Jacks move to Section Final

  After a scoreless first quarter it was the Tigers who would score first on short run off left tackle by junior Wyatt Dahlmeier with 8:59 remaining in the second half.  However, the Lumberjacks were able to stiffen and hold the Tigers on the two-point conversion when Nick Niemi sacked quarterback Sam Archer keeping the score 6-0.

  Before the half ended the Jacks were able to sustain a lengthy drive that ended with 3:04 on the clock when quarterback Maxx Brenner flipped a short pass to Niemi who hung on for an eight yard touchdown that tied the game at 6-6.  Then Niemi booted through the extra point giving Cloquet the lead for good at 7-6.

  The third quarter proved to be a huge turning point for Cloquet when they were able to notch their second touchdown of the game on an eight-yard run by Austin Gotchnik.  In fact the entire Cloquet running game proved to be the difference in the second half as the Jacks were able to reel off large chunks of yardage against the much larger line of the Tigers.  Following Gotchnik’s run the extra point by Niemi went wide left and the Jacks held a precarious 13-6 lead with 3:57 remaining in the third quarter.

  In the fourth quarter the Cloquet defense faced a Princeton offense which was much like a wounded animal.  After losing three players to injury during the game the Tigers fought tenaciously to get back in the game and relied on an Archer to Billy McClay passing combination in which they hit on a couple of big plays, but to the credit of the Cloquet defenders they made the Tigers earn every piece of real estate they got.

Eventually the Jacks held the Tigers and scored with 5:22 remaining in regulation when they stopped the Tigers on downs and Niemi broke through the line and blocked a punt that ended up on the four-yard line of Princeton.  The Jacks scored on the very next play when Gotchnik bowled in from four yards out making it 20-6 following the kick by Niemi.

  Princeton fought back and with 1:20 left in the game it appeared as if they would tie the game, but Nathan Weets intercepted an Archer pass in the end zone and the Jacks were able to run out the clock taking an impressive win into the championship game.

  Cloquet improved their record to 8-1 and will now play in the Section 7AAAA title tilt on Friday at 7pm in Hermantown.