Hawks top Hunters

  Despite having the advantage in the win-loss column the Hawks faced a Denfeld team that was a bit of an enigma.  Hermantown came in 7-1, but Denfeld which plays in a different conference than the Hawks came in with a 2-7 record including a win against Hibbing in the playoffs.

  Both teams mainly utilize a powerful ground and pound type game and in the end it was the Hawks who came away with the victory.  However, it was ironic that the Hawks first score came when Paul Glowacki caught a five-yard pass from Kole Zuidmulder for a second quarter touchdown that gave Hermantown the lead of 7-0 following Zuidmulder’s extra point kick.

 The second quarter fireworks continued when the Hunters responded with a Connor Behm 11-yard touchdown run and the Hunters took the lead when Alex Larson caught a Greg Gustafson pass for a two-point conversion making it 8-7.  On the very next drive the Hawks pulled back into the lead when Zach Royer bolted in from 18 yards out and Erik VanBaalen tacked on a two-point conversion run making it 15-8 in favor of Hermantown and that’s how things ended in the first half.

  The lone score of the third quarter was a nifty catch and run by Glowacki who went 73 yards for a score when the Hawks were facing a third down and one yard to go situation.  The play featured a one-handed nab of the Zuidmulder pass by Glowacki as the Hawks built the lead to 21-8 after the failed extra point conversion.

  Denfeld finally managed to cut into the lead with 2:39 remaining in the fourth quarter when Gustafson lobbed a two-yard touchdown pass to Larson to cut the gap to 21-14, but amazingly both teams managed two more scores prior to the final horn.  The first score was a Royer 45-yard dash to the end zone and following the VanBaalen extra point run it was Hermantown leading 29-14.  To the Hunters credit they tacked on a Sjon Randa touchdown catch from Gustafson but by then there was no doubt about the final outcome.

  The win sets up a rematch of Hermantown’s early season win over Cloquet in the Section 7AAAA championship game on Friday night in Hermantown.