Quick, name the Northeastern Minnesota high school with the best 11-man football regular-season record since 1999.
Esko? Nope, the Eskomos slipped this year after four straight state tournament berths.
Cook County? Wrong again. The Vikings' dominance was limited mainly to the late 1990s and early part of this century.
Moose Lake-Willow River? Good guess, but the Rebels fall just shy in terms of winning percentage.
The Proctor Rails are 52-9 in the regular season since 1999, including four unbeaten campaigns.
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But as good as Proctor [10-0] has been in the regular season, the playoffs have been another story. Since the Rails last qualified for the state tournament in 1998, it's been one frustrating finish after another. Undefeated records all bit the dust in the 1999, 2002 and 2003 section playoffs. Usually, the Rails didn't even make it as far as the section final.
"We try to reload every year,'' said Rails coach Dave Hylla, who also coached state tournament entrants in 1985 and '91. "Whether or not you can go up to that next bar and get into the state tournament, it's difficult to do. There's a lot of good teams up here.
"This is another opportunity for us and we'll see what happens with this opportunity."
Standing in fifth-ranked Proctor's way is International Falls [7-3)], which has won three Section 7AAA titles since the Rails last won. The teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Proctor.
The defending section champion Broncos gave the Rails their closest finish of the season, taking a 14-0 lead at home before losing 28-22 Oct. 6.
"They jumped on us right away and our kids tightened up,'' Hylla said. "We didn't get off the bus until halfway through the second quarter and start playing football. We can't let that happen again."
Justin Filzen's interception in the final minute and a half preserved Proctor's unbeaten streak.
"That was a great game,'' Filzen said. "We came out slow and battled back."
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Perhaps it was an early example that this wasn't going to be another flame-out by the Rails. Players questioned after Wednesday's indoor practice were confident more success was still in the offing.
"It's definitely time for a change,'' said senior running back Deke Crandall, who led the Rails with 814 yards rushing in the regular season. "We just have to keep winning in the playoffs."
Filzen, a senior quarterback who threw for 641 yards in the regular season, agrees.
"I know in the past we've peaked out come playoff time, but this year we've been working hard and looking like a different team," he said.
Trent Johnson [18 receptions, 278 yards] has been Filzen's top target on a team that primarily relies on the run. The senior wideout also believes it's time to put past failures aside.
"We've got a good attitude, we mesh really well," Johnson said. "We've been close every year. It'd be nice to take it this year."
sections 7a and 7aakick off finals
Public Schools Stadium will be a busy venue the next couple nights as three section finals will be held.
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The Section 7AA battle between unbeaten Deer River [10-0] and Moose Lake-Willow River [9-1] kicks it off at 4:45 p.m. today, followed by the 7A clash between Barnum (8-2] and Cook County [7-3]. Deer River and Barnum each won regular-season encounters.
Duluth Central [7-2] hosts Grand Rapids [6-4] at 7 p.m. Friday in the Section 7AAAA final as each team seeks to end a mini-state tournament drought. The Trojans last qualified in 1998; the Thunderhawks in '94.
Two Nine-Man finals also will be contested: Cromwell [10-0] hosts McGregor [9-1] for the Section 5 title at 7 p.m. Friday, the same time that Littlefork-Big Falls [8-2] visits Mountain Iron-Buhl [10-0)] in the Section 7 final.
RICK WEEGMAN covers prep football for the News Tribune. He can be reached at (218) 723-5302, (800) 456-8181 or e-mailed to rweegman@duluthnews.com
