Jacks Continue Winning Ways

Kerry Rodd – NSO

After crushing their last few opponents the Cloquet Lumberjacks expected a much stronger test from Proctor in high school football on Friday night. The Jacks got exactly what they expected for three quarters of the game before finally exploding in the fourth quarter to blow out the Rails 42-0.

When Nate Weets took off for a 57-yard touchdown run on just their second play from scrimmage, and Hunter Roberts cruised in from the 8-yard line on a pitch out just a couple of minutes later, it appeared as if the Jacks might be on their way to another easy win. Following extra point kicks on both scores by Nick Niemi the Jacks led 14-0 and the Rails defense showed little to be able to stop the explosive Cloquet team.

While the Rails offense sputtered all night long their defense stiffened plenty and did not allow another Cloquet score in the remaining time in the first quarter, the entire second quarter and the entire third quarter. In other words? The score was still 14-0 in favor of Cloquet entering the final stanza. As good as the Rails defense was the Jacks were even better! They created seven turnovers including four fumbles and three interceptions.

The fourth quarter fireworks for Cloquet began with 5:16 left to play when Roberts slammed in to the end zone on a one-yard run. The point after was good by Niemi and the Jacks went up 21-0. On the next drive Kenny Henagin picked off an errant pass and returned it down to the one-yard line where Kyle Klatt slipped to pay dirt a play later making it 28-0 after Niemi’s extra point and with 4:54 left in regulation.

Things really snowballed against the Rails when they were held on a fourth and long situation and had to give the ball up in their own end of the field and a few plays later it was Roberts rambling 13-yards for a score to push the lead to 35-0 after the Niemi kick. To add insult to injury the Rails then ran into even more problems on their next drive when they fumbled the ball on their own 18-yard line and Roberts recovered the ball and skipped into the end zone untouched making the final 42-0 after the extra point by Niemi.

Cloquet is 7-0 overall and improved to 6-0 in the Sea Range Conference. The Jacks will be back at home on Wednesday night (MEA week) when they host the Pine City Dragons.

Kerry Rodd Can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com