A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
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The Esko boys basketball team proved again Friday why it's a favorite in local basketball circles. The Eskomos hosted Moose Lake/Willow River - another perennial local basketball power - and handed the Rebels an 89-59 loss. "Esko is just a physical and athletic team," said Rebels coach Paul Dewey. "I thought we did a good job on some of their better players, but they have so much depth that sooner or later they are able to find a way to score points." The Eskomos bolted to a 46-20 halftime lead...
In November, the Cloquet and Esko girls basketball teams opened the season with the Lumberjacks sneaking out a 3-point home win. Last week on Thursday, the two teams met again last Thursday - in Esko this time - and the Lumberjacks somehow pulled out a 58-57 win, despite the fact that Esko appeared to play a better game. "They outplayed us, but we still managed to find a way to win," said Cloquet head coach Heather Young. "There were times where we would get up by four points and then they'd get...
Buzzing around in her yellow Esko girls basketball sweater Tuesday, Sue Northey greeted fans with hugs as they entered the school, made time for an interview, and eventually coached her Eskomos to victory on Day 1 of the 42nd annual Coaches Classic holiday basketball tournament at Esko High School. Northey, who spent 18 years at the Eskomos' helm before returning this winter after 14 seasons away, thoroughly enjoys the event in honor of the late Jack Johnson and sponsored by the Esko Sports...
Esko parlayed a strong defensive effort into a 72-55 early season win over Cloquet in Esko on Friday, Dec. 9. "It's always a tough game against Cloquet, but it is fun to play your next-door neighbor," said Esko coach Derek Anderson. The Eskomos slipped out to a nine-point halftime lead, but they had their hands full with the 'Jacks, who boasted the tough inside play of Marco Mayorga. "Marco isn't a big guy height-wise, but he is crafty, has a lot of moves inside and he has a lot of swag," said...
In a game that featured massive momentum swings, the Cloquet and Esko girls basketball teams kicked off thier seasons with a real nailbiter that ended in a 55-52 win for the 'Jacks. Both teams had 20-8 records a year ago and are looking for similar success this season. Early in the game it was the Eskomos with the upper hand as they built a 24-14 lead by late in the first half. A 10-2 Cloquet run pulled them to just a 29-28 deficit at intermission. "It was a great opening game," Esko coach Sue...
Wyatt Hudspith had just booted a careerlong 35-yard field goal to give his Esko football team a 17-14 lead over Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton midway through the fourth quarter last weekend, and the boys in blue and gold looked geared to win. The Rebels had other plans. Just 18 seconds later, do-it-all quarterback Owen Leach lofted an 85-yard touchdown toss to teammate Nick Waale one play after Esko scored, as No. 2 DGF downed the top-ranked team in Class AAA 21-17 before a chilly crowd Saturday, Nov....
When Esko needed big plays Thursday against Pequot Lakes, the defense delivered. Because of that, the Eskomos are headed to State. Whether it was a pair of sacks by Nolan Witt, or Witt knocking a ball loose for Joey Antonutti to scoop and score to solidify the win, the Esko defense came up big against a high-flying Patriots team. "The defense played their best game of the year," said Esko coach Scott Arntson of the Eskomos' 28-19 win in the Section 7AAA title game at Malosky Stadium on the...
With wins over a pair of higher seeded teams in the Section 7AA volleyball tournament - and a spirited student section screaming behind them for every point - it'd be easy to call Esko a postseason Cinderella story. Not so fast. "We never felt like we were the underdogs," Eskomos coach Pete Stasiuk said without hesitation. It was Esko that didn't hesitate when trailing by two sets with their season on the line. They came storming back to even the 7AA championship with Rush City, only to fall...
It was a tale of two halves for the Esko girls soccer team at the state tournament last week. The Eskomos started slow before mounting a furious rally Thursday, Oct. 24, but came up short on the scoreboard in a 4-2 Class A quarterfinal loss to St. Anthony Village. Head coach Sharon Lahti said her team played well in their first trip to State since 2011. "We were a little on our heels, and I think that came from nerves and I attribute it to lack of playoff experience," she said. "But this was...
It was hard to know who was more excited after the Section 7A girls cross country race last week: South Ridge champion Evelyn Brodeen, or her grandmother Lauri Brodeen. The proud grandma said she had found the perfect Bible verse for her granddaughter. "Hebrews 11:1 says 'Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,' so for the last two days I've been texting her, calling her, sending her pictures with that verse," she said. "Every time that she passed me on a corner, I would just...
While being a football quarterback bestows extra expectations, the weight of the position doesn't faze Ty Christensen. Literally. When the Esko senior shouldered the hardest of defeats last November - leaving the Eskomos one win shy of a Prep Bowl appearance - the signal-caller didn't need long to get in the weight room with his teammates. "The day after," said Christensen, who put on over 30 pounds of muscle to his now chiseled 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound frame in the offseason, "we wanted to be...
Sectional volleyball play opened across the state of Minnesota last week. Up north the Section 7A tournament kicked things off at various locations Wednesday, Oct. 26, with larger schools joining the bid for a state tournament berth on Thursday, Oct. 27. Section 7A Floodwood received the No. 1 South seed and Ely gained the No. 1 North seed. Local teams included South Ridge, Carlton, Cromwell-Wright, Wrenshall and Barnum. The Bombers, the No. 7 seed, eliminated the Wrens, the No. 10 seed, in the...
The Section 7A champion Eskomos struggled against No. 4 seed St. Anthony in a state quarterfinal game late Thursday afternoon. St. Anthony erupted for four goals in the first half to race to a 4-2 victory over No. 5 Esko at Kuhlman Stadium in Edina. Senior forward Anna Isaacson and senior midfielder Eileen Cardona had two goals each in the first half when the Huskies (12-3-1) built a 4-1 advantage. Look for the full story in next week's Pine Knot News....
When Esko and Spectrum girls soccer met for the Section 7A championship Tuesday, the matchup pitted a speedy, defensive-minded Esko team against an offensive-minded juggernaut. In the end, the Eskomos prevailed, 2-1, at home, allowing them to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2011. "I am just so happy for the team," said first-year coach Sharon Lahti after the game. "This is such a tight-knit group, and truly that is why they play so well together." Esko played into a...
There are a total of seven candidates vying for three seats on the Esko School Board, and there are profiles of all seven of them within this file. So please read all the way to the bottom before you make your decision. Todd Rengo (incumbent) 1. Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications. (limit 50 words) My wife Sandra and I are lifelong Eskomos who raised four kids in this community. I have a Biology/Ed degree from CSS and I'm a financial advisor with Thrivent Financial....
The Esko football team continued its impressive undefeated season last Friday with a 77-6 homecoming romp over Hibbing. The win improved the Eskomos record to 6-0. Esko head coach Scott Arntson praised the team's "relentless" defense. "Right now our defense is very stingy and they don't just get upset about teams scoring on us, but they get mad about giving up first downs - that is how high their expectations are," he said. Esko scored 28 points in each of the first and second quarters to build...
Teams head into respective playoffs on equal footing Cloquet and Esko met early in the girls soccer season with the Lumberjacks coming out on top 5-2. Since that time, the Eskomos reeled off 11 straight wins while Cloquet went 9-2. On Thursday, Oct. 6, the two teams met again in a game that ended in a scoreless tie, 0-0, even with overtime. "We scored early in the first game we played against Esko, but on Thursday we didn't and they are a very athletic team," said Cloquet coach Dustin Randall....
Two of the area's better volleyball teams hooked up last week when the South Ridge Panthers traveled to Esko to take on the Eskomos. While Esko pulled away to a 3-1 win, the fans of both teams were treated to an exciting volleyball exhibition. Esko took Game 1 with a 25-20 win, but Game 2 saw South Ridge bounce back with a 25-21 win, and then Esko answered with back-to-back wins of 25-23 and 25-14 to capture the match. "It was nice to be tested," said Esko coach Pete Stasiuk. "They run a good...
Entering Tuesday night's game against Two Harbors, the Esko girls soccer team sported a gaudy record of 8-1 and had the second best QRF ranking in the state. The Agates came in as the No. 30 ranked team with a 4-4-1 record. When the final horn sounded at the Esko Athletic Complex, it was the Eskomos who came away with a 6-0 victory. It didn't come easy at first. The Eskomos held only a 1-0 lead after the first half of play. "We struggled for possession and came out flat in the first half," said...
At their first meeting of the new school year, the Esko school board heard good news from district administrators. Principals Greg Hexum and Brian Harker told the board Monday, Sept. 12 that there is excitement in the building like never before. With a handful of new teachers, and classrooms being somewhat back to normal after the height of the pandemic, students arrived eager to learn. Superintendent Aaron Fisher said enrollment numbers have remained similar to last year, despite the predicted reduction in numbers this year. All told, 1,265 Es...
Local cross country teams got a firsthand look at almost all the other teams in the area last Thursday at the Dan Conway Classic in Superior. Held at Pattison Park Golf Course, the Conway Classic was an important race on this year's running circuit because the Swain and the Milaca races have both been canceled. There is speculation that those races may not be brought back, so having the Classic was a vital event for local runners. Duluth East captured top honors in both the boys and girls races...
The volleyball season is in full swing as teams have all played four or five opponents. This is the time of year when trends start to develop and coaches are able to start solidifying their lineups. The cream rises to the top, and observers begin to learn which teams may be contenders for the state tournament in November. The three best teams in the area by division - Cloquet in AAA, Esko in AA and South Ridge in A - have all started fast out of the gate. Cloquet is 3-1, with victories over...
The Esko football team wasted little time in sending an early-season message to the rest of Section 7AAA that it is a team to be reckoned with after pounding Duluth Denfeld, 53-0, on Friday night in Duluth. Eskomos quarterback Ty Christiansen had a big night, running for 87 yards on three carries, and passing for 72 yards and one touchdown in leading the offense. "Offensively, we really want that triple threat in our option running game and having Ty at quarterback helps to complement our...
Every year the Esko and Cloquet-Carlton girls soccer teams meet early in the season and the winner has an opportunity to set the tone for their season ahead. On Tuesday, it was the Lumberjacks who came away with a physical 5-2 win. Cloquet set the tone for the first half by scoring just 16 seconds in on a long pass from Avery Carlson to Alexa Snesrud, giving the 'Jacks a 1-0 lead. "Sometimes getting a goal that quickly can work against you," said Cloquet-Carlton coach Dustin Randall. "There is...
The Class A state track meet last week featured some impressive performances from local small-town track teams. including one state title performance. Esko's Makoi Perich took first place in the boys long jump, leading the Esko boys team at last week's Minnesota Class A state track and field meet at St. Michael-Albertville High School. "Makoi was excited to compete in the state meet after exploding for a last-attempt state-qualifying leap of 22 feet, 3.5 inches at sections," said Esko boys...
