Superior at D.C. Everest
What: WIAA Division 1 first-round game
When: 7 p.m.
Records: Superior 6-3; D.C. Everest 7-1
Outlook: The Spartans ended the regular season on a downer, losing 18-8 at home to a Hudson team that needed to win in order to qualify for the WIAA playoffs. Joe Reichert's TD pass to Chris Blake was the lone Superior score. This marks the Spartans' first playoff game since 1991, a year after it won a state title. Cole Lundgren (125-678, six TDs), Reichert (118-646, eight), Matt Johnson (84-478, nine) and Blake (75-454, four) comprise a talented backfield that heads a 258-yard-per-game running attack. Reichert is averaging about 19 yards per completion with nine TDs and a 165.7 quarterback rating. ... The Evergreens of Schofield, Wis., defeated Rhinelander 42-20 in their regular-season finale. Dave Pergande and Kyle Borrell each scored two TDs. D.C. Everest, which received a No. 4 seed, has won five Division I state championships since 1981 -- tying the state record in any class -- and won another in 1971 via a media poll before the WIAA began sponsoring a tournament.
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Radio: KUWS 91.3 FM
Duluth Denfeld at Duluth Central
What: Section 7AAAA quarterfinal
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Public Schools Stadium
Records: Denfeld 1-7; Central 4-4
Outlook: The Hunters finished the regular season the same way it started: with a close loss. Grand Rapids won 26-20 Wednesday, handing Denfeld its ninth defeat in its last10 games at PSS. The sixth-seeded Hunters have lost four straight to the Trojans, including back-to-back shutouts, and have dropped their last eight games vs. city foes. Sophomore RB Ivan Dakovic (109 carries, 610 yards, five TDs) and Evan Vik (80-321) lead a young backfield. After some trouble finding a QB, Adam Scofield (23-for-58 passing, 255 yards) started the final five games. ... The third-seeded Trojans rebounded from a three-game losing streak to roll over Hibbing 48-7 in their finale. FB Kyle Johannessen rushed for 94 yards on 10 carries. Expect Central to keep the ball on the ground as it rushed for2,116 yards this season while completing just nine of 30 passes for 155 yards. Senior QB Harden Henry leads the team with627 yards rushing and five TDs. Junior RB Quinton Witherspoon is next with 597 yards and has a team-high 8.3 yards per carry. LB Joe Serre plugs the middle with a team-high 48 tackles. Central won the first meeting 14-0 in a sloppy game where the Trojans held the Hunters to negative yardage in the second half after committing three turnovers themselves and netting just two first downs in the first half.
Radio: WEBC 560 AM and WDSM 710 AM
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grand rapids at Cloquet
What: Section 7AAAA quarterfinal
When: 7 p.m.
Records: Grand Rapids 3-5; Cloquet 4-4
Outlook: The Thunderhawks closed the regular season with a narrow win at Denfeld and head into the playoffs in a similar position as last year when they won the section title. Last season, the Thunderhawks won six straight through the section playoffs to reach the state tournament for the first time in12 years. They received a No. 5 seed this season. RBs Nate Schrupp (84-461), Bill Martinetto (66-400) and Calvin Boss(75-305) head up a running game besieged by injuries. Adam Geisler replaced Boss at QB but has completed only 18 of 53 passes. ... The fourth-seeded Lumberjacks topped International Falls 28-6 as QB Ryan Lindstrom threw two TD passes and Simon Thill returned the second half's opening kickoff 85 yards for another score. Lindstrom leads the team in rushing (92-471), passing (31-for-60, 540 yards) and is tied with Thill with eight TDs. Austin Johnson has four of the team's nine interceptions. Cloquet hasn't beaten Grand Rapids this decade, losing every year between 2000 and 2005, and hasn't won a playoff game in that span, either.
Radio: WKLK 1230 AM and KOZY 1320 AM
Wrenshall at Floodwood
What: Nine-Man Section 5 first-round game
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When: 7 p.m.
Records: Wrenshall 4-4; Floodwood 5-3
Outlook: The Wrens romped past Laporte 55-6 as Brendan Menze rushed for 130 yards and scored on runs of 62 and54 yards. Menze has 1,044 yards rushing on 144 attempts(7.3 yards a carry) and 10 TDs this season to lead fifth-seeded Wrenshall. QB Joe Moder (32-for-74, 486 yards) has a favorite target in WR Jon Bartzcak (13-226). Ethan Johnson leads the defense with 65 tackles. ... The Polar Bears lost to Northland-Remer 26-18 on Wednesday to fall to the fourth seed. Floodwood won the regular-season matchup 30-8 on Oct. 12 behind Chance Hutchinson's two scoring tosses and Joe Durovec's 106 yards rushing. Durovec led the team in rushing with539 yards through seven games, while Hutchinson(44-for-64, 600 yards) completes 69 percent of his passes.
