Tigers, Spartans tangle on Saturday: Level 3 playoff game begins at 1 p.m. at Tiger Stadium.

Byline: Emily Kram

Nov. 6--After last week's muddy Level 2 playoff game in Neillsville, the Northwestern High School football team is happy to be back on its artificial turf in Maple. The field at the Gordon L. Nelson Athletic Complex holds up perfectly in any weather, and Northwestern has done well under its own lights. The Tigers have only lost one game on the new field in two years. In 2008, that defeat proved to be a season-ending loss. This year, the Tigers are looking to avoid the same fate. On Saturday, Northwestern (11-0) hosts the Somerset Spartans (10-1) in a Level 3 playoff game at 1 p.m. Somerset's only loss in the regular season came against Division 1 Hudson, 7-6. "Home field advantage is huge because we don't have to get on a bus and travel for three hours," said Dennis Scherz, Tigers head coach. "It takes a lot out of you. You can sugarcoat it any way you want, but traveling is tough."

Scherz said the Neillsville field was one of the worst Northwestern had played on because it turned quickly to mud. The field conditions in Neillsville neutralized much of the Northwestern's speed, but the Tigers were still able to run the ball up the middle …