Author: Sam Ali

Chisholm’s Abby Thompson Commits to MSU-Moorhead Volleyball Team

Thompson is the first player in program history to continue her volleyball career at the next level.

CHISHOLM, Minn. – Wednesday, Chisholm’s Abby Thompson signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Minnesota State Moorhead volleyball team. Thompson is the first player in program history to continue her volleyball career at the next level, an honor she is well aware of. “I’m so happy I kind of made that name for myself here. And I hope…

Proctor/Hermantown’s Ella Anick Signs NLI for Bemidji State Women’s Hockey

The senior blueliner recorded nine goals and 21 assists last season, helping the Mirage advance to the section title game.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Proctor/Hermantown’s Ella Anick has signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Bemidji State women’s hockey team. The senior blueliner recorded nine goals and 21 assists last season, helping the Mirage advance to the section title game. Anick joins Grand Rapids/Greenway’s Claire Vekich who also committed to joining the Beavers last week. Categories: College, High School,…

Prep Football: Hermantown, Virginia, GNK Open Playoffs With Wins

It was a good start to the playoffs for the Hawks, Blue Devils and Titans.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Senior fullback Riley Thorsten scored three touchdowns in the first half as the Hermantown football team got the win over Duluth Denfeld 42-22 Tuesday night in the Section 7AAAA semi-finals. The Hawks advance to the section finals and will face the winner of the Cloquet/North Branch match-up, which is set to take place Thursday night at Egerdahl…

Governor Tim Walz Urged to ‘Pause’ High School Athletics

An infectious disease expert said that 10% of all cases in Minnesota schools Aare associated with with sports.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – During a press conference on Monday, Minnesota health commissioner Jan Malcolm says oublic health officials are urging Governor Tim Walz to issue a pause on winter high school sports. Governor Walz says new guidance from the state on high school sports will be issued in the next day or so as spread of the coronavirus increases…

“Let Them Play Duluth” Wants More Communication with School District

According to organizers, they feel that superintendent John Magas did not need to take the full burden of the decision on his own.

DULUTH, Minn. – Last week, the Duluth school district announced a pause for high school athletics, which begins this Wednesday. A group of players and parents from the district have now banned together to try and get that decision overturned. The group is called “Let Them Play Duluth” and it’s made up of representatives from Duluth East and Duluth Denfeld…

Coaches Corner: Mike Zagelmeyer

For this week's segment, we chat with the head coach of the Hermantown football team.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we spoke with the head coach of the Hermantown football team Mike Zagelmeyer. Among the topics discussed are the Hawks’ big win in the Hammer Game over Proctor, as well as what this season has been like playing without packed stands at Centricity Stadium. Categories: Coaches Corner, Friday Night Frenzy, High School,…

UMD Basketball Teams to Open Regular Season January 2nd

The Bulldogs will open their season January 2nd at home against Winona State.

DULUTH, Minn. – Friday, the NSIC released the schedules for the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball seasons. The Bulldogs will open their season January 2nd at home against Winona State. It will be a 16-game schedule with teams playing the same opponent at one site on back-to-back days. Needless to say, the UMD coaches were more than excited about the…

Northwestern Football Knocks Off St. Croix Central in Level 1 Playoff Game

The Tigers advance to Level 2 and will face Ellsworth Thursday, November 19th.

HUDSON, Wis. – Senior fullback Brennen Werner scored two touchdowns in the first half and the defense buckled down in the second half as the Northwestern football team defeated St. Croix Falls 14-0 Friday night in Level 1 of the WIAA Playoffs. The Tigers advance to Level 2 and will face Ellsworth Thursday, November 19th. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High…

Section Brackets Released for MSHSL Football Playoffs

Playoff football action in Minnesota begins Tuesday night.

DULUTH, Minn. – The regular season is complete for Minnesota high school football. Now it’s time to find out what the playoff match-ups will be as teams vie for a section title. Dates and times are subject to change and are available here. SECTION 5 NINE-PLAYER #4 McGregor vs. #1 South Ridge #3 Cromwell-Wright vs. #2 Hill City/Northland SECTION 7…

Duluth East Football Team React to Abrupt End to the Season

The Greyhounds wrapped up their season on a five-game win streak.

DULUTH, Minn. – On Tuesday, the Duluth East football team found out that their game Wednesday night against Cloquet would be their final game of the year. We spoke with the Greyhounds after their 27-22 win and contrary to what you would think, they were in good spirits about their season coming to an abrupt end. “We were very determined….

Prep Volleyball: Esko, South Ridge Winners on Home Courts

The Eskomos and Panthers continued to impress at home.

ESKO, Minn. – In their first action in almost two weeks, the Esko volleyball team got the best of Hibbing 3-1 Thursday night. The Eskomos stayed undefeated on the season. It was also the final match of the season for the Bluejackets, who will be shutdown for two weeks beginning next week. In other prep volleyball action, South Ridge improved…

Minnesota Wilderness Return to the Ice After Quarantine Delays Season Opener

The Wilderness will open their season Saturday night at home against the Minnesota Magicians.

CLOQUET, Minn. – After a positive COVID case put their season opener on hold, the Minnesota Wilderness were back on the ice last week as they get set for their season opener this weekend. Although the team wasn’t able to be together during their quarantine, the coaching found different ways to keep in contact with the team, even with some…

Hibbing Announces Two-Week Shutdown for Athletics Starting Next Week

The fall sports season comes to an end and the winter sports season will have a delayed start.

HIBBING, Minn. – Hibbing athletic director Meghan Potter says that athletics and activities at Hibbing High School will be shutdown beginning November 16th. The hope is that they will resume on December 1st. This will mean a delayed start to the winter sports season. As for fall sports, the season comes to an end, meaning the Bluejackets football team played…

Northwestern Football Draws Challenging Region for Playoffs

Kickoff for Friday's game against St. Croix Central is set for 7 p.m.

MAPLE, Wis. – The season continues for the Northwestern football team. Friday night, the Tigers will make the long drive south to take on St. Croix Central for their Level 1 playoff game. The last time these two teams met was back in 2018 when the Panthers defeated the Tigers in the Level 3 playoff round. But the team is…

Northland High School Athletes Celebrate National Signing Day

National Letters of Intent were signed across the Northland on Wednesday.

DULUTH, Minn. – National Signing Day is the day high school athletes dream about. It’s time to put pen to paper and officially sign National Letters of Intent to make those college commitments official. Here’s a list of those who committed on Wednesday: Duluth Marshall’s Gianna Kneepkens — Utah women’s basketball Duluth Marshall’s Emilia McGiffert — Eastern Michigan women’s soccer…

Prep Football: Hermantown Wins Back Hammer, Duluth East Closes Out Season, Carlton/Wrenshall Wins Home Finale

The regular season ended with a win for the Hermantown, Duluth East and Cromwell/Wright football teams.

PROCTOR, Minn. – In the 70th annual Battle for the Hammer, the Hermantown football team avenged their loss from last season, blanking Proctor 28-0 Wednesday night at Egerdahl Field. In other prep football action, Duluth East held on for a home win over Cloquet 27-22. The Greyhounds found out Tuesday that their season is over as they finish the year…

Northwood/Solon Springs Football Prepare for Final Playoff Game

The Evergreens will host Fredric on Friday night. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.

MINONG, Wis. – The Wisconsin high school football playoffs begin this Friday, but it’s not your typical bracket. In eight-player football, teams will have one final playoff game to wrap up their seasons. For Northwood/Solon Springs, they’ll look to finish the season above .500 so that their seniors can end their football careers on a high note. “It’s going to…

UW-Superior Suspends Athletics for Remainder of Fall Semester

This includes practices and workouts, as well as the intra-squad games the Yellowjackets teams have been hosting for the past two months.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior is suspending all athletics and activities on-campus for the rest of the fall semester. This includes practices and workouts, as well as the intra-squad games the Yellowjackets teams have been hosting for the past two months. The athletics department says they hope to begin the winter sports season some time in January of…

Duluth Public Schools to Pause Athletics Beginning November 18th

The pause will continue through December 13th.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Public Schools superintendent John Magas announced Tuesday that in-person athletics and activities will be paused from November 18th until December 13th. The announcement has the biggest impact on the Duluth East and Duluth Denfeld football teams, who were set to begin section playoffs next week. For the volleyball teams, they will each lose their final three…

Local Family Searching for Stolen Package from Packers Linebacker Christian Kirksey

The jersey was a surprise birthday gift for die-hard Packers fan Betty Anderson, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday.

DULUTH, Minn. – Last month, Betty Anderson celebrated her 90th birthday. As a die-hard Packers fan, she always wanted to go to Lambeau Field. But due to the pandemic, fans aren’t allowed to attend Packers game. So her grand-daughter, McKenzie Thomas, came up with the next best thing. “I wanted to reach out to all the Packers players, just to…

UMD Men’s Hockey Team to Open Season Against Denver in Omaha Pod

The Bulldogs' home opener will be Saturday January 2nd against St. Cloud State.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 3rd-ranked UMD men’s hockey team will open their season in the pod at Baxter Arena on December 2nd against 5th-ranked Denver. They will play the Pioneers again later in the month as well as two games against Miami-Ohio, Colorado College, top-ranked North Dakota and the hosts Omaha, who will face the Bulldogs in their final…

UMD Women’s Hockey Players Talk WCHA Season Opener

After facing the Mavericks, UMD will host rivals Minnesota for Thanksgiving weekend at Amsoil Arena.

DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD women’s team found out on Friday that their season will begin November 20th against Minnesota State-Mankato. The Bulldogs have been practicing for the past several weeks. But now, the mentality changes as they begin preparing for actual opponents. “We’ve been doing scrimmages on Friday, making it really game-like. We wear jerseys. The music’s loud during…

Coaches Corner: Joe Hietala

For this week's segment, we hear from the head coach of the Duluth East football team.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we spoke with Duluth East head football coach Joe Hietala. Among the topics discussed was the team’s battle through various forms of adversity and how grateful the Greyhounds are to play this season with so much uncertainty in the Northland. Categories: Coaches Corner, Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Friday Night Frenzy Highlights and Scores for 11/6

Here's all the prep football action from Friday, including big wins for Grand Rapids, Duluth East, International Falls and Northwestern.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The Grand Rapids football team continued their domination of the 2020 season as they picked up a road win over Cloquet 41-0 Friday night at Bromberg Field. The Thunderhawks improve to 5-0 as they’ll look to end their season undefeated next week against Hibbing. The Lumberjacks fall to 3-2 and they’ll wrap up their season against Duluth…

UMD Women’s Hockey to Open Season November 20th

The league will drop the puck on the weekend of November 20th as teams will play eight league games before breaking for the holidays after December 19th.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – After months of planning, the WCHA released the first-half schedule for the upcoming women’s hockey season Friday afternoon. The league will drop the puck on the weekend of November 20th as teams will play eight league games before breaking for the holidays after December 19th. League play will then resume as early as January 1st, 2021. According…

Prep Volleyball: Thursday Night Road Wins for Greenway, Hermantown, Proctor

It was a big night for the road teams as the Raiders, Hawks and Rails came out on top.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Senior Claire Vekich led the way with 24 kills as the Greenway volleyball team swept Clouqet 3-0 on Thursday night. In other prep volleyball action, Hermantown got the road sweep over Duluth Denfeld while Proctor blanked Duluth East 3-0 as well. Categories: High School, Sports

Virginia Football Tops GNK for Third Straight Win

The Blue Devils have now won three straight, surpassing their win total from the past two season combined.

COLERAINE, Minn. – The Virginia football team forced seven turnovers as they got the road win over Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 32-6 Thursday night at Dixon-Barle Field. The Blue Devils have now won three straight, surpassing their win total from the past two season combined. They’ll wrap up the regular season at home next week against Eveleth-Gilbert. The Titans will close their season…

Duluth Denfeld Football Team Pulls Out of Game Vs. Proctor; Rails to Host Duluth East

After the Hunters cancelled their game against Proctor, the Rails will now host Duluth East on Friday night.

DULUTH, Minn. – With COVID-19 cases sky-rocketing in the Northland recently, many have been waiting to see how it would impact high school sports. Districts have been strongly against shutting everything down, but that doesn’t mean that teams might have to make those decisions on their own as we found out on Thursday. The North Branch football team has cancelled…

Moose Lake-Willow River Football Team Cancels Remainder of Season

The defending section champs finish the regular season with a 3-1 record.

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – The Moose Lake-Willow River football team is cancelling the final two games of their season. The timing of the announcement is also not ideal for the Rebels as they are also assuming that their season is over due to the quick turnaround for the section playoffs. The defending section 7AA champs finish the regular season with…

Winter Sports Delay Expected for Superior Athletics

Boys and girls hockey, as well as girls basketball, were scheduled to start practicing on November 16th, while boys basketball would have started on November 23rd.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior athletic director Ella Olson says that due to the district’s decision to move to all distance learning winter sports will have a later start date. Boys and girls hockey, as well as girls basketball, were scheduled to start practicing on November 16th, while boys basketball would have started on November 23rd. Superior will resume in-person learning…

South Ridge Stays Undefeated Behind Five TDs from Bushbaum

South Ridge will wrap up their season next week at North Central with their eyes on a perfect 6-0 regular season record.

CULVER, Minn. – Senior running back Connor Bushbaum racked up 270 yards rushing to go along with five touchdowns as the South Ridge football team defeated Silver Bay 46-12 Wednesday night. Tyler Johnson chipped in with 115 yards on the ground in the winning effort. Sully Tikkanen scored both touchdowns for the Mariners. South Ridge will wrap up their season…

Duluth East Football Building Momentum as Regular Season Winds Down

The Greyhounds will look for their fourth straight win as they host North Branch on Friday.

DULUTH, Minn. – One thing politicians can learn from sports teams is that it’s not about how start, it’s about how you finish. A great example of that philosophy is the Duluth East football team. The Greyhounds have dealt with a lot of adversity this season, from losing their opener up in Grand Rapids to falling down big at halftime…

Grand Rapids’ Taryn Hamling Commits to NDSU Women’s Basketball Team

The sophomore averaged just over 13 points per game last season and has been playing on the varsity level since seventh grade.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Grand Rapids guard Taryn Hamling has committed to joining the North Dakota State women’s basketball team. The sophomore averaged just over 13 points per game last season and has been playing on the varsity level since seventh grade. Her sister Heaven transferred to NDSU last season after playing 32 games at Stephen F. Austin State. Categories:…

UMD Men’s Basketball Team Hosting Two New Camps

Space will be limited to the first 60 registrations for each camp.

DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD men’s basketball team have announced two new camp opportunities. The first will be a Black Friday Camp on November 27th. It will be open to boys and girls from 4th to 8th grade. The other will be a Competition Camp, which will take place every Saturday from November 28th to December 19th. That camp will…

Hayward Football Opts Out of WIAA Playoffs

Hayward wraps up their season with a 1-4 overall record with their lone victory coming against Lakeland in Week 4.

HAYWARD, Wis. – The Hayward football team is opting out of the WIAA playoffs. This comes after their game this Friday against Merrill was cancelled. That was supposed to be the Hurricanes final game of the season. Hayward wraps up their season with a 1-4 overall record with their lone victory coming against Lakeland in Week 4. Categories: High School,…

Cloquet Volleyball Streaking at Midway Point of Regular Season

The Lumberjacks will be back in action Thursday night at home against undefeated Greenway.

CLOQUET, Minn. – After dropping their first two games of the season, the Cloquet volleyball team are riding a six-match win streak, dropping just three sets in that time frame. The coaching staff credits a focus on what they can control, instead of putting too much time into scouting their opponents. “We’re really working on eliminating our errors and doing…

UMD Women’s Hockey Ranked 8th in First Preseason National Poll

The Bulldogs finished last season in the same spot with an 18-12-6 overall record.

DULUTH, Minn. – The USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine preaseason poll was released Tuesday afternoon and the UMD women’s hockey team are ranked 8th among all Division I NCAA programs. The Bulldogs finished last season in the same spot with an 18-12-6 overall record. Head coach Maura Crowell will bring back four of the top five scorers from last season, including…

Prep Volleyball: Greenway, Grand Rapids, Duluth Denfeld Pick Up Road Wins

The Raiders, Thunderhawks and Hunters all went on the road and picked up victories on Monday night.

CHISHOLM, Minn. – In a battle between two undefeated teams, the Greenway volleyball team got the best of Chisholm 3-0 Monday night. In other prep volleyball action, Grand Rapids knocked off Virginia 3-1 and Duluth Denfeld got the road win over rivals Duluth East 3-2. Categories: High School, Sports

Hermantown’s Elly Schmitz Commits to Sioux Falls Women’s Basketball Team

Schmitz averaged over 15 points per game as a junior, helping the Hawks capture their first section title since 2006.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Hermantown girls basketball forward Elly Schmitz announced on her Twitter account Monday that she has committed to joining the Sioux Falls women’s basketball team. Last season, Schmitz averaged over 15 points per game as a junior, helping the Hawks capture their first section title since 2006. The Cougars are coming off a solid season, winning the NSIC…

Coaches Corner: Tom Lenarz

For this week's segment, we catch up with the head coach of the Cloquet football team.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we hear from Cloquet head football coach Tom Lenarz. Among the topics discussed were the Lumberjacks great start to the season, as well as how he is communicating with his players in an unpredictable season. Categories: Coaches Corner, Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Friday Night Frenzy Highlights and Scores for 10/30

Big wins Friday night for Duluth Denfeld, Hermantown, Duluth East and Mesabi East.

DULUTH, Minn. – Senior running back Keyshawn Beckom finished with six touchdowns as the Duluth Denfeld football team knocked off Hibbing 50-20 Friday night at Public Schools Stadium. The win is the first on the season for the Hunters and the first head coaching victory for the Hunters’ Erik Lofald. Here are other scores from across the Northland: MN HIGH…

Bushbaum Runs Wild as South Ridge Knocks Off Cherry to Stay Undefeated

The win keeps the Panthers undefeated on the season as they hand the Tigers their first loss of the season.

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. – Senior running back Connor Bushbaum finished with 347 yards rushing and four touchdowns as South Ridge topped Cherry 32-20 Thursday night at Mountain Iron-Buhl High School. The win keeps the Panthers undefeated on the season as they hand the Tigers their first loss of the season. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Volleyball: Cloquet Wins Sixth Straight, Proctor Gets Road Sweep

The Lumberjacks knocked off the Hunters, while the Rails swept the Hilltoppers.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Brenna McClarey finished with 13 kills and five blocks as the Cloquet volleyball team took down Duluth Denfeld 3-1 Thursday night. The Lumberjacks also got 11 kills from Ava Carlson and 29 set assists from Emerson Rock, who helped Cloquet win their sixth straight match. In other prep volleyball action, Proctor earned a bounce back win on…

Northwestern Volleyball Falls in D2 Section Semi-Final

The Tigers finish the season with a 5-7 record.

SAINT CROIX FALLS, Wis. – The Cinderella run for the Northwestern volleyball came to an end in the WIAA Division 2 Section Semi-finals as the Tigers were swept by top-seeded St. Croix Falls 3-0 Thursday night. Brynn Erickson led the way with 9 kills and 10 digs, while Kayla Paulsen chipped in with six kills and 10 digs. Northwestern also…

Grand Rapids High School Joins “Mask Up Itasca” Campaign

Recent numbers are showing that the county's case rate is trending downward after a spike earlier this month.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – This month, Grand Rapids High School has joined forces with “Mask Up Itasca”, an initiative started by Itasca County Health and Human Services to promote wearing masks in public places. Thunderhawks football coach Greg Spahn says there was no hesitation from his team to get involved. “The thing with high school athletics is often times that’s…

GNK Invited to TC Running Company’s Cross Country Showcase

The showcase will take place at the Island Pine Golf Course in Atwater.

COLERAINE, Minn. – The TC Running Company based in Eden Prairie is hosting a cross country showcase this weekend. The event is designed to replace the annual state meet, which will not take place this year. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin will be one of several teams across the state that will take part in the event. “It feels good to have an organization…

Barron-Northwestern Football Game Cancelled

The Tigers were informed that the Golden Bears are no longer participating in the remainder of their football season.

MAPLE, Wis. – The Northwestern football team announced Thursday that their game Friday night against Barron has been cancelled. The Tigers were informed that the Golden Bears are no longer participating in the remainder of their football season. Northwestern will now get set to host Cameron next week. Categories: High School, Sports

Defending Section Champs South Ridge Still Hungry for Success in 2020

The Panthers will be back in action Thursday night against Cherry.

CULVER, Minn. – During times of increased stress, the human body goes through a fight-or-flight response, a physiological reaction that either prepares our bodies to stay and fight or run away and flee. And whether it’s a change of venue or change in opponent, this year’s high school football season has presented a lot of challenges. But South Ridge has…