High School

Superior Boys Hockey Takes Down Chippewa Falls to Clinch Spot in Section Title Game

The Spartans move on to face top-ranked Hudson in the section championship game.

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. – The Superior boys hockey team picked up their second straight road win in the playoffs as they held on to beat Chippewa Falls 4-3 Wednesday night. The Spartans move on to face top-ranked Hudson in the section championship game. On the girls side, it was Hayward taking down Superior 7-5 as the Hurricanes will face D.C….

Proctor/Hermantown Girls Hockey Knocks Off Albert Lea in Class A Quarterfinals

Nya Sieger and Hannah Graves each scored twice as the Mirage defeated the Tigers.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Nya Sieger and Hannah Graves each scored twice as the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team defeated Albert Lea 6-2 Wednesday afternoon in the Class A quarterfinals at the Xcel Energy Center. The Mirage move on to face #2 seed Orono in the state semi-finals. That game is scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. Categories: High School, Sports

Superior’s Evan Bennett Commits to UW-Superior Men’s Basketball Team

Bennett joins Superior natives Xavier Patterson, Mason Ackley and Joey Barker, who are already on the Yellowjackets roster.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – This week, Superior’s Evan Bennett announced on Twitter that he has committed to joining the UW-Superior men’s basketball team. Bennett is leading the way for the Spartans, averaging over 18 points per game. He joins Superior natives Xavier Patterson, Mason Ackley and Joey Barker, who are already on the Yellowjackets roster. Categories: College, High School, Sports

Proctor’s Preslie Annala Signs NLI for Dakota Technical College Softball Team

Last season as a junior, the outfielder batted .345 with eight home runs and 28 RBI.

PROCTOR, Minn. – This week, Proctor’s Preslie Annala signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Dakota Technical College softball team. Last season as a junior, the outfielder batted .345 with eight home runs and 28 RBI. She also runs cross country for the Rails and is a member of the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team. Categories: College, High School,…

Proctor/Hermantown Girls Hockey Set to Battle Albert Lea in Class A Quarterfinals

Puck drop for Wednesday's quarterfinals game for the Mirage is set for 1 p.m.

PROCTOR, Minn. – Last week, the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team won its fourth section title in the last five seasons. Now that the celebration is over, it’s time to get ready for the state tournament. And that shouldn’t be an issue for this group as ten current players were part of last year’s Class A championship team so they have…

Proctor/Hermantown’s Abby Pajari Named Finalist for Senior Goalie of the Year Award

Pajari holds the Mirage record for most career wins and shutouts, and is the first player in program history to be named a finalist for that award.

PROCTOR, Minn. – This week, Proctor/Hermantown’s Abby Pajari has been named a top five finalist for the Miss Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year award. Pajari holds the Mirage record for most career wins and shutouts, and is the first player in program history to be named a finalist for that award. “It’s great, especially being from such a small…

Northern Star: Jordan Zubich

For this week's segment, we feature a Mountain Iron-Buhl girls basketball player who's already making a name for herself in just her sophomore season.

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. – Mountain Iron-Buhl’s Jordan Zubich comes from an athletic background. “My older brother, we definitely grew up butting heads in the gym and stuff but I think that really made me a better player,” Zubich, the star sophomore guard for the Mountain Iron-Buhl girls basketball team said. Zubich made the jump to the varsity level in 7th…

Proctor/Hermantown Girls Hockey Draws Number 3 Seed at State Tournament

The Mirage will face unseeded Albert Lea on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 1:00 p.m. in the state quarterfinals. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Earlier this week, the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team put together another stellar performance, shutting out Duluth Marshall to win back-to-back section 7A championships. Now the defending state champions are officially ready to run it back. In the brackets released on Sunday, the Mirage drew the No. 3 seed in the Class A state tournament. They will…

Hermantown Boys Basketball Drops Regular Season Home Finale to Bemidji

The Hawks fall to 17-7 on the season before finishing out the regular season with back-to-back road games.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown boys basketball team couldn’t hang on late at home on Saturday afternoon as Bemidji got the 76-69 in the Hawks regular season home finale. The Hawks fall to 17-7 on the season and will play at St. Francis on Tuesday. Categories: High School, Sports

Coaches Corner: Kris Hamling

For this week's segment, we chat with the head coach of the Grand Rapids girls basketball team.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we hear from Grand Rapids girls basketball coach Kris Kamling as the Thunderhawks are riding a 12-game win streak and are among the top teams in Class AAA. Categories: Coaches Corner, Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

The Champs Are Here, Trio Of Greyhound Skiers Win Championships At State Tourney

As a team, the Nordic girls finished in second while the alpine girls came in fourth.

DULUTH, Minn. — It was a great showing at the state tournament for the Duluth East Alpine, and Nordic ski teams, as they braved the elements to bring home some hardware. Lauren Carlson took home first place in the slalom event for alpine skiing, and that is the Greyhound’s first individual girl’s championship in 16 years. Carlson raced at state…

Superior Boys Hockey Talks Upset Win in WIAA Playoffs

Superior now moves on to face Chippewa Falls in the section semi-finals. That game is scheduled for Tuesday night.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – What a shocker Thursday night down in Eau Claire as the Superior boys hockey team knocked off Eau Claire Memorial 3-1 to advance to the section semi-finals. The Old Abes were ranked #2 in the all of Division 1. But even with the odds stacked against them, the Spartans came out on top. “Our coaches went into…

Prep Boys Basketball: Hibbing Earns Road Section Win over Hermantown, Superior Shoots Down Proctor

The Bluejackets got a big win on the road, while the Spartans were victorious at home.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Ayden McDonald finished with 40 points as the Hibbing boys basketball teams earned a big section road win over Hermantown 76-61 Thursday night. In other prep boys basketball action, Superior knocked down 20 three-pointers to get the home win over Proctor 97-26. Categories: High School, Sports

Morehouse’s Hat Trick Helps Superior Girls Hockey Advance to Section Semi-Finals

The Spartans move on to face Hayward in the section semi-finals Tuesday night.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Keely Morehouse finished with a hat trick as the Superior girls hockey team defeated Northern Edge 6-4 Thursday night in the WIAA regional finals. The Spartans move on to face Hayward in the section semi-finals Tuesday night. On the boys side, the Spartans upset #2 ranked Eau Claire Memorial 3-1 at Hobbs Arena. Superior will face Chippewa…

Seedings Announced for Section 7A/AA Boys Hockey Playoffs

First-round games take place this Saturday and quarterfinals are Tuesday, February 22nd.

DULUTH, Minn. – The section playoffs are here for Minnesota prep boys hockey. Here are the brackets: SECTION 7A #1 Hermantown vs. #8 North Shore/#9 Ely #2 Duluth Denfeld vs. #7 International Falls/#10 Moose Lake #3 Rock Ridge vs. #6 Hibbing/Chisholm #4 Proctor vs. #5 Greenway SECTION 7AA #1 Andover vs. #8 Cloquet-Esko-Carlton/#9 Duluth Marshall #2 Grand Rapids vs. #7…

Proctor/Hermantown Girls Hockey Tops Duluth Marshall to Win Section 7A Championship

Reese Heitzman scored twice and Abby Pajari recorded a 19-save shutout.

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Reese Heitzman scored twice and Abby Pajari recorded a 19-save shutout as the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team defeated Duluth Marshall 3-0 Wednesday night in the Section 7A championship game. Izy Fairchild also scored for the Mirage, who now await the seedings for the state tournament which will be announced this weekend. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Girls Basketball: Grand Rapids, Proctor Extend Winning Streaks

The Thunderhawks were winners on the road, while the Rails took care of business on their home floor.

BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Grand Rapids girls basketball team picked up their 12th win in a row as they defeated Bemidji 61-56 Tuesday night. In other prep girls basketball action, it was Proctor getting a big section win over Mesabi East 79-46. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Boys Hockey: Superior Wins Playoff Opener; Grand Rapids, Duluth East Win Season Finales; Duluth Marshall Falls at Home

It was a great night on the ice for the Spartans, Hawks and Greyhounds.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – In the opening round of the WIAA boys hockey playoffs, the Superior boys hockey team knocked off Tomah/Sparta 4-0 Tuesday night at Wessman Arena. The Spartans move on to face Eau Claire Memorial in the regional title game. On the final day of the regular season for Minnesota prep boys hockey, Max Plante would score the game-winner…

Duluth Marshall, Proctor/Hermantown Set to Meet Up in Second Straight Section 7A Title Game

The section 7A championship between the Mirage and Hilltoppers is set for this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at the Iron Trail Motors Event Center in Virginia. 

PROCTOR, Minn. – It was just about a decade ago that Duluth Marshall was part of the co-op with Proctor/Hermantown. But now, these two programs have become rivals and will meet up for the second year in a row and third time in the past four years with a trip to state on the line. “When I was playing here…

Proctor High School Holds Special Send-Off for Boys Nordic Ski Team

The Rails will be taking part in the action for the first time since 1997.

PROCTOR, Minn. – The state tournament for high school Nordic skiing begins Wednesday at Giant’s Ridge in Biwabik. The Proctor boys will be taking part in the action for the first time since 1997. To celebrate their trip, the school held a special send-off before they made their trek up north. “It’s amazing, the community support. They just rallied around…

Proctor/Hermantown’s Abby Pajari, Grand Rapids/Greenway’s Kenzie Cole Named Semi-Finalists for Goalie of the Year Award

The list of 12 will be narrowed down to five finalists with the winner being announced on February 27th.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Proctor/Hermantown’s Abby Pajari and Grand Rapids/Greenway’s Kenzie Cole have been named semi-finalists for the Miss Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year award. Pajari holds the Mirage program record for career wins and shutouts. Cole helped the Lightning win 18 games this season with a 92% save percentage. The list of 12 will be narrowed down to…

Duluth Public Schools to Develop ‘Action Plan’ Following Recent On-Ice Violence

Both athletic directors, along with others in the district, will develop sportsmanship expectations with a list of specific consequences linked to unsportsmanlike conduct.

DULUTH, Minn. – In a joint statement, Duluth Denfeld athletic director Tom Pearson and Duluth East athletic director Shawn Roed will be working with their coaches to develop an action plan to address sportsmanship within their athletic programs following FOX 21’s story on the incident of a Greyhounds hockey player that led to a Hunters player being diagnosed with a…

Northwestern Boys Basketball Still Not Satisfied After Capturing Heart ‘O North Conference Title

The Tigers are looking to go undefeated in the conference for the first time in over a decade.

MAPLE, Wis. – This past weekend, we crowned a Super Bowl champion. But we also had a local championship too, as the Northwestern boys basketball team captured the Heart ‘O North title in very convincing fashion. The Tigers defeated Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 84-60 on Saturday night. Monte Mayberry led the way with 28 points, while Jase Nelson and Cole Lahti each chipped…

Northern Star: Meredith Boettcher

For this week's segment, we feature a Duluth Marshall girls hockey player who's continuing the legacy her sisters started with the Hilltoppers program.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Marshall girls hockey and the Boettcher name go hand-and-hand. “Hockey means just as much to me as everyone else in my family. My sisters were here when the program just started. We started our high school program, only JV and my sisters were on that so all of the program’s history, my family’s been here,” Duluth…

Proctor/Hermantown, Duluth Marshall Advance to Section 7A Girls Hockey Championship

The Mirage defeated Hibbing/Chisholm 2-1 on Saturday while the Hilltoppers defeated Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 5-1. Proctor/Hermantown and Duluth Marshall will face off Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Virginia.

VIRGINIA, Minn. – We are getting to the end of things for the girls hockey seasons as just a handful of teams remain. On Saturday, multiple local teams hit the ice on the Iron Range looking to punch their tickets to the section championships. In section 7A, top seed and defending state champions Proctor/Hermantown held off Hibbing/Chisholm 2-1 to advance…

Duluth Denfeld Boys Basketball Gets Home Win Over Zimmerman

Dane Dzuck led the way with 26 points while Marnaries Ferguson finished with 19 points as the Hunters snapped an eight-game losing streak.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Denfeld boys basketball team used a big second half to get the 75-65 home win over Zimmerman on Saturday to snap an eight-game losing streak. Dane Dzuck led the way with 26 points while Marnaries Ferguson finished with 19 points. The Hunters will be back in action Tuesday hosting Duluth Marshall. Categories: High School, Sports

Duluth School District Concludes Investigation Into On-Ice Violence During East-Denfeld Hockey Game

Attacked player Cooper McClure's father Jason says the district has yet to reach out to his son or his family about the incident.

DULUTH, Minn. – Thursday night, FOX 21 revealed shocking footage from late in Wednesday night’s game between the Duluth East and Duluth Denfeld boys hockey teams. It shows Greyhounds defenseman Grady Downs attacking Hunters forward Cooper McClure with repeated blows to the head. Duluth superintendent John Magas sat down exclusively with FOX 21 and he says he was notified of…

Coaches Corner: Courtney Olin

For this week's segment, we chat with the head coach of the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls hockey team.

CLOQUET, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we hear from CEC girls hockey head coach Courtney Olin as the Lumberjacks will face Duluth Marshall Saturday in the Section 7A semi-finals. Categories: Coaches Corner, Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Prep Boys Hockey: Hermantown Tops Holy Family, Rock Ridge Edges Proctor

Zam Plante finished with three assists for the Hawks to give him 100 career points, while Nick Troutwine scored both goals to give the Wolverines a big road win.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown boys hockey team used a big third period to get the 5-3 win over Holy Family at home on Friday night. Zam Plante finished the night with three assists which gave him 100 career points. Hermantown improves to 21-2 on the season and will be back in action on Saturday hosting St. Thomas Academy. Meanwhile,…

Longtime Assistant Jeff Ojanen Named New Cloquet Football Head Coach

Ojanen, a Cloquet alum, has spent the past 19 seasons with the program, including the last 15 as the team's defensive coordinator. 

CLOQUET, Minn. – After the end of the 2021 high school football season, Cloquet’s Tom Lenarz announced his resignation as head coach of the Lumberjacks. The administration moved quick to find his replacement and they decided to make it an in-house hire. Longtime assistant coach Jeff Ojanen will be the new head coach of the Cloquet football team. Ojanen has…

Grand Rapids/Greenway’s Mercury Bischoff Scores Program-Record 49th Goal of Season

Bischoff is now the program's all-time leader in goals score in one season, passing Emily Erickson's record of 48 which was set back in 2007. 

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Thursday night, history was made up on the Iron Range. Grand Rapids/Greenway forward Mercury Bischoff scored her 49th goal of the season in the Lightning’s section playoff win over the Duluth Northern Stars. Bischoff is now the program’s all-time leader in goals score in one season, passing Emily Erickson’s record of 48 which was set back…

District Opens Investigation Into On-Ice Fight Involving Duluth East Hockey Player

According to the MSHSL guidelines, the discipline for fighting is a one to three game suspension.

DULUTH, Minn. – When the Duluth East and Duluth Denfeld boys hockey teams meet up, it’s always a chippy affair between two rivals. But Wednesday night’s game has now prompted an investigation from the district. A video from the online stream of the game from late in the third period shows Duluth East junior defenseman Grady Downs go behind the…

Duluth East Boys Basketball Drops Nail-Biter to Tartan

The Greyhounds would look to snap their two-game losing streak Saturday at home against Woodbury.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth East boys basketball team suffered a heart-breaking loss at home to Tartan 57-54 Thursday night. The Greyhounds would look to snap their two-game losing streak Saturday at home against Woodbury. Categories: High School, Sports

Hermantown’s Garron Opsahl Breaks Two MSHSL Goaltending Records

The junior has broken two state records: consecutive shutouts with six and he has not allowed a goal in 353 minutes and 43 seconds of game time, which is nearly 100 minutes more than the previous record.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – What a season it’s been for Hermantown goalie Garron Opsahl. The junior has broken two state records: consecutive shutouts with six and he has not allowed a goal in 353 minutes and 43 seconds of game time, which is nearly 100 minutes more than the previous record. “It was really cool. At first, I didn’t realize it…

Duluth Marshall Girls Hockey Eyeing Second Straight Appearance in Section Title Game

Next up for the Hilltoppers is a red-hot Cloquet-Esko-Carlton squad. However, Marshall defeated the Lumberjacks in their only regular season match-up one month ago.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Marshall girls took care of business Tuesday night as they defeated Rock Ridge 2-0 to advance to the section semi-finals. Next up for the Hilltoppers is a red-hot Cloquet-Esko-Carlton squad. However, Marshall defeated the Lumberjacks in their only regular season match-up one month ago. “They’re are a tough team and it will be a very…

Deer River’s Ty Morrison Becomes Program’s All-Time Leading Scorer

The Warriors knocked off Ely as Morrison broke Damon Benham's record of 1,710 career points.

DEER RIVER, Minn. – Tuesday night, Deer River’s Ty Morrison became the program’s all time leading scorer. The Warriors knocked off Ely as Morrison broke Damon Benham’s record of 1,710 career points. He is also the program’s all time leader in assists. Deer river is currently 15-2 and riding a nine game win streak. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Girls Hockey: Duluth Marshall, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Win Section Quarterfinal Match-Ups

The Hilltoppers and Lumberjacks will meet Saturday in the section semi-finals.

DULUTH, Minn. – In the first round of the Section 7A girls hockey playoffs, Duluth Marshall held on to beat Rock Ridge 2-1 and Cloquet-Esko-Carlton blanked North Shore 4-0. The Hilltoppers and Lumberjacks will meet Saturday in the section semi-finals. Categories: High School, Sports

Eveleth-Gilbert’s Will Bittmann Grabs 1,000th Career Rebound

Back in December, Bittmann reached the 1,000-point milestone.

EVELETH, Minn. – Monday night, Eveleth-Gilbert’s Will Bittmann made program history, becoming the only player to grab 1,000 rebounds. Back in December, Bittmann reached the 1,000-point milestone. This is the Golden Bears’ final season as a program as they will merge with Rock Ridge next season. Categories: High School, Sports

Denfeld Boys Hockey Presents Special Jersey to Local Military Veteran

Frank Baker-Hartley had no idea the Hunters were paying him a visit and even presented him with two tickets to Wednesday's game. 

DULUTH, Minn. – On Wednesday night, the Duluth Denfeld boys hockey team will host military appreciation night as the Heritage Center. As part of the event, the team ordered jerseys for sponsors, but when one of those sponsors asked for the jersey to be donated, the Hunters knew just who it should be. The players went up to Edgewood Vista…

Duluth East Boys Hockey Roars Back for OT Win Over Cloquet-Esko-Carlton

Noah Teng scored the game-winner for the Greyhounds with less than 20 seconds left in overtime.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The Duluth East boys hockey team rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to get the overtime win over Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 4-3 at the Northwoods Credit Union. Noah Teng scored the game-winner for the Greyhounds with less than 20 seconds left in overtime. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Basketball: Cromwell-Wright Girls, Duluth Marshall Boys Defend Home Court; Esko Girls Pick Up Road Win in Double OT

It was a good way to the start the week for the Cardinals, Eskomos and Hilltoppers.

CROMWELL, Minn. – In a battle of two of the best teams in Section 7A, it was the Cromwell-Wright girls basketball teams getting the home win over South Ridge 55-45 Monday night. In other prep basketball action, the Esko girls won a double overtime thriller over Superior 43-41 and the Duluth Marshall boys took care of business at home with…

Northern Star: Kolbin Carter

For this week's segment, we feature a Proctor basketball player who has made a big impact in his first year back in the Northland.

PROCTOR, Minn. – Kolbin Carter has always called the Northland home. “It’s a great community, everyone accepts you, everybody’s close,” Carter said. But after his freshman year of high school, his family got new jobs and they moved to Las Vegas. Three years later, they moved back and now Carter is playing basketball with the Proctor Rails. “When I was…

Koy Nelson Becomes South Shore Boys Basketball’s All-Time Leading Scorer

Earlier this season, Nelson scored a school record 52 points, including another school record 12 three-pointers. 

PORT WING, Wis. – South Shore senior guard Koy Nelson became the boys basketball program’s all-time leading scorer this past weekend. Nelson passed Jeff Lahti who had 1542 career points. Nelson is averaging over 30 points a game which ranks second in the state of Wisconsin. Earlier this season, Nelson scored a school record 52 points, including another school record 12…

Rodberg Scores 1,000th Point as Proctor Girls Basketball Defeats Duluth Denfeld

Hope Carlson finished with 14 points and Rodberg led all scorers with 15 points.

PROCTOR, Minn. – Senior Payton Rodberg scored her 1,000th career point as the Proctor girls basketball team defeated Duluth Denfeld 84-19. Hope Carlson finished with 14 points and Rodberg led all scorers with 15 points. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Duluth Denfeld Boys Hockey Storms Back to Defeat Sartell in Overtime

Connor McClure scored the game-winner in overtime while Simon Davidson, Braeden Erickson and Whittaker Heart each scored in regulation. Davidson finished the night with a goal and two assists, reaching 100 career points.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Denfeld boys hockey team erased a three-goal deficit going into the second period, storming back to force overtime, then Connor McClure scored the game-winner to give the Hunters the 4-3 win over Sartell. Simon Davidson, Braeden Erickson and Whittaker Heart each scored in regulation for the Hunters. Davidson’s goal and two assists, including on the…

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Girls Hockey Red Hot as Regular Season Winds Down

The Lumberjacks have been relying on their defense and junior goaltender Araya Kaminski, who has allowed just four goals during the team's 10 game win streak.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls hockey team has been on fire as of late. The Lumberjacks started the season 2-4 and now they have won 10 straight as the regular season winds down. “We obviously have a lot of seniors and a lot of veteran players. The beginning of the season started out a little bit rocky. We had…