Football Roundup-Barnum burying football foes

A hopeful relay runner next spring, Colton Selix is already preparing for track and field season this fall – not by sprinting in meters, but rather in yards.

The Barnum senior running back has been a driving force for the Bombers football team, which uses conditioning at practice to wear down opponents on game nights. Following Monday’s practice, Selix wasn’t exactly clear how much he and his teammates ran throughout the afternoon.

“I have no clue,” said Selix, a 5-foot-8, 155-pound runner, who carries the bulk of the rushing attempts with fellow senior speedster Danny Warpula. “We run a lot. Sometimes we’re tired, but it gets us into shape.”

Barnum (3-2) has shaped itself into a team to watch this fall. Sitting atop the Great Polar Alliance Red Conference with an unbeaten mark, the Bombers have won three straight games by outscoring Cook County, Ogilvie and Braham 122-28 in three weeks. Their pair of losses has been to mighty Moose Lake-Willow River and competitive Class AAAA Cloquet.

Last Friday, Barnum shellacked Braham 52-13 at home, as Warpula rushed for three scores in a contest that was never in question for the hosts. A roster thinner than most, Barnum pounds the ball and regulates the clock behind their linemen, said first-year Bombers Coach Brian Robertson.

“We start 10 guys both ways,” Robertson said. “We rotate some in; but this is such a great group of guys. They trust each other and hold each other accountable. Last week we got on a roll and ran the ball very well.”

Robertson noted his team ran around 1,200 yards at Monday’s practice in preparation for their upcoming road contest at Mesabi East Friday night.

“They come to practice knowing they have to work,” Robertson said, “but seeing that scoreboard last Friday night, they realize it all pays off.”

“We still have a tough schedule ahead of us, but I feel we can go far,” said Selix confidently. “We’ve just been in the groove. Our goal this year is to be the conference and section champs. I guess we’re kind of on target.”

AREA ROUNDUP:

Carlton (1-1) came up short in a 51-32 nonconference 9-Man loss to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy last Friday night in Fergus Falls, Minn. The Bulldogs, taking part of a three-game varsity schedule and competing in the Section 5 postseason, ran for over 300 total yards in defeat. Dominic Bennett and Erik Adams rushed for over 100 yards each and scored with Mike Morales, while seventh-grade linebacker Zach Tackett had six tackles, a sack and forced a fumble. Carlton’s lone win was over Red Lake Sept. 14.

Cromwell-Wright (3-2) reckoned with rival McGregor for a 46-36 victory in a Great Northern Conference 9-Man shootout last Friday in Cromwell. The Cardinals were carried by Zach Kinstel’s 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns, while quarterback Jared Hutar threw for 141 yards and chipped in three more scores throughout the back-and-forth contest.

Esko (4-1) edged Rush City 14-12 in a Great Polar Alliance Blue Conference win on the road last Friday. The Class AAA state-recognized Eskomos were led by Riley Mudek’s rushing attack and touchdown, while quarterback Marc Peterson also hit Ryan Holte for a key score in victory. The Eskomos will play a home game at Cloquet’s Bromberg field at 7 p.m. Friday night.

Moose Lake-Willow River (5-0) mowed down Two Harbors 59-7 in a Great Polar Alliance Blue Conference creaming last Friday on the North Shore. ML-WR, ranked second in Class AA, relied on their rushing rampage of nearly 400 yards, as Jake Disterhaupt scored four touchdowns. Quarterback Tony Adamczak also tossed a pair of scores through the air in the Rebels’ 51st consecutive regular season victory and 34th on the road.

Wrenshall (1-4) was beaten by visiting Isle 24-12 in a Great Northern Conference 9-Man clash last Friday in Wrenshall. The Wrens, losers of three straight games, were sparked by Austin Ferguson’s long touchdown pass to Dominic Pavlich, while Mark Mallon also punched in a score via the ground.

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