Quarterback Peter Soumis ran for one touchdown and threw for two more, including the game-winner in the final two minutes, to lead Hermantown past North Branch 21-14 in a Section 7AAAA high school football semifinal Saturday night at Hermantown.
Soumis hit Noah Torgerson on a 15-yard scoring pass with 1:36 left to break a 14-all tie.
Macade Cannon, who caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Soumis in the first half, then intercepted a Vikings pass in the final seconds to seal it.
The second-seeded Hawks (5-4) advance to play Chisago Lakes, a 14-0 winner over top-seeded Cloquet, in Friday’s championship game at a site to be determined.
North Branch 0-14-0-0—14 Hermantown 7-7-0-7—21
H — Peter Soumis 34 run (Kaden Kucza kick)
NB — Joshua Hindt 1 run (Mohs kick)
H — Macade Cannon 18 pass from Soumis (Kucza kick)
NB — Samuel Sonnek 2 run (Mohs kick)
H — Noah Torgerson 15 pass from Soumis (Kucza kick)
Andover 62, Duluth East 12
The second-seeded Huskies scored the first 56 points en route to the Section 7AAAAA semifinal home win.
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Jack Sharon ran back an interception 10 yards for the opening touchdown, Elijah Alexander hit Kenton Leukam with two scoring passes and Caden Wheeler scored three times on the ground in the rout.
Quarterback Caden Edwards ran in from 7 yards out and tossed a 5-yard TD pass to his twin brother, Jaxon, in their final game together for the Greyhounds (5-4).
Duluth East 0-0-0-12—12 Andover 14-21-15-12—62
A — Jack Sharon 10 interception return (Ethan Gallipo kick)
A — Kenton Leukam 58 pass from Elijah Alexander (Gallipo kick)
A — Caden Wheeler 3 run (Gallipo kick)
A — Dylan Frost 1 run (Gallipo kick)
A — Frost 27 run (Gallipo kick)
A — Leukam 25 pass from Alexander (Gallipo kick)
A — Wheeler 29 run (Wheeler pass from Alexander)
A — Wheeler 2 run (conversion failed)
DE — Caden Edwards 7 run (conversion failed)
A — Calvin Foy 13 pass from Connor Develice (conversion failed)
DE — Jaxon Edwards 5 pass from C. Edwards (conversion failed)
MLWR 20, Royalton 8
Top-seeded Moose Lake-Willow River trailed 8-0 at halftime and 8-6 after three quarters before scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns to sneak past Royalton in a Section 7AA semifinal at Willow River.
Blake Juhl began the comeback with a 65-yard TD run in the third quarter but the Rebels (7-2) missed the extra point.
Quarterback Mason Olson then hit Eli Werner from 12 yards out and Carter Johnson from 35 yards out to complete the comeback.
Royalton 0-8-0-0—8 MLWR 0-0-6-14—20
R — Dylan Skwira 7 run (conversion good)
MLWR — Blake Juhl 65 run (conversion failed)
MLWR — Eli Werner 12 pass from Mason Olson (conversion failed)
MLWR — Carter Johnson 35 pass from Olson (Juhl run)
Mesabi East 38, Crosby-Ironton 14
Cole Meyer ran for 123 yards on 25 carries and scored three times to lead the sixth-seeded Giants past the Rangers in a Section 7AA semifinal at Crosby.
Gavin Skelton added 64 yards on 16 carries and scored the first touchdown of the game in a 22-point first quarter for the Giants (4-6), who advanced to meet Moose Lake-Willow River in the title game Thursday at Esko.
Meyer had scoring runs of 4, 1 and 9 yards, while Mesabi East’s defense pitched a second-half shutout.
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Mesabi East 22-0-8-8—38 Crosby-Ironton 0-14-0-0—14
ME — Gavin Skelton 7 run (Cole Meyer pass from Hunter Hannuksela)
ME — Hunter Lavander 29 run (pass failed)
ME — Meyer 4 run (Lavander run)
CI — Gabe Kramer 51 pass from Dakota Mitchell (pass failed)
CI — Ben Edmundson 40 fumble return (Edmundson run)
ME — Meyer 1 run (Lavander run)
ME — Meyer 9 run (Lavander run)
McGregor 58, Isle 44
Drew Dean rushed for 175 yards on 25 carries and scored six touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions to lead the Mercuries to the high-scoring Section 5 Nine-Man semifinal win at McGregor.
Dean scored on runs of 7 and 15 yards in the first half and added a 45-yard scoring reception from Willy Glunz and runs from 3, 11 and 10 yards in a 38-point Mercuries second half.
Isle 16-6-14-8—44 McGregor 6-14-16-22—58
M — Colton Anderson 19 run (run failed)
I — Darren Brandt 43 run (Lucas Gross run)
I — Willy Stalker 65 pass from Teagen Haggberg (conversion good)
M — Drew Dean 7 run (conversion failed)
M — Dean 15 run (Willie Glunz run)
I — 23 run (conversion failed)
I — Stalker 17 pass from Haggberg (conversion failed)
M — Dean 45 pass from Glunz (Anderson run)
I — 1 run (Gross run)
M — Dean 3 run (Ethan Bohn run)
M — Dean 11 run (conversion failed)
I — Brandt 5 pass from Haggberg (conversion good)
M — Anderson 52 run (Dean run)
M — Dean 10 run (Dean run)
