High School

Prep Basketball: Big Wins for Hawks Girls, Eskomo Girls/Boys, Greyhound Boys

Opening Week continued for boys basketball as Esko and Duluth East picked up wins on Friday night.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – In prep girls basketball action, Hermantown got the home win over Chisago Lakes 67-37 and Esko stayed unbeaten as they topped Superior 61-40 Friday night. And in prep boys action, it was Esko getting the road win over rivals Cloquet 89-54 and Duluth East opened their season with a win at home over Bloomington Jefferson 64-49, Categories:…

Prep Basketball: Hilltopper Girls, Hawks Boys Win Season Openers

The Duluth Marshall girls won at home, while the Hermantown boys won on the road.

DULUTH, Minn. – Gianna Kneepkens and Grace Kirk combined to score 54 points as the Duluth Marshall girls basketball team opened their season with a win over Duluth Denfeld 88-35 Thursday night. And in boys action, the Hermantown boys get the Opening Night road win over rivals Proctor 70-52. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Hockey: Lumberjack Boys, Spartan Boys, Hilltopper Girls Winners at Home

Home ice advantage was the name of the game on Thursday night.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Christian Galatz would score twice as the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team used a big first period to get past Duluth Denfeld 5-4 Thursday night at the Northwoods Credit Union Arena. Aaron Moore, Cole Ketola and Logan Dushkin also scored for the Lumberjacks. Cole Olson, Dylan Jouppi, Griffin Lehet and Connor McClure were the goal-scorers for the Hunters….

GNK’s Dylan DeChampeau Commits to UMD Football Team

The Titans standout helped GNK rack up a total of 15 wins tn the past two seasons.

COLERAINE, Minn. – Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin’s Dylan DeChampeau recently announced his commitment to the UMD football team. The Titans standout helped GNK rack up a total of 15 wins tn the past two seasons, including a runner-up finish in the section title game in 2018. Categories: College, High School, Sports, University of Minnesota – Duluth

Prep Boys Basketball: Oredockers, Raiders Spoil Opening Nights with Road Wins

The Ashland and Greenway boys basketball teams made the long road trips worth it on Tuesday night.

MAPLE, Wis. – It went down to the wire in the final moments, but Ashland would spoil opening night for Northwestern as the Oredockers topped the Tigers 91-82. The win was the first for new head coach Lisa Kirau. And in Duluth, it was Greenway making the long trip to Marshall and getting the win over the Hilltoppers 87-69. Categories:…

Prep Hockey: Spartan Boys, Lumberjack Girls Win Big at Home

The Superior boys got the win in their season opener, while the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls dominated North Shore.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior boys hockey team scored three goals in the third to win their home opener 5-2 over Duluth Marshall. Carson Gotelaere, Jaxon D’Auria, Gunnar Hansen, Ethan Welch and Carter Pettit all scored for the Spartans, while Brendan Pfahl and Vance Johnson scored for the Hilltoppers. In girls action, the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton dominated from start to finish, getting…

Cardinals Girls Basketball Rolls Past Bombers in Home Opener

Taya Hakamaki finished with 23 points while her cousin Shaily finished with 11.

CROMWELL, Minn. – After dropping their season opener, the Cromwell-Wright girls basketball team rebounded nicely on Monday, dominating Barnum 76-17 in their home opener. It was another Hakamaki show, with Taya leading the way with 23 points and her cousin Shaily had 11 points. The Cardinals (1-1) will hit the road on Thursday to take on McGregor. Categories: High School,…

Greyhounds Boys Hockey Falls in Home Opener to Trojans

Finn Hoops scored the lone goal for Duluth East.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth East boys hockey team got on the board first, but struggled to do much offensively after that, as Wayzata spoiled their home opener 3-1. Finn Hoops scored the lone goal for the Greyhounds. Duluth East (0-2) will host Lakeville South on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Categories: High School, Sports

Rails Girls Basketball Win Home Opener Over Jaguars

The Proctor girls basketball team knocked off Bloomington Jefferson at home.

PROCTOR, Minn. – In their home opener, the Proctor girls basketball team got the win over Bloomington Jefferson 73-47 Friday night at Proctor High School. Liz Frase led the way with 18 points for the Rails, while Sam Pogatchnik and Sam Parendo combined for 29 points to help the Rails improve to 2-0. Proctor will be back in action Thursday…

Prep Boys Hockey: Hawks, Rails, Thunderhawks Pick Up Home Wins

Grand Rapids picked up its second win of the season over a top-10 team, while Hermantown and Proctor also got wins on Friday night.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown boys hockey team scored two goals in the final three minutes to get the 4-3 win over Wayzata. Matt Erickson, Joey Pierce, Ethan Lund and Aydyn Dowd all scored for the Hawks in the win, with Dowd’s goal coming just 30 seconds after Lund scored. In other action, Proctor got the 5-3 win over North…

Prep Hockey: Hawks Boys, Toppers Boys, Jacks Girls, Toppers Girls All Winners Before the Holidays

Several teams across the Northland held their final games before the Thanksgiving holiday.

HERAMNTOWN, Minn. – A three-goal third period would be the difference as the Hermantown boys hockey team win their season opener at home against Eveleth-Gilbert 5-2 Tuesday night at the Hermantown Ice Arena. In other boys action, Duluth Marshall picked up their first win of the season as they defeated Proctor 4-2. And on the girls side, it was Cloquet-Esko-Carlton…

Mirage Stay Ahead Early for Win over Hurricanes

The Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team got a big win at home against Hayward.

PROCTOR, Minn. – Six different players scored for the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team as they got the home win over Hayward 8-1 Monday night at the St. Luke’s Sports and Event Center. Michaela Phinney and Megan Madill scored twice for the Mirage, while Nya Sieger, Hannah Graves, Ella Anick and Hannah Kauppinen also lit the lamp for Proctor/Hermantown, who snapped…

Duluth East’s Edwards Twins Commit to NDSU Baseball

They also play on the Greyhounds football team, where QB Caden throws touchdowns to wide receiver Jaxon.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth East twin brothers Caden and Jaxon Edwards both announced Monday on Twitter that they have committed to playing college baseball at North Dakota State University. The pair helped the Greyhounds make it all the way to the section championship game last season. Caden swung a great stick with a .283 batting average to go with 14…

Blue Devils Basketball’s Jadyen Bernard Commits to University of Jamestown

Bernard tallied 1,000 career points late during his junior year at Virginia High School.

VIRGINIA, Minn. -Virginia high school star forward Jayden Bernard signed his National Letter of Intent on Friday to continue his basketball career at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. Bernard tallied 1,000 career points late in his junior year and now has sights set on getting the Blue Devils one step further in the playoffs during his upcoming senior…

Hunters Boys Hockey Gets Home Win over Wingers

Connor McClure and Kade Shea both scored two goals each in Duluth Denfeld's win.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Denfeld boys hockey team continued its strong start to the season, getting the 6-3 win over Red Wing on Saturday. Connor McClure and Kade Shea both scored two goals each, while Simon Davidson and Cooper McClure added a goal a piece. Connor Carlson finished with 31 saves. Duluth Denfeld improves to 2-0 and will play…

Prep Boys Hockey: Hunters, Rails Pick Up First Wins; Hilltoppers Fall in Opener

Duluth Denfeld and Proctor each had a good start to their respective seasons.

DULUTH, Minn. – Cooper McClure finished with a hat trick as the Duluth Denfeld boys hockey team won their season opener at home over Minnehaha 7-1 Friday night at the Duluth Heritage Center. In other boys hockey action, Cody Urie would finish with 31 saves as Proctor blanked Wadena-Deer Creek 3-0. And Duluth Marshall fell at home to Benilde-St. Margaret’s…

Extra Motivated Hawks Ready for Start of New Season

Hermantown says they are ready to move on from their loss in last season's section finals.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Minnesota high school boys hockey season is underway. One team that has to wait a little bit longer to hit the ice is Hermantown. Last season, the Hawks fell in the section final game to Greenway and the team is ready to move on from that loss and are hungry to get back to their winning…

Duluth Marshall’s Emilia McGiffert Invited to Team USA Soccer Camp

The junior midfielder was the only player selected from Minnesota and will play for the Midwest region team in Boca Raton, FL.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Marshall girls soccer’s Emilia McGiffert will be taking part in a special camp this upcoming week for the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Team. The junior midfielder was the only player selected from Minnesota and will play for the Midwest region team in Boca Raton, FL. “Personally I’d like to focus on being confident and not…

Breen Scores Twice as Hilltopper Girls Defeat Bluejackets

Maren Friday also scored for Duluth Marshall in the win.

DULUTH, Minn. – Caitlin Breen would light the lamp twice as the Duluth Marshall girls hockey team held on to beat Hibbing/Chisholm 3-2 Thursday night at Mars Lakeview Arena. Maren Friday also scored for the Hilltoppers, who improve to 2-2 on the season. Categories: High School, Sports

Lumberjacks Boys Hockey Open Season With Win Over Rails

The Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys got the shutout win at home over Proctor.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Aaron Moore and Brayden Tyman each scored twice as the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team blanked Proctor 6-0 Thursday night at the Northwoods Credit Union Arena. Christian Galatz also scored for the Lumberjacks who picked up the win in their season opener. The Rails will look for better results Friday night as they hold their home opener against…

Four Northland Girls Basketball Teams Crack Top Five in Class A, AA MN State Polls

All four teams made it to the section finals game last season.

DULUTH, Minn. – MN Basketball News released their rankings for the top girls basketball teams in the state of Minnesota. In Class A, defending section 7A champs Mountain Iron-Buhl come in at #2 behind defending state champs Minneota. The team they beat in the section title game Cromwell-Wright comes in at #3. In Class AA, two familiar foes are near…

Former Greyhounds Defenseman Frederick Paine Commits to Air Force

Air Force is coached by Iron Range native and Greenway alum Frank Serratore.

DULUTH, Minn. – Former Duluth East hockey standout Frederick Hunter Paine announced on twitter Wednesday that he has committed to joining the Air Force men’s hockey team. The defensive stalwart was a key part in the Greyhounds’ back-to-back trips to the state tournament in the past two seasons. In his tweet Paine said, “It’s truly a dream come true to…

Lumberjacks Girls Hockey Gets Home Win Over Rebels

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton's top line continues to dominate, with Dea DeLeon and Kiana Bender scoring in the win.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls hockey team would be held off the scoreboard for most of the night, but the Lumberjacks scored late to get the 2-1 home win over Moose Lake Area. The top line for the Lumberjacks continued to dominate, with Dea DeLeon getting the Lumberjacks on the board late in the second, then Kiana Bender scored…

Lumberjacks Girls Hockey Relying on Experience for 2019 Season

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton returns 17 of 20 plays from last season's playoff roster, including seven seniors, and used that experience to get off to a strong start to this season.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The high school girls hockey season is well underway, which means a clean slate for all teams across the Northland, and that includes Cloquet-Esko-Carlton. The Lumberjacks return 17 of 20 players from last season’s playoff roster including seven seniors. And that kind of continuity makes CEC one of the teams to watch when it comes to who…

Prep Girls Hockey: Northern Stars, Hilltoppers Fall at Home

Jenna Horvat scored her first varsity goal and netted a hat trick on the night for Duluth.

DULUTH, Minn. – Jenna Horvat scored her first varsity goal and also netted a hat trick, but it wouldn’t be enough as Rochester Lourdes got the 8-5 win over the Duluth Northern Stars. Kaelin Cochran and Emma Fellman scored the two other goals for the Northern Stars. Duluth (1-2) will be back in action on Saturday at home against Roseville….

Coaches Corner: Duluth Northern Stars

For this week's Coaches Corner, we sit down with Duluth Northern Stars head coach Jamie Plesha and senior captain Jorja Schooler

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we sit down with the Duluth Northern Stars girls hockey team, including head coach Jamie Plesha and senior captain Jorja Schooler. The Northern Stars had a big third period rally to force overtime and eventually get the win in their season opener. Categories: Coaches Corner, Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Playoff Run Ends at State Semi-Finals for Superior Football Team

Jarrett Gronski scored the lone touchdown in the second quarter for the Spartans.

MERRILL, Wis. – The Superior football team would keep pace for most of the first half. But Brookfield East would pull away in the second half as they win it 34-8 Friday night in Division 2 state semi-finals. Senior quarterback Jarrett Gronski scored from 11 yards out in the second quarter for the lone touchdown on the night for Superior,…

CEC’s Nelson Signs with BSU Women’s Hockey, Bender to UMD Softball

Nelson will be joining the Beavers hockey team, while Bender will play softball for the Bulldogs.

CLOQUET, Minn. – A pair of Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls hockey stars will be going different ways when they go to college. Taylor Nelson signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Bemidji State women’s hockey team and Kiana Bender won’t be staying on the ice as she signed with the UMD softball team. Last season as juniors, Nelson finished with…

Hawks’ Brita Birkeland Signs NLI to Run for North Dakota State

Birkeland says she will run middle distances for the Bison

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Friday was Day Three of National Signing Week and we had a big one up in Hermantown as Brita Birkeland signed her National Letter of Intent to run for North Dakota State. Birkeland says she will run middle distances for the Bison and is relieved to get this decision out of the way going into her senior…

Marshall’s Grace Kirk Signs NLI for Brown Women’s Basketball Team

The Hilltoppers guard averaged over 26 points per game last season as a junior, helping Marshall advance to the section final game.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Marshall’s Grace Kirk signed her National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Brown University. The Hilltoppers guard averaged over 26 points per game last season as a junior, helping Marshall advance to the section final game. Kirk says she is glad to get this decision out of the way so she can set her mind…

MIB Football Falls to Hancock in State Semi-Finals

The Owls scored 24 points in the second quarter to stay ahead of the Rangers.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Despite getting over 300 yards of total offense, the Mountain Iron-Buhl football team could not stop the high-powered offense of Hancock as the Owls knocked off the Rangers 65-32 in the Nine-Player State Semi-finals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Freshman quarterback Asher Zubich threw for 136 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Senior running back Dillon Drake…

Mirage Excited to Give New Head Coach Emma Stauber First Career Win

The Mirage will be back in action on Friday on the road against South St. Paul.

PROCTOR, Minn. – After a rough showing in their season opener against Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, the Proctor-Hermantown girls hockey team bounced back in a big way this past weekend, picking up the win against Hopkins Park, the first win ever for their new head coach Emma Stauber. The team says they were very excited to help the former Mirage star get that…

Gronski’s Clutch Play Leads Spartans to State Semi-Finals

Superior will face Brookfield East Friday night at 7 p.m. in Merrill, WI.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior football team are in uncharted waters this week. The Spartans will be taking part in the Division 2 state semi–finals for the first time since 1990, which was also the last time they won a state title. One big reason for this run is the clutch play of their senior quarterback. Jarrett Gronski has led…

Northland Athletes Sign National Letters of Intent

Local studen-athletes got to officially sign on the dotted line for their colleges.

DULUTH, Minn. – Wednesday was National Signing Day for high school student-athletes across the Northland who officially got to sign with their colleges. Esko’s Dea DeLeon isn’t going too far as she signed her NLI to join the UMD softball team. Cromwell’s Taya Hakamaki will also be going to UMD as she will join the women’s basketball team. Also playing…

Bluejackets Hand Northern Stars First Loss of the Season

Cambridge-Isanti scored three goals in the second period to pull away for the win.

DULUTH, Minn. – A three-goal second period would prove to be the difference as Cambridge-Isanti defeated the Duluth girls hockey team 5-1 Tuesday night at the Duluth Heritage Center. Annika Lindgren scored the lone goal for the Northern Stars, while Sarah Spencer finished with 22 saves on the night. Duluth will be back at home this Friday night as they…

Prep Football: Spartans Rally Late to Advance to WIAA Semifinals; Eskomos Fall in Class AAA Quarterfinals

Down 12 with just three minutes left, Superior pulled off the comeback to take the lead with just 30 seconds left to advance in the state tournament.

SCHOFIELD, Wis. – Down 20-8 in the second half, Superior scored 12 unanswered points to top Kaukauna 22-20 to advance to the WIAA semifinals. Jarrett Gronski ran in a touchdown with just 30 seconds left to tie the game up at 20. Then, Caden Stone ran in the 2-point conversion to give Superior the lead and eventually the win. Superior…

Prep Football: Rangers Advance to State Semi-Finals; Rebels, Tigers Fall in Quarterfinals

The Mountain Iron-Buhl is heading back to the state semi-finals for the second straight year.

DULUTH, Minn. – It was the Dillon Drake Show at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth as the Bemidji State commit ran all over South Ridge to help Mountain Iron-Buhl get the win 42-6 in the nine-player quarterfinals. The Rangers now move on to face Hancock in the state semi-finals Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium. In other football action, Moose Lake-Willow…

Northern Stars Girls Hockey Rallies, Wins Season Opener in Overtime

Emma Fellman scored the game-winner in overtime for the Northern Stars.

DULUTH, Minn. – Down 2-0 in the second period, the Duluth Northern Stars girls hockey team rallied to force overtime, then scored the game-winner late in overtime to win their season opener 3-2. Quinn Clark and Ava Patrones scored in regulation, with Emma Fellman scoring the game-winner in overtime. The Northern Stars will be back in action on Tuesday at…

Lumberjacks Girls Hockey Upset Mirage on Opening Night

A strong first period was the different as CEC opens their season with a win.

CLOQUET, Minn. – On opening night of the girls high school hockey season, the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton shocked the defending section champs Proctor-Hermantown 4-2 Thursday night at the Northwoods Credit Union. Dana Jones, Taylor Nelson, Dea DeLeon and Bella Harriman each scored in the first period for the Lumberjacks. The Mirage would rally in the next two periods with goals from Megan…

Greenway Volleyball Falls to Top Seed Minneota in State Quarterfinals

The Raiders move on to play in the consolation bracket on Friday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Top seed and defending state champions Minneota swept Greenway 3-0 Wednesday afternoon in the Class A state quarterfinals at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Junior Claire Vekich led the Raiders with 26 kills, while Lexi Hammer chipped in with 33 set assists. Greenway moves on to the consolation bracket Friday afternoon where they will…

South Ridge Football Set to Battle MIB in State Quarterfinals

Kick–off for Friday's game between the Panthers and the Rangers is set for 7 p.m.

CULVER, Minn. – With the high school football state tournament just days away, it means most teams will be traveling to their quarterfinal destinations. One team that won’t be going too far is South Ridge. The Panthers are back in the tourney for the first time since 2012 after years of getting so close. But this year’s squad is certainly…

Wade Chiodo Named New Head Coach of Grand Rapids Boys Hockey Team

The Thunderhawks will open their season November 23rd against Benilde-St. Margaret's.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Two weeks ago, the Northland hockey community was shocked by the news of John Marinucci’s resignation as head coach of the Grand Rapids boys hockey team. But the athletic department moved quickly and already have found their guy for the upcoming season. According to a press release from Grand Rapids High School, Wade Chiodo has been…

Esko Football Preparing for First State Appearance Since 2014

Esko will play Annandale in the Class AAA quarterfinals on Saturday at Brainerd High School. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m.

ESKO, Minn. – Last season, the Esko football team won just three games and had trouble closing games out. “That’s been something that we’ve been focused on. Coach Perich has done a good job of talking about that and we talk about it in practice and it just comes up a lot. We want to make sure that we’re finishing…

Spartans Football Team React to Upset Win in WIAA Playoffs

The Spartans move on to face Kaukauna on Saturday at 2 p.m.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – You stack them up and they’ll knock them down. That’s been the mantra of the Superior football team as they knocked off top-seed Pulaski on Friday to keep their run alive in the WIAA playoffs. We spoke with the team Monday about what’s been fueling their magical run. “When we were practicing all week, we had the…

Prep Football: Panthers, Rangers, Warriors, Rebels, Eskomos Learn State Opponents

South Ridge and Mountain Iron-Buhl will play each other in the first round of the class nine-person state tournament.

DULUTH, Minn. – With section finals in the books, local football teams are now turning their attention to the state tournament, as the brackets were released over the weekend. Here are the matchups for Northland teams. CLASS NINE-PERSON QUARTERFINALS South Ridge vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl: Friday, Nov. 8 @ 7:00 p.m. at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth CLASS A QUARTERFINALS BOLD…

Prep Volleyball: Raiders Unseeded in Class A; Vikings Prepare for Repeat in Class AA

Greenway is unseeded in Class A while North Branch is the No. 3 seed in Class AA.

DULUTH, Minn. – After taking down the defending section 7A champions, the Greenway volleyball team is unseeded for the Class A state tournament. The Raiders will take on the defending Class A champions and No. 1 seed Minneota on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center – Court 2. For North Branch, the defending Class AA…

GNK’s Geno Uhrbom Repeats as Class A Cross Country Champion

The junior runner won his third straight section 7A title last week.

NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin junoir Geno Uhrbom repeated as Class A cross country champion on Saturday, finishing the course in a personal best 15 minutes, 27.57 seconds. During sections the other week, Uhrbom also set a personal best on his way to becoming the three time Section 7A champ. Uhrbom will now prepare for regions next week, hoping for a…

Prep Volleyball: Raiders Advance to State Tournament, Rails Fall in Section Final

Both Greenway and North Branch won in straight sets to advance to the state tournament.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Cloquet Middle School was home to the section 7A and 7AA volleyball finals on Saturday, where Greenway and North Branch picked up sweeps to advance to state. For Greenway, it was their first time back in section 7A in over a decade, and they made quick work of the defending section champions Carlton, 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-19)…

WI Prep Football: Tigers Roll Past Saints, Spartans Upset Red Raiders

Northwestern and Superior are moving on in the WIAA playoffs.

MAPLE, Wis. – Collin Trautt would score twice in the early going as the Northwestern football team blow by St. Croix Falls 42-7 in Level II of the WIAA playoffs. The Tigers move on to face #2 seed Stratford next week in Maple. Down in Pulaski, the Superior football would complete the upset with a comeback win over the top-seeded…

MN Prep Football: Warriors Win Section 7A Title, Hawks Fall in 7AAAA Finals

Deer River wins their second straight section title.

ESKO, Minn. – In the Section 7A championship game, it would be Deer River rolling past Braham 36-0 to win their second straight section title. And down in North Branch, the Hermantown football team would rally late, but in the end, Chisago Lakes would hold on for the win 28-16 to win the championship for Section 7AAAA. Categories: Friday Night…