Prep report: Schultz has big day as Northwood/Solon Springs rolls

Northwood/Solon Springs’ Landen Micken (27) stiff arms himself loose from Chequamegon’s Dalton Schmidt (26) during a run — Northwood/Solon Springs’ Landen Micken (27) stiff-arms Chequamegon’s Dalton Schmidt (26) during a run in the first quarter of the game in Minong on Friday evening, Oct. 14, 2022.

By Staff reports

October 14, 2022 at 11:09 PM

Jared Schultz had a big day as Northwood/Solon Springs rolled to a 68-14 victory over Chequamegon/Butternut/Mercer on Friday night in Minong.

The sophomore scored six touchdowns four ways as his team took a 38-0 first-quarter lead and played much of the rest of the way in running time. He had two touchdowns rushing, two passing and successful returns of a punt and a fumble.

Northwood/Solon Springs finishes its regular season with a 5-3 record.

Northwood/Solon Springs’ Cade Lisson (10) and Landen Micken (27) celebrate with big Caden Denham (66) after Denham blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a first quarter touchdown during the Green Eagles game with Chequamegon in Minong on Friday evening, Oct. 14, 2022.

Northwestern 22, Bloomer 6

Northwestern completed its fourth unbeaten regular season in the last five years on Friday, holding off Bloomer in Bloomer.

Kellin Trautt had a pair of first-half touchdowns to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead at the half, bolstered by a goal-line stand on the defensive end.

Bloomer controlled the ball in the third quarter, allowing Northwestern to run just three plays and scoring on a quarterback sneak early in the fourth frame.

However, Tanner Kaufman recorded an insurance touchdown on a 3-yard run with 6:17 to play to ensure the Tigers would be 9-0 ahead of a postseason assignment to come on Saturday for a game in WIAA Division 4 or 5 next weekend.

Cloquet 41, Pine City 0

Reese Sheldon ran for four touchdowns as the Lumberjacks strolled to a road victory on Friday.

Sheldon scored from 16, 10, 30 and 42 yards en route to 141 rushing yards on 11 attempts. Kollin Bonneville added 84 yards on 14 tries plus one more score.

Cloquet, which outgained the Dragons 379-125, raised its record to 5-2.

Two Harbors 59, Hibbing 14

The Agates did most of their work early, scoring 46 points in the first half.

It was a wide-ranging effort, as Deacon Bark, Tate Nelson, Ethan Bopp, Kyler Pitkanen and Jacob Carpenter all scored in the first half.

Nelson had a 53-yard run in the second half to go with a 44-yard interception return. Bopp's first score came on a short run and he added a touchdown pass to Pitkanen on an ensuing drive. Bark finished with touchdown runs of 47 and 30 yards for the Agates (4-3).

Hermantown 21, North Branch 18

In a wild fourth quarter at Centricity Field at Corey Veech Stadium, Josh Muelbauer's 10-yard rushing touchdown proved decisive as the Hawks got to 5-2 overall.

Hermantown trailed 12-0 at halftime before Rocco Erickson scored from 20 yards out in the third quarter. Peyton Menzel hauled in a 37-yard pass from Alex Schott to give Hermantown a 14-12 lead but Loghan Croal broke a 50-yard run for the Vikings to go back in front midway through the quarter before the Hawks' fateful drive.

Hermantown won despite a 275-214 deficit in total yards and just 88 yards on 30 rushing attempts.

Both Croal (109 yards on 12 carries) and Samuel Robillard (106 yards on 12 carries) got into triple digits for North Branch, while Muelbauer finished with a team-best 59 yards on 11 attempts for Hermantown.

The Hawks made up for it with Schott, who completed 10-of-18 passing for 126 yards.

Mesabi East 42, North Woods 6

Cooper Levander and Dakota Kruse had two rushing touchdowns apiece as the Giants picked up their second win of the season without much trouble vs. North Woods.

The Giants scored four touchdowns in the first quarter, including Levander and Kruse's first of the game, as well as a 53-yard pass play from Landon Luke to Carter Steele and a 41-yard Ethan Murray run.

Levander finished with 87 yards on eight carries for the 2-5 Giants.

Crosby-Ironton 42, Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 16

Crosby-Ironton had all its offensive gears working on Friday in a big home win.

Gabe Ridlon ran for 170 yards on 20 carries as part of a 334-yard rushing attack and Kolbe Severson had a QB sneak for a TD and four completions for 109 yards.

The Titans trailed 22-0 at the half before a pair of consolation scores after the break, including a Derek Gibeau TD pass.

PREP SCOREBOARD

FOOTBALL

Duluth Denfeld 20, Duluth East 19

Hermantown 21, North Branch 18

Two Harbors 59, Hibbing 14

Northwood/Solon Springs 68, Chequamegon/Butternut/Mercer 14

Cloquet 41, Pine City 0

Northwestern 22, Bloomer 6

Cherry 76, Ely 0

Chippewa Falls 42, Superior 7

Grand Rapids 52, Rock Ridge 0

Crosby-Ironton 42, Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 16

Moose Lake/Willow River 42, Hinckley-Finlayson 12

Cromwell-Wright 10, McGregor 8

Northwood/Solon Springs’ Jared Schultz (4) breaks past the Chequamegon defense on his way to the endzone for a first quarter touchdown during the Green Eagles game in Minong on Friday evening, Oct. 14, 2022.

Northwood/Solon Springs’ Abe Ahlberg (2) runs over a Chequamegon defender during a run in the first quarter during the Green Eagles game in Minong on Friday evening, Oct. 14, 2022.

Northwood/Solon Springs’ Abe Ahlberg (2) and Landen Micken (27) tackle Chequamegon’s Judah Johnson (9) for a loss in the first quarter of the game in Minong on Friday evening, Oct. 14, 2022.

By Staff reports

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.