Senior quarterback Tim Pokornowski threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more to lead Cloquet to a 43-7 victory over Hermantown in a Section 7AAAA semifinal Saturday night in Esko.
Pokornowski finished an efficient 14-for-16 passing for 249 yards while adding seven rushes for 93 yards. Mitchell Gerlach added six carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns, and Johnathan Nelson had 6 1/2 tackles for the Lumberjacks (9-0), who play North Branch (7-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Public Schools Stadium for the title. The teams met Sept. 22 in North Branch, with Cloquet edging the Vikings 32-28.
David Cornelius rushed 17 times for 78 yards, and Ben Siljendahl added six carries for 42 yards and the lone touchdown for the Hawks (3-7).
Cloquet and Hermantown met Oct. 18 in Hermantown with a similar outcome as the Lumberjacks took that contest 42-6.
Hermantown 0-0-0-7-7
Cloquet 7-21-15-0-43
C - Tim Pokornowski 3 run (Eli Benson kick)
C - Mitchell Gerlach 10 run (Benson kick)
C - Gerlach 9 run (Benson kick)
C - Pokornowski 35 run (Benson kick)
C - Tyler Moose 11 pass from Pokornowski (Michael Obeidzinski pass from Riley Leslie)
C - Benson 14 pass from Pokornowski (Benson kick)
H - Ben Siljendahl 1 run (Griffin Johnson kick)
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MLWR 48, Barnum 6
Junior running back Trent Juhl rushed 23 times for 185 yards and a touchdown as the Rebels returned to the section final after a one-year hiatus with the convincing Section 7AA semifinal win in Esko.
Anakin Oswald added 14 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns as MLWR retained the Little Brown Jug in the first playoff meeting between the rivals. Colton Little chipped in six carries for 89 yards and another score for the Rebels (5-5)), who had their streak of 10 straight section crowns snapped in last fall's playoff opener against Rush City.
Tyler Nynas had nine carries for 47 yards and the lone touchdown for the Bombers (7-3). It was MLWR's 12th straight win over Barnum, which hasn't defeated the Rebels since 1998. The Rebels, who will play Royalton at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Esko, rushed for 450 yards.
MLWR 14-12-7-15-48
Barnum 0-0-0-6-6
MLWR - Anakin Oswald 1 run (Carter Johnson kick)
MLWR - Ryan Barrett 95 fumble return (Johnson kick)
MLWR - Colton Little 57 run (kick failed)
MLWR - Oswald 2 run (run failed)
MLWR - Trent Juhl 12 run (Johnson kick)
B - Tyler Nynas 1 run (run failed)
MLWR - Oswald 20 run (Johnson kick)
MLWR - Jeremiah Weidendorf 34 run (Beau Moffett run)
North Woods 42, Ely 18
Garrett Abrahamson scored the first two touchdowns on short runs and the Grizzlies went on to post a 24-point victory over the Timberwolves at Cook.
Tate Olson added three long scoring passes - 35 yards to Matt Schultz, 50 yards to Chase Kleppe and 45 to Tanner Barto.
Ely 0-0-12-6-18
North Woods 6-6-14-16-42
NW - Garrett Abramson 2 run (run failed)
NW - Abramson 1 run (run failed)
E - Carter Gaulke 1 run (run failed)
NW - Matt Schultz 35 pass from Tate Olson (run failed)
E - Eli Conaway 65 run (run failed)
NW - Chase KIeppe 50 pass from Olson (Brendan Parson run)
NW - Brendan Parson 2 run (Abramson run)
E - Matt Gerzin 4 run (run failed)
NW - Tanner Barto 45 pass from Olson (Jake Hyppa run)
Wrenshall 54,
Floodwood 12
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Senior running back Tyler Kelley ran 25 times for 199 yards and scored five touchdowns to lead the Wrens to the Section 5 Nine-Man semifinal victory in Esko.
Kelley scored three times on the ground and twice through the air. Sophomore quarterback Randy Wimmer threw two touchdowns passes and ran for two more, including an 85-yarder, while Jared Kelley, Tyler's younger brother, added 14 carries for 96 yards and another score.
Wrenshall (8-2) advances to play in the section championship at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Esko.
Floodwood 6-0-6-0-12
Wrenshall 21-14-19-0-54
W - Tyler Kelley 36 run (kick failed)
W - Jared Kelley 11 run (Randy Wimmer run)
W - T. Kelley 6 run (Andrew Silverio kick)
F - Jaxon Heggedahl 11 run (run failed)
W - T. Kelley 22 pass from Wimmer (Silverio kick)
W - T. Kelley 36 pass from Wimmer (Silverio kick)
F - Bryce Tahja 4 run (run failed)
W - Wimmer 17 run (kick failed)
W - Wimmer 85 run (Silverio kick)
W - T. Kelley 5 run (kick failed)
Saint Croix Central 28,
Northwestern 0
Quarterback Collin Nelson rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown while Alec Fischer scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns - one on each side of the ball - to lead Saint Croix Central over the visiting Tigers in a Wisconsin Division 4 second-round game Friday night.
The Panthers (10-1) rushed for 269 yards, aided by 72 yards from Fischer and 70 by Keagen Berg.
The Tigers (7-4) were held to 67 yards rushing, 55 by Reagan Ruffi on 17 carries, and completed only one of two pass attempts.
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Northwestern 0-0-0-0-0
St. Croix Central 2-7-6-13-28
SCC - Safety
SCC - Collin Nelson 6 run (D. Myer kick)
SCC - Nelson 2 run (kick failed)
SCC - Alec Fischer 1 run (kick failed)
SCC - Fischer 71 interception return (Myer kick)
GIRLS TENNIS
East's Hietala places third
Duluth East freshman Aili Hietala placed third in singles at the Class AA girls tennis state tournament Friday at Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis.
Hietala, who lost to eventual champion Nicole Copeland of Edina in the semifinals earlier in the day, was declared the third-place winner over Edina's Sophie Reddy by injury default.
• In Class A doubles, Eveleth-Gilbert junior Audrey Delich and senior Madilyn Jankila shocked top-seeded Blake duo Abbie Nelson and Sophie Skallerud in the semifinals before falling 6-3, 7-5 to Clare Palen and Natalie Allison of Rochester Lourdes in the final.
The Virginia pair of Anna Seitz and Ava Warren took fifth by beating Emma Barnd and Carly Weber of United South Central 6-0, 7-5.
