Reagan Ruffi's record-breaking performance led Northwestern to a 42-6 win over Baldwin-Woodville in a Wisconsin Division 4 second-round playoff game Friday night at Gordon L. Nelson Field in Maple.
With 267 rushing yards on 33 carries, Ruffi now has 1,844 yards this fall, breaking his own single-season record of 1,791, set last year.
Ruffi also scored three touchdowns, giving him 34 on the season. He had 21 rushing TDs last year.
The second-seeded Tigers travel to face St. Croix Central at 7 p.m. next Friday. The Panthers (11-0) are ranked No. 1 in the state among Division 4 teams. Northwestern (11-0) is ranked fourth.
The Tigers powered to a 14-0 first-quarter lead Friday with touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards from Ruffi.
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The second quarter was the exact opposite of the first as Northwestern took a 35-6 lead on TD runs of 74 yards by Jake Brill, 75 yards by Ruffi and 57 yards by Keegan Plasch.
Trevor Janowicz added a 3-yard score in the fourth.
The Tigers outgained the sixth-seeded Blackhawks (6-5) 476-228 in total yards.
Baldwin-Woodville 0-6-0-0-6
Northwestern 14-21-0-7-42
N - Reagan Ruffi 2 run (Isaac Nichols kick)
N - Ruffi 4 run (Nichols kick)
N - Jake Brill 74 run (Nichols kick)
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N - Ruffi 75 run (Nichols kick)
BW - Alex Bishop 15 pass from Ross Roemhild (pass failed)
N - Keegan Plasch 57 run (Nichols kick)
N - Trevor Janowicz 3 run (Nichols kick)
VOLLEYBALL
Grand Rapids 3, Elk River 2
The Thunderhawks fell behind 2-0 before storming back and stunning the host Elks 26-28, 23-25, 27-25, 25-23, 15-10 in a Section 7AAA quarterfinal.
Grand Rapids' Megan Walsh led the way with 26 kills and 16 digs. Emma Markovich had 45 set assists.
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Next up for the fifth-seeded Thunderhawks is a Tuesday semifinal at No. 1 Forest Lake.
Duluth Denfeld 3, Duluth Marshall 0
The Hunters pushed their way into the Section 7AA semifinals by sweeping the visiting Hilltoppers 25-17, 25-9, 25-15.
Caitlin Schneeweis totaled 15 kills and Jordyn Maas notched 37 assists for second-seeded Denfeld, which hooks up with No. 1 Greenway in Wednesday's semifinal round at Cloquet. That same night, North Branch, also a top seed, opposes No. 3 Hermantown.
Deer River 3, North Woods 2
Minnesota Duluth commit Hope Schjenken amassed 27 kills to power the fourth-seeded Warriors to a 25-19, 23-25, 18-25, 25-23, 15-8 upset of the No. 1-seeded Grizzlies in a Section 7A quarterfinal in Cook.
Deer River will face No. 2 Cromwell-Wright in the semifinals Wednesday in Hibbing, a contest that will be preceded by the night's first semi - Carlton, the bracket's other No. 1 seed, vs. Ely.
GIRLS TENNIS
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Eveleth-Gilbert duo fourth at state
After going 2-0 in Class A doubles on the first day of the state tournament, Eveleth-Gilbert's Audrey and Lydia Delich lost twice Friday at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis.
They fell 6-1, 6-0 in a morning semifinals to eventual champs Clare Palen and Natalie Allison of Rochester Lourdes. In the third-place match, Blake's Sonia Baig and Bella Suk defeated the Delich sisters 6-3, 6-4.
