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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After going undefeated in the Section 7AA tournament, the Esko boys baseball team was eliminated Tuesday, losing 5-0 to Marshall in the afternoon, then 11-9 to Proctor that night. Coach Ben Haugen said he was proud of the team. "We battled to the end tonight, I was proud of our guys for that, all the coaches were proud of them," Haugen said. "The kids are doing their best and playing their hardest. Sometimes it just doesn't go their way, but we're still proud of the effort they gave us." He was... Full story
Strong headwinds didn't help times, but there were plenty of top local performers in the Section 7A track meet last week at University of Minnesota Duluth. Both the Esko boys and girls teams took top honors at the meet. The Esko boys scored 153.5 points to easily take first and the girls scored 143 points to do the same on their side of the equation. Gary Beaudot, head boys track coach, said Esko will have the most athletes representing Section 7A at the state meet this week. "We definitely... Full story
After starting the season 2-4, the Esko softball team went on a roll and entered the 7AA Section playoffs as the No. 2 seed. The Eskomos opened the playoffs with back-to-back wins before losing to Eveleth-Gilbert and dropping to the losers bracket. On Tuesday, the Eskomos put up two more wins before finally bowing out of the playoffs with another loss to Eveleth-Gilbert. “We finished with an 18-7 record this season and three of those losses were to Eveleth-Gilbert,” said Esko coach Huff Ema... Full story
Esko opened up section 7AA baseball action with a pair of victories Tuesday afternoon and evening. The top-seeded team was scheduled to face Rock Ridge at 2 p.m. Thursday at Superior High School after this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press. The Eskomos opened 7AA play with a 9-1 victory over Crosby-Ironton. Esko scored in each of the first five innings and built up an 8-0 lead before the Rangers scored their first run of the contest. Esko scored single runs in the first and second... Full story
Esko, the lone Class AA softball team in the county, opened sectional play Tuesday at home with a resounding 15-5 win over the Mesabi East Giants. The win moves the Eskomos on to the second round of the playoffs on Thursday at Cloquet's Braun Park. Esko opened the first inning with runs from Amber Carlblom and Maya Emanuel for a 2-0 lead. The Giants cut the gap to 2-1 in the top of the second inning, but Esko exploded for 12 runs in the second inning to go ahead 14-1. "It was a combination of... Full story
Sporting a roster that includes only one senior, one might expect a rebuilding year for the Esko baseball team. Instead, the Eskomos are 14-3 and are currently fighting for the top seed in Section 7AA along with another AA perennial power, Duluth Marshall. "Any given game we might start as many as four or five juniors and the same number of sophomores," said Esko coach Ben Haugen. "We have two classes of kids who have played a lot of baseball. I am a little surprised at how we've done so far,... Full story
Cloquet High School hosted the Section 7AA True Team meet on Tuesday afternoon under sunny skies and temperatures that zoomed into the 80s. It was the first real warm day for track athletes, giving them a chance to show their abilities. "It was kind of a day out of character as far as how this spring has gone," said Cloquet coach Tim Prosen. "It has been a rough start to the track season as far as the weather goes, but today (Tuesday) it was beautiful." The True Team meet was established in 1987... Full story
Last Thursday six area boys and girls track teams met in Esko for the Esko Sports Alliance Showcase Invitational track meet. In the end the Esko boys and girls dominated to take first place, but there were plenty of amazing performances to go around. Perhaps the most impressive performance was turned in by the Esko boys 4x100 relay team which ran a state best and school record: 43.57. Relay team members were Braden Lowe, Carter Zezulka, Mason Perich and Makoi Perich. "People don't know how... Full story
Mother Nature has not been kind to local high school baseball teams this spring. Cold, snowy and rainy weather has caused more than normal cancellations and postponements in the northern half of the state. The Pine Knot News this week caught up with coaches for a preview of local teams this season. Cloquet Cloquet head coach Tyler Olin is looking for improvement on a team that struggled to a below .500 record last season. "We were 7-15 last year," Olin said. "We had six seniors who graduated... Full story
Opening the high school softball season against one of the top teams in the area is never easy, but to open on the road when your team has not had a chance to practice outside is even tougher. That was the case for the Cloquet girls softball team Monday when they opened at Superior in a 16-1 loss to the Spartans. "It was tough on the girls because we haven't taken any grounders off dirt and only about a half hour of fly balls outside, so the adjustment was tough," said Cloquet head coach Tyler... Full story
The warm weather of spring and the melting snow has local track teams getting ready for another exciting season. Take a look at some of these athletes in this preview of the 2022 track and field season. Cromwell-Wright Longtime Cromwell boys and girls track coach Dave Foster welcomed 35 athletes just a couple of weeks ago. Some of the very best runners in the area sport the Cardinals logo. "On the girls side we will be very young, with no senior or junior girls this year," said Foster. "The... Full story
The local softball world lost an icon last week when Roger Plachta passed away. I first got to know Roger when I coached against him in the 1990s in the Lake Superior Fastpitch League in Duluth. I eventually joined him and one of my dearest friends, Mike Sylvester, on the coaching staff at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Roger was a character in the truest sense of the word. One minute he was chewing out a player for not giving her best, the next minute he was telling her she was the best... Full story
A slow second half for the Esko boys basketball team allowed Pequot Lakes just enough time to pick up a come-from-behind win in the Section 7AA boys championship game last Thursday night. The Patriots overcame a 5-point halftime deficit to win 58-50 and advance to the Minnesota State High School Class AA basketball tournament. "I thought in the first half we moved the ball well, but our shots didn't fall," said Esko coach Derek Anderson. "We defended well, but we missed some layups and we just s... Full story
A valiant comeback attempt by the Esko girls basketball team fell just short last week as the Eskomos fell 48-42 to Pierz in a Section 7AA girls semifinal game March 9 in Hermantown. The story of the game was the quick start by the Pioneers, who bolted out to a 25-6 lead in the first half as the Eskomos struggled on offense. "We came out cold as ice and just didn't hit any shots," said Scott Antonutti, head coach of the No. 2 seeded Eskomos. "We had some open three-point shots and just couldn't... Full story
The Esko Eskomos boys basketball team entered Tuesday night's Section 7AA semifinal matchup with Crosby-Ironton with a 24-3 record and an eight-game win streak. The Eskomos left with a nine-game win streak, another victory in the win column and a shot at the section title on Thursday. The 80-59 win over Crosby-Ironton at UMD was fast-paced and rugged with both teams running and gunning at a frenetic pace. Midway through the first half, the Eskomos were in a tight battle with the Rangers with... Full story
It has been quite a journey for the seniors on this year's Cloquet girls basketball team. Two years ago, the Lumberjacks won just three games. Last year they doubled that win total to six wins. On Friday night, the 'Jacks downed Hermantown 68-51 in the Section 7AAA semifinals to pick up their 20th win of the season. "I am so proud of this group of girls and how they've stayed the course and worked so hard to get Cloquet basketball back on the map," said Cloquet coach Heather Young. "They have... Full story
The Esko girls advanced to the Section 7AA girls semifinals following a 47-43 win over Virginia Monday night in Hermantown. Last Thursday, the Eskomos advanced through the second round of the tournament by downing Hinckley-Finlayson 79-31. Twelve Eskomos scored in the win over Hinckley-Finlayson as Jayden Karppinen led the scoring attack with 34 points. Kyra Johnson was the only other Eskomo in double-digit scoring with 12 points. Things proved to be a bit more difficult on Monday, when the... Full story
Local boys basketball teams began first-round playoff action Monday night, with playoffs throughout the week with state playoff berths at stake. Section 5A Carlton County schools in the 5A tournament are Barnum and Cromwell-Wright. The Bombers, with a record of 18-8, received the No. 1 East Seed and the Cardinals, with a record of 12-12, are the No. 2 East Seed. Both teams were set to play on Thursday at home, with Barnum vs. St. John's Prep and the Cardinals facing McGregor. Section 7A The 7A... Full story
After suffering a loss to Pequot Lakes on Feb. 10, the Esko girls basketball team rallied to notch three consecutive wins over top opponents. On Feb. 17 they beat Hermantown by 31 points. Last Thursday and Saturday, the Eskomos beat Duluth Marshall and Grand Rapids, one of Class AAA's top ranked teams. "I like the way we are playing right now," said Esko coach Scott Antonutti. "We aren't a tall team, but we are gritty and play tough and the girls don't quit." In Thursday's 54-49 home win over... Full story
Esko's Koi Perich poured in a school-record 50 points on Tuesday night to complete a season sweep of the Lumberjacks as the Eskomos finished with an impressive 93-68 home win. "Koi scored 45 in the last game against Hermantown and I had been joking with him that if he'd only hit more free throws, he would have scored 50," said Esko head coach Derek Anderson. "I didn't expect him to go out and get 50 the next game we played against a team that plays good defense." Esko sprinted out to an early... Full story
The Esko boys basketball team rode a big first half from Nick Swanson, solid defense and depth to a 78-36 win over South Ridge Friday night in Esko. A big crowd was on hand to watch the speedy Eskomos take on the Panthers, who are perhaps the tallest team in the area. "The band was there and there was a cheerleading camp that took place so all those kids were there and got to entertain before the game and during halftime," said Esko coach Derek Anderson. "It was a big crowd and a great... Full story
A stifling defense and a steady offense created a potent mixture for the Esko girls basketball team in a 69-22 home win over a depleted Moose Lake/Willow River on Thursday, Jan. 20. Many of the Rebels' best players were not on the floor due to Covid-related contacts. "Taking those kinds of kids out of their lineup made slowing the rest of the group down easier," said Esko coach Scott Antonutti. "I thought (Maci) Kukuk had a nice first half, so she definitely became our focus quickly." The... Full story
Esko boys basketball finds itself at the midpoint of the season with a stellar 10-2 record. The highflying Eskomos have scored an average of 78 points a game while allowing an average of just 59 points a game. That is a recipe for success. “We have been looking to push the ball more in transition this season,” said Esko coach Derek Anderson. “We have also done a good job of sharing the ball and finding the open man.” The athleticism of his team allows Anderson to push things into higher gear on... Full story
A tenacious defense and a key first-half run were just enough to give the Cloquet girls basketball team a narrow 66-61 victory over Esko in Cloquet last Thursday night. "We pride ourselves on playing a tough man-to-man," said Cloquet coach Heather Young. "We work hard on positioning but need to improve on constant communication. To cause Esko to turn it over 20 times along with the ability to get 11 steals is a nice stat to see. Esko is a well-coached team. They shoot the ball well, transition a... Full story
Esko and Hermantown met in the championship game of the Esko Coaches Classic girls basketball tournament last week. The Hawks had opened the tournament with a 68-50 win over Cherry and the Eskomos followed up with an impressive 89-27 win over Columbia Heights. On Wednesday, the Eskomos needed to mount an impressive comeback to win the championship game 52-45 "It is always nice to win our tournament," said Esko coach Scott Antonutti. "I think Hermantown has always come here for the tournament, at... Full story
