Section playoff field thins

Playoff football began Tuesday as a number of area teams tried to punch their ticket into the second round of sections.

Class AAAA

Cloquet made a valiant comeback against Duluth Denfeld in Duluth, falling short 28-20 on Tuesday. Denfeld came in as the No. 3 seed with a record of 5-3, while the Lumberjacks were the No. 6 seed with a record of 2-6. The two teams met in early October with the Hunters coming away with a 16-point win.

Against Denfeld, the 'Jacks had the tall task of trying to slow down one of the best running backs in the area in Taye Manns, who had 139 yards rushing and three touchdowns at halftime and finished with all four of the Hunters' touchdowns.

Cloquet trailed 21-0 and climbed back in with a gutty effort in the second half.

"We told the kids they needed to be the aggressor at halftime and let it all hang out," said Cloquet coach Jeff Ojanen. "Our boys wore them out in the second half, they battled and never quit. We had many chances to hang our heads, but we kept responding. I am proud of their effort and they have nothing to hang their heads about."

Class AAA

Esko is moving on again. Over the last few seasons Esko has been involved in the championship game as one of the top teams in the section during the regular season. This season, a young Esko squad entered the playoffs with a 4-4 record and as the No. 4 seed against the No. 5 Hibbing Bluejackets, with a record of 2-6. Esko posted a 35-0 win against Hibbing in early October.

Tuesday night Esko advanced with a 22-6 home win over the Bluejackets, with all the scoring coming in the first half.

"It is nice to get a win in the playoffs, but we turned the ball over way too much," said Esko coach Scott Arntson. "We want to see our team starting to peak in the playoffs, but right now that isn't the case and that is a little disappointing."

The win by the young Esko squad puts them in the section semifinal at 2 p.m. Saturday against annual playoff rival Pequot Lakes in Pequot Lakes.

"We're starting three freshmen and I thought David Larson came in at linebacker and played a good game for us. He was our shining star on that side of the ball," Arntson said.

Class AA

Barnum entered the section playoffs as the top seed and an undefeated record of 8-0. The Bombers hosted Hinckley-Finlayson with a record of 1-7 and the No. 8 seed. The host team got off to a quick start as they bolted to a huge halftime lead and eventually pulled away to an impressive 45-14 win.

"I was proud of our team's effort, they were ready to play and they matched the physicality of Hinckley-Finlayson," said Barnum coach Rob Minkkinen. "I thought our offensive line played really well and our running backs Keenan Head and Julian Beckstrand both ran the ball hard and they gained some extra yards after contact."

With the win the Bombers will now host No.4 seed Mesabi East at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"Spencer Strohm also came up big for us," Minkkinen said. "He had about an 80-yard touchdown catch for a touchdown and also a big pick six for a touchdown."

On the other side of the Section 7AA bracket, No. 2 Moose Lake/Willow River advanced with a 48-28 win against Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin. The Rebels entered the playoffs with a record of 6-2 and defeated Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 40-0 in the final regular season game the week before.

The win moves the Rebels into a home semifinal game at 2 p.m. against International Falls, which defeated Crosby-Ironton Tuesday night.

Class A

No.4 South Ridge appeared to score and to take the lead on a 29-yard run with under 30 seconds remaining against No. 5 Chisholm only to have the run called back and eventually the Panthers fell to the Blue Streaks 14-12.

Section 5 nine-man

No. 2 seeded Cromwell-Wright opened at home on Tuesday against McGregor and had an easy 48-8 win over the Mercs. The Cards will host Ogilvie at 2 p.m. Saturday, a winner over Bertha-Hewitt.

Carlton/Wrenshall faced top-ranked Nevis and the Raptors season came to a close with a 52-8 loss.