Lumberjacks top Hunters

Kerry Rodd – NSO

Photos By: Ken Palmer

After opening the season with a road loss to Esko the Cloquet football team has peeled off back-to-back wins with the latest victory coming on the road over Denfeld last night 20-14 at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth.

The win improves the Jacks record to 2-1 entering next week ends play.

The opening quarter of play was a feel out period for both teams, but the Jacks bolted to a 14-0 edge by the time halftime approached.

Joe Gotchnik scampered 21-yards for a touchdown with 6:12 remaining in the first half giving Cloquet a 6-0 edge.

Rob Sobczak booted the extra point kick making it 7-0 Lumberjacks.

Quarterback Jeb Leone matched Gotchnik’s touchdown run with one of his own, this one covered 31 yards with 54 seconds remaining in the first half giving the Lumberjacks a 14-0 edge entering halftime after the Sobczak extra point.

Denfeld responded in the third quarter when Jacob Herold crashed in from the six-yard line making 14-6, however the extra point kick by the Hunters sailed wide leaving the Jacks with an eight-point lead with 9:09 remaining in the third stanza.

Before the third quarter ended the Hunters tied the game on a Jacob Roduner 33-yard touchdown pass to Kadin Ferguson with 4:32 remaining to cut the Cloquet lead to 14-12.

Roduner and Ferguson also hooked up for a two-point conversion pass that evened the score and appeared to give all the momentum to the Hunters.

The Lumberjacks were able to hold off the Hunters the rest of the third quarter and then finally answered back when Gotchnik plowed in from the two-yard line with 3:14 remaining in the final quarter.

Sobczak’s extra point kick was no good, but the Jacks were able to keep the Hunters off the board and nail down an important early season victory.

mn