High School Archives - Page 61 of 89

Cardinals’ Shaily Hakamaki Still Preparing for Potential Spring Sports Season

After her basketball season came to an abrupt end during the state tournament, senior Shaily Hakamaki is hoping the track season doesn't get canceled.

March 20, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

CROMWELL, Minn. – Like most teams across the country, the Cromwell-Wright girls basketball team saw its season come to an abrupt end last week during the state tournament. But now, with the spring sports season still a possibility, senior Shaily Hakamaki is hoping for a happier ending to her high school career. “We came back to the hotel and got…

Billy Tafs Named New Head Coach of Hermantown Baseball Team

Tafs graduated from Hermantown back in 2003 and would go on to play his college ball at UWS.

March 19, 2020

Sam Ali,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Back in December, Mike Zagelmayer stepped down as head coach of the Hermantown baseball team. And this week, the Hawks announced who is taking his spot. Billy Tafs will take over as the new head coach of the Hawks baseball team. He graduated from Hermantown back in 2003 and would go on to play his college ball…

WIAA Postpones High School Spring Sports

The WIAA Board decided to postpone any decision on the spring sports season until a later date.

March 19, 2020

Sam Ali,

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control voted to pause spring sports until further notice. That’s according to Travis Wilson of WisSports.net. He added that nothing is cancelled and that a timeline would be dependent on what the state says about school resuming. In a press release, the WIAA Board decided to postpone any decision…

“Pray for Jay” Fundraiser Helps Local Youth Basketball Player

Seventh-grader Jay Nick recently had surgery down in St. Paul for a brain tumor.

March 19, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – The local basketball community has come together to support a local youth basketball player. Seventh-grader Jay Nick recently had surgery down in St. Paul for a brain tumor. His family set up a GoFundMe page that has already raised well over $40,000. Duluth East boys basketball coach Rhett McDonald says that illustrates how tightly-knit Northland basketball programs…

Esko Softball Team Stays Busy During Postponement

The Eskomos are waiting on the MSHSL to make a decision on whether or not the spring sports season will be cancelled.

March 18, 2020

Sam Ali,

ESKO, Minn. – While high school teams are prohibited from holding organized practices the Esko softball team is putting in work in a creative way. “My dad brought it to my attention this morning. He was like ‘Well do you want to hit?’ And I’m like ‘Where am I supposed to do that?’ He was like ‘Well we can set…

IST Gym Transitioning to “Virtual Training” of Athletes

The gym is transitioning to virtual training through social media, videos and online engagement.

March 17, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Beginning Wednesday, gyms across the state will be forced to shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Impact Sports Training Gym in Duluth gave their student-athletes one last chance to get some in-person work before the shut down goes into effect. The gym welcomes high school and college athletes from across the Northland as they were…

Duluth Marshall Appoints Nick Garramone to Lead Baseball Team

Garramone takes over for Joe Wicklund, who resigned to become the new head coach at Duluth Denfeld.

March 17, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Despite what’s been going on lately, it’s been a solid week for Duluth Marshall sports. Monday, the Hilltoppers announced their new boys hockey head coach. And Tuesday, they’ve found their guy to lead the baseball team. And they didn’t have to go far to find him as Duluth native Nick Garramone is the new head coach of…

Jasen Wise Named New Head Coach for Duluth Marshall Boys Hockey

Wise has over 20 years of college coaching experience, with his latest stop coming at Concordia University in Wisconsin.

March 16, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Marshall boys hockey team is coming off a tough year that is certainly not up to their standards. The solution: a change at the top for the Hilltoppers. Monday, Jasen Wise was announced as the new head coach of the Duluth Marshall boys hockey team. Wise has over 20 years of college coaching experience, with…

MSHSL Prohibits All Athletic Activities for Spring Sports

This comes just two days after the league proposed limited participation.

March 15, 2020

Sam Ali,

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. – The Minnesota State High School League announced Sunday afternoon that there will be no activities or athletics at any member schools from Wednesday, March 18th to Friday, March 27th. This comes after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that all schools in the state will be closed from March 18th to March 27th. The MSHSL’s decision includes…

Cardinals Girls Basketball Welcomed Home After Canceled State Tournament

Family and friends came out to celebrate another successful season for Cromwell-Wright, despite not getting to finish out the state tournament.

March 14, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

CROMWELL, Minn. – After the MSHSL canceled the remainder of the girls basketball state tournament, Cromwell-Wright returned home on Saturday morning to a crowd of fans and family members. Cromwell-Wright was set to play Henning on Friday in the semifinals, and a win would have sent them to the class A championship on Saturday. While the outcome was disappointing and…

Eskomos Boys, Hilltoppers Girls React to State Basketball Tournament Cancellations

Esko was set to play in the section 7AA final while Duluth Marshall was set to play in the Class AA semifinals on Friday night.

March 13, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

ESKO, Minn. – The MSHSL announced on Friday morning that the remainder of the girls basketball state tournament and the boys basketball section playoffs and upcoming state tournament would be canceled, effective immediately. The Duluth Marshall girls were one of two Northland teams left in the state basketball tournament. The Hilltoppers won their quarterfinal game on Wednesday to win their…

MSHSL, WIAA Cancel Remainder of Winter Sports Tournaments

This includes the girls basketball state semi-finals, as well as the boys basketball section finals and next week's boys state tournament.

March 13, 2020

Sam Ali,

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Minnesota State High School League and Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association announced that they both have cancelled the remainder of their winter sports tournaments due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. For Minnesota, this includes any remaining section tournament games for boys basketball, as well as next week’s state tournament, and the girls state tournament which was…

Cromwell Girls Top BBE, Advance to State Semi-Finals

The Cardinals move on to face Henning in the Class A semi-finals.

March 12, 2020

Sam Ali,

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Senior guard Taya Hakamaki finished with 34 points as the Cromwell-Wright girls basketball team knocked off Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 67-58 in the Class A state quarterfinals. Shaily Hakamaki also scored 15 points while Andrea Pocernich chipped in with 13 points of her own. The Cardinals move on to face Henning in the Class A semi-finals. Tip-off is set for…

Prep Boys Basketball: Hawks, Greyhounds Fall in Section Title Games

Hermantown lost a nail-biter to Princeton while Duluth East couldn't overcome Cambridge-Isanti.

March 12, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Senior guard Peter Soumis would score 37 points, but it wouldn’t be enough as Princeton topped Hermantown 67-64 in the Section 7AAA championship game Thursday night at Duluth East High School. And in the Section 7AAAA title game, Cambridge-Isanti ends Duluth East’s season for the third straight year as the Bluejackets knocked off the Greyhounds 81-73. Categories:…

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MSHSL To Limit Fan Attendance at Basketball Tournament Games

The announcement comes in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

March 12, 2020

Sam Ali,

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Minnesota State High School League has announced that the girls basketball state tournaments and boys basketball section playoffs will be played with “limited spectators” beginning on Friday. Attendance will be limited to rostered athletes, coaches, event staff, TV partners, credentialed media, and a limited number of school-approved family members of the participants. Here is the full…

Hilltoppers Girls Basketball Upsets No. 3 Wildcats in Class AA Quarterfinals

Duluth Marshall will play Providence Academy in the Class AA semifinals on Friday at 8:00 p.m. at Williams Arena.

March 11, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Duluth Marshall girls basketball team used a big second half to upset the No. 3 seed New London-Spicer 60-56 in the class AA quarterfinals. Gianna Kneepkens finished with 26 points while Grace Kirk chipped in with 25 points. The Hilltoppers now advance to the class AA semifinals on Friday. Duluth Marshall will take on unseeded Providence…

Eskomos Boys Basketball to Face Pioneers in Section 7AA Final

Esko and Pierz will play for a trip to state on Friday at Romano Gym. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

March 11, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

DULUTH, Minn. – Esko and Duluth Marshall would battle the entire way and force overtime, but in the end the Eskomos hung on for the 67-64 win in the section 7AA semifinal. In the other semifinal, Pierz started off strong and dominated the rest of the way to get the 88-60 win over Virginia. The Eskomos and Pioneers will face…

Greyhounds Boys Basketball to Meet Rivals Bluejackets in Section Title Game

Tip-off between Duluth East and Cambridge-Isanti is set for 7:00 p.m. at Elk River High School.

March 11, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

DULUTH, Minn. – The section 7AAAA boys basketball championship will take place on Thursday night, pitting Duluth East against arch rivals Cambridge-Isanti. The Bluejackets have ended the Greyhounds’ season the past two years, but that face has not crossed the mind of this year’s squad. “With Cambridge it’s always, everyone’s expecting it to be a great game and it’s obviously…

Duluth Wolfpack’s Jorja Schooler Commits to Missouri Western State Lacrosse

The senior has spent the past two seasons as captain of the Duluth Wolfpack girls lacrosse team.

March 11, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth East’s Jorja Schooler signed her National Letter of Intent Wednesday to join the Missouri Western State University women’s lacrosse team. The senior has spent the past two seasons as captain of the Duluth Wolfpack girls lacrosse team and is now taking her talents to Saint Joseph, Missouri. “I got to know some of the girls and…

Former Greyhound Will Fisher Commits to CSS Men’s Hockey

The defenseman was with the Greyhounds from 2015 to 2018, recording 15 points in 24 games in his senior year.

March 11, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Former Duluth East standout Will Fisher has committed to joining the St. Scholastica men’s hockey team. Fisher is currently with the Boston Junior Rangers of the EHL and spent some time in the NAHL with the Bismarck Bobcats. The defenseman was with the Greyhounds from 2015 to 2018, recording 15 points in 24 games in his senior…

Top Seed DeLaSalle Too Much for Hermantown Girls Basketball Team

The Hawks will play in the consolation bracket tomorrow afternoon.

March 11, 2020

Sam Ali,

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Junior Elly Schmitz finished with 16 points, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Hermantown girls basketball team fell to top seed DeLaSalle 85-52 Wednesday morning in the Class AAA state quarterfinals. Senior Ava Asgaard chipped in with 15 points. The Hawks move on to the consolation bracket as they will face Holy Angels Thursday at…

Battle-Tested Hermantown Boys To Face Top Seed Princeton in Section Title Game

Tip-off for the game between the Hawks and Tigers is set for 7 p.m. at Duluth East High School.

March 10, 2020

Sam Ali,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown boys basketball team are back in the section championship game for the first time in two years. The Hawks have not had an easy road to the title game as they have had to battle back from multiple double-digit deficits, leading up to their championship match-up against top seed Princeton. “I think we just learned…

Boys Hockey Season Wraps Up with All-Star Game

Team White defeated Team Yellow 6-5.

March 10, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Heritage Center was the place to be Tuesday night for the 21st annual All-Star Hockey Game. The first period ended with a 3-3 tie and in the end, Team White defeated Team Yellow 6-5. Categories: High School, Sports

First State Tournament Appearance in 20 Years Awaits Marshall Girls Basketball Team

Tip-off for Wednesday's game against New London-Spicer is set for 8 p.m.

March 10, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s crazy to think that the year 2000 was 20 years ago. That was the last time the Duluth Marshall girls basketball team made it to the state tournament. The Hilltoppers are coming off a stellar run in the Section 7AA tournament. But now the focus shifts from celebrating a historic section title win to getting ready…

Ashland High School to Join Heart O’ North Conference

Ashland was previously a part of the Lake Superior Conference, but they would realign and add Grand Rapids.

March 9, 2020

Sam Ali,

ASHLAND, Wis. – The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Atheltic Association has approved the conference realignment request for Ashland High School. The Oredockers will now be a part of the Heart O’ North Conference beginning in 2021. Ashland was previously a part of the Lake Superior Conference, but they would realign and add Grand Rapids. The Heart O’ North Conference includes Northwestern and…

Experienced Cromwell Girls Carry #2 Seed into State Tournament

The Cardinals will face Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the state quarterfinals on Thursday.

March 9, 2020

Sam Ali,

CROMWELL, Minn. – The excitement and jubilation of the section playoffs is over and done with and now, teams are getting set for the state tournament. That includes the Cromwell-Wright girls who come into the Class A tournament as one of the teams to beat. The Cardinals finished the season ranked #1 in QRF, but settled for the #2 seed…

Hermantown Girls Set to Battle Top Seed DeLaSalle in State Tournament

Tip-off for the game is set for Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Maturi Pavilion at the University of Minnesota.

March 9, 2020

Sam Ali,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown girls basketball team are getting set for their first trip to the state tournament since 2006. And they will be greeted with a tough task as the Hawks will face top-seeded DeLaSalle. But don’t expect them to back down from a challenging opponent. “We made it this far. We don’t want to relax and think…

Mark Vichorek Out as Duluth Marshall Boys Hockey Coach

The Hilltoppers struggled this past season, winning just three games while going winless in section play.

March 9, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Marshall athletic director Kevin Synder has confirmed that Mark Vichorek will not return next season as the team’s boys hockey coach. The Hilltoppers struggled this past season, winning just three games while going winless in section play. Vichorek has spent the year before with the Minnesota Wilderness. No word yet on when a head coaching search…

Northern Star: Ava Asgaard

For this week's segment, meet one of the Hermantown girls basketball senior captains who led the Hawks to their first state tournament since 2006.

March 8, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – When senior guard Ava Asgaard first moved to Hermantown, she quickly gelled with the Hawks basketball team. “It’s been a good time. Coming in here, I wasn’t super good friends but basketball definitely brought us a strong bond and we’re like family now,” Asgaard said. “Ava came here in 10th grade and came from Michigan and I…

Hermantown’s Blake Biondi Named 2020 Mr. Hockey Award Winner

Biondi finished with 95 points in his senior season as he led the Hawks to a Class A runner-up finish.

March 8, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Hermantown senior forward Blake Biondi was named as the winner of the 36th annual Mr. Hockey award, given to the best senior boys hockey player in the state of Minnesota. In his senior season, Biondi finished with 95 points on 47 goals and recorded over 200 points over his three-year career. Biondi joins a long list…

Prep Boys Basketball: Eskomos, Hilltoppers, Blue Devils, Pioneers Advance to Section 7AA Semifinals

Esko will play Duluth Marshall and Virginia will play Pierz in the section 7AA semifinals on Wednesday at Romano Gym.

March 7, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

DULUTH, Minn. – Romano Gym was home to the section 7AA quarterfinals on Saturday which saw a few upsets and four teams advance to the semifinals. Top-seed Esko had no trouble with Pequot Lakes, getting the 68-47 win behind 25 points from senior Payton Wefel. The Eskomos will play Duluth Marshall in the semifinals, who pulled off the 56-53 upset…

Evergreens Girls Basketball Fall in Division Five Section Final

Northwood finishes the year 20-6.

March 7, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Northwood girls basketball team was unable to crawl out of an early deficit, as Clear Lake got the 59-33 win over the Evergreens to win the D5 Section title and advance to the state tournament. Northwood finishes the year 20-6. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Girls Basketball: Cardinals, Hilltoppers, Hawks Learn State Seedings

Cromwell-Wright is the No. 2 seed in Class A while Duluth Marshall and Hermantown are both unseeded in their respective classes.

March 7, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The girls basketball state tournament gets started next week and on Saturday, teams learned their seedings including three Northland teams. In Class A, Cromwell-Wright earned the No. 2 seed in its third state appearance in program history and first since 2017. The Cardinals will play unseeded Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa on Thursday at the Maturi Pavilion. Tip-off is set for…

Hermantown Boys Fall in Overtime of State Championship Game

Colin Hagstrom would score just over two minutes into overtime to give the Zephyrs the win.

March 7, 2020

Sam Ali,

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Aaron Pionk would score with 21.2 seconds to send the game into overtime, but Mahtomedi would score less than two minutes in as Hermantown falls to the Zephyrs 3-2 Saturday afternoon in the Class A state championship game. Drew Sams also scored for the Hawks as they finish the season with a 20-4-4 record. Blake Biondi,…

Hilltoppers Girls Basketball Defeats Patriots to Win Section 7AA Title

Grace Kirk finished with 33 points while Gianna Kneepkens finished with 24 as Duluth Marshall is headed to the state tournament for the first time since 2000.

March 6, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

DULUTH, Minn. – Grace Kirk finished with 33 points as she led the Duluth Marshall girls basketball team past Pequot Lakes 79-63 to win the section 7AA title. Gianna Kneepkens finished with 24 points as the Hilltoppers are headed to the state tournament for the first time since 2000. Duluth Marshall now awaits the class AA seeding which is set…

Prep Boys Basketball: Tigers, Hawks Advance to Section 7AAA Title Game

Princeton knocked off Grand Rapids while Hermantown held off Hibbing in the semi-finals.

March 6, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – The top seeds would prevail as Princeton defeated Grand Rapids 77-66 and Hermantown held off Hibbing 66-58 Friday night in the Section 7AAA semi-finals. The Tigers and Hawks will now faceoff in the section championship game Thursday night at Duluth East High School. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Hermantown Boys Top St. Cloud Cathedral, Advance to State Championship Game

The Hawks are back in the state championship game for the first time since 2017.

March 6, 2020

Sam Ali,

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Hermantown boys hockey team jumped out to a three-goal lead and were able to hold on until the end as they top St. Cloud Cathedral 6-2 in the Class A state semi-finals Friday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center. Cole Antcliff, Blake Biondi, Cayden Sunde, Joey Pierce, Ethan Lund and Zach Kilen would score for…

Cromwell-Wright Girls Dominate MIB to Win Section 7A Championship

The Cardinals snap the Rangers' nine-year streak of section titles.

March 5, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – The Cromwell-Wright girls basketball team dominated Mountain Iron-Buhl 68-43 to win the Section 7A championship Thursday night at Romano Gym. Taya Hakamaki led the Cardinals with 28 points to snap the Rangers’ nine-year streak of section titles. Cromwell-Wright now awaits the seeding announcement for the state tournament. Categories: High School, Sports

Hermantown Girls Basketball Win Thriller to Capture Section 7AAA Title

The Hawks won their first section title since 2006.

March 5, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Elly Schmitz finished with 17 points as the Hermantown girls basketball team won a close one against Hibbing 45-43 Thursday night in the Section 7AAA championship game. The Hawks capture their first section title since 2006 as they await their seeding assignment for the state tournament. Categories: High School, Sports

Duluth Marshall Girls Basketball Return to Section Title Game

Tip-off for Friday's game against Pequot Lakes is set for 7 p.m at Romano Gym.

March 5, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Marshall girls basketball team got the win Wednesday night over Esko in the Section 7AA semi-finals to punch their ticket to the section title game for the second straight year. The Hilltoppers will look for better results this time around, which would send them to the state tournament for the first time in 20 years….

Joe Wicklund Named New Head Coach of Denfeld Baseball Team

Wicklund will join a Hunters team that last season won its first section title in 65 years.

March 4, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – Big news in high school baseball as former Duluth Marshall head coach Joe Wicklund has been named the new head coach of the Duluth Denfeld baseball team. Wicklund will be taking over for Cal Fougner who stepped down to take an assistant coaching job at the college level. Wicklund says the reason for this move is wanting…

Prep Girls Basketball: Patriots, Hilltoppers Advance to Section 7AA Title Game

Pequot Lakes topped Virginia, while Duluth Marshall held off Esko in the section semi-finals.

March 4, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – In the Section 7AA semi-finals at Romano Gym, Pequot Lakes would take down Virginia 63-49, while Duluth Marshall held off Esko 50-46 Wednesday night. The Patriots and Hilltoppers will face off in the section championship game Friday night. Tip-off at Romano Gym is set for 7 p.m. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Boys Basketball: Hawks, Greyhounds Win Playoff Openers

Both Hermantown and Duluth East won their first round playoff match-ups Wednesday night.

March 4, 2020

Sam Ali,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown and Duluth East boys basketball teams each opened their playoff runs with home wins as the Hawks topped North Branch 87-72 and the Greyhounds blasted Anoka 80-60. Here are the rest of the scores from the section playoffs: SECTION 7AAAA: Blaine 56, Forest Lake 60 Coon Rapids 56, Andover 63 Anoka 60, Duluth East 80…

Biondi’s Hat Trick Pushes Hermantown Boys Past Monticello in Class A Quarterfinals

The Hawks had four different goal-scorers in the blowout win.

March 4, 2020

Sam Ali,

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Senior forward Blake Biondi would score a hat trick in the first two periods as the Hermantown boys hockey team knocked off Monticello 7-1 Wednesday afternoon in the Class A quarterfinals at the Xcel Energy Center. Zach Kilen would score twice in the third period while Aydyn Dowd and Aaron Pionk also scored to help out…

Hermantown Girls Set to Battle Defending Section Champs Hibbing

Tip-off for Thursday's section title game is set for 7 p.m. at Denfeld High School.

March 3, 2020

Sam Ali,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown girls basketball team have justified their top-seed ranking in the Section 7AAA playoffs and are now sitting in the section title game. The Hawks have overcome a lot of adversity since last season, losing several key players to injury either at the start of the season or right before the playoffs. But now, they are…

Tigers Boys Basketball Cruise Past Chieftains in WIAA Region Quarterfinals

Northwestern will play Somerset in the regional semifinal on Friday.

March 3, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

MAPLE, Wis. – The Northwestern boys basketball team opened on a 10-0 run and never let up, cruising past Osceola 81-34 in the WIAA region quarterfinals. Jake Brill led the way with 19 points while Andrew Klobucher finished with 13 points. Jagar Stillson, Dayne Evanson and Monte Mayberry all finished with 12 points each. With the win, the Tigers will…

Prep Girls Basketball: Cardinals, Rangers to Meet in Section 7A Title Game

This will be the second year in a row where the two teams meet in the championship game.

March 2, 2020

Sam Ali,

DULUTH, Minn. – In the Section 7A semi-finals at Romano Gym, the Cromwell-Wright girls basketball team defeated Chisholm 81-23 and Mountain Iron-Buhl used a strong second half to take down Cherry 60-46. The Cardinals and Rangers move on to the finals in a rematch of last year’s section title game. Tip-off for the game is set for 7:30 p.m. on…

Hawks Boys Hockey Set for Return to State Tournament

Hermantown will play Monticello on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. in the class A quarterfinals.

March 2, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – For the past year, the Hermantown boys hockey team has been on a united pursuit to return to the state tournament. But after defeating Duluth Denfeld to win the section 7A title last week to officially punch their ticket back to the Xcel Energy Center, this journey is just getting started. “This is the best time of…

Northern Star: Payton Wefel

For this week's segment, meet one of the seniors on the Esko basketball team who's hoping to lead his team back to the state tournament.

March 1, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

ESKO, Minn. – After star senior guard Trevor Spindler suffered a season-ending injury just a few games in to the 2019 season, the Esko boys basketball team turned to fellow senior guard Payton Wefel to step up. “He was a huge part of our team, being the guy we go to when we need a point and just that leader…

Prep Girls Basketball: Hilltoppers, Blue Devils Advance in Section 7AA; Hawks, Bluejackets to Meet in Section 7AAA Final

Duluth Marshall, Virginia, Hermantown and Hibbing are all advancing in their respective section playoffs.

February 29, 2020

Claudia Chakamian,

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Hermantown was home to the section 7AA girls basketball quarterfinals on Saturday which saw Virginia pull off a huge upset, hanging on in the final seconds to take down the defending section champions Proctor 59-57. In a quarterfinal game between two of the top teams in class AA, Grace Kirk scored 30 points as Duluth Marshall got…