stadium, capping an undefeated season and securing the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming playoffs.
The St. Paul Pioneers, which feature former Minnesota Duluth standout running backs Brad Foss and Isaac Odim, clinched the top playoff seed with an undefeated regular season and a record-breaking NEFL single-season scoring mark (367).
Saturday's first-round matchups include No. 6 Minnesota Spartans at No. 3 Green Bay Gladiators and No. 5 Chippewa Valley Predators at No. 4 Fox Valley Force in Appleton, Wis.
The semifinals are set for July 28 when the Rage will face the highest remaining seed and the Pioneers will host the lowest remaining seed.
Although the Rage technically are hosting a playoff game, due to league discipline stemming from a bench-clearing brawl in Eau Claire, Wis., on July 7, it's up to their opponent to decide if they lose home field for any game in which the Rage are the higher seed.
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The NEFL Championship, dubbed Elite Bowl V, is set for Aug. 5.
