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
Cloquet quarterback James Wilmot tries to shake Two Harbors' Jace Rubert during Friday night's game in Cloquet. The Agates employed a bruising running attack to spoil the Lumberjacks' home and season opener.
Cloquet's Jack Battaglia leaps over Two Harbors' Will Fransen for a 14-yard touchdown catch Friday.
Cloquet's Shazae Henagin looks for room to run during a kick return Friday. He had six returns and averaged 17.6 yards on each one.
The Cloquet football team opened the season at home on a beautiful night last Friday against a strong Two Harbors squad. The Agates dominated the first half. The young hometown team mounted a comeback in the second half but ultimately lost 37-14 to their opponents.
"Two Harbors did some things that we weren't expecting out of them from what they've traditionally done in the past," said Cloquet head coach Jeff Ojanen.
Two Harbors features one of the top athletes in the area in all-purpose player Tate Nelson, a state champion in both the 100-meter dash and the long jump. Nelson caused the 'Jacks problems with his speed, racking up 100 total yards in rushing and receiving.
Quarterback Jacob Carpenter led the Agates on the ground with 91 yards. Beyond Nelson and Carpenter, the Agates had a stable of strong running backs and a stout offensive line that opened holes for big gains in the first half. Zack Libal contributed 75 yards as the Agates ran for a total of 271 yards.
Carpenter scored on a 17-yard touchdown scamper on the first drive of the game and the extra point kick by Zach Johnson made it 7-0. Before the first quarter ended, Carpenter added another touchdown run of 7 yards, and Johnson tacked on the extra point to make it 14-0.
The second quarter saw Carpenter toss a 28-yard touchdown pass to Josh Johnson to make it 20-0 after a missed extra point kick. On the following possession, Carpenter picked off a Lumberjacks pass and took it 47 yards for a score, making it 27-0.
"Our players tried to adjust to some of the new things Two Harbors was doing on the fly, and they did a decent job of adjusting as much as they could, with many seeing their first varsity action," Ojanen said.
Before the first half ended, Carpenter hooked up with Nelson for a 7-yard touchdown pass and catch, and it was 34-0 entering halftime.
The Agates kicked a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the Lumberjacks bounced back with an impressive 47-yard touchdown run by Blair Chartier. Chartier added the 2-point conversion run to cut the lead to 37-8.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Cloquet quarterback James Wilmot lofted a high pass to the corner of the end zone, and Lumberjack wide receiver Jack Battaglia went up and hauled it in for a 14-yard touchdown pass and catch, pulling the 'Jacks to within 37-14.
"We will continue to get better," Ojanen said. "Each week gives us a chance to get more comfortable and have a chance to improve."
Chartier led the Cloquet rushing attack with 69 yards. Wilmot added 27 passing yards. Aiden Nelson chipped in with 35 rushing yards; Wilmot finished with 13 yards, and Jack Horvat recorded 6 yards on the ground for the Lumberjacks.
Defensively, Chartier led the way with six tackles. Shazae Henagin had five tackles while Anthony Scherkenbach and Hank Nelson each had four tackles.
Hengain was also impressive in the kick return game for Cloquet, as he finished with 106 return yards on six returns for an average of 17.6 yards per return.
"I still think we have a highly competitive team this year," Ojanen said. "We are confident that we will be in the mix when the playoffs start."
Cloquet will play on the road in Hermantown Friday night. The community will celebrate the grand opening of the Members Cooperative Credit Union athletic complex at the home football game vs. Duluth East on Friday, Sept. 13.
