BOYS
First Team
Abe Soumis, Hermantown senior
Marnaries Ferguson, Denfeld junior
Brooks Johnson, Duluth Marshall junior
Tre Saniger, Superior senior
Jack Battaglia, Cloquet junior
Second Team
Calvin Anderson, Superior sophomore
Nathan Hill, Hermantown senior
Ray Brau, Hibbing freshman
Ethan Starstead, Denfeld senior
Colton Johnson, Grand Rapids senior
Honorable Mention
Seth Rothamel, Cloquet senior
Peyton Menzel, Hermantown senior
Drew Eisel, Superior sophomore
Finnley Powell, Denfeld senior
GIRLS
First Team
Jessika Lofstrom, Grand Rapids senior
Chloe Johnson, Marshall School 8th-grader
Ava Carlson. Cloquet senior
Chloe Carlson, Proctor sophomore
Eva Peterson, Superior senior
Second Team
Regan Juenemann, Marshall School junior
Leilani Fonoti, Cloquet senior
Lily Smith, Proctor junior
Braya LaPlant, Grand Rapids senior
Kloe Zentkowski, Superior senior
Honorable Mention
Quinn Danielson, Cloquet senior
Bailey Hermanson, Hermantown sophomore
Paige Evans, Proctor junior
Jorie Anderson, Hibbing senior
SPORTS NOTEBOOK
Hermantown High boys hockey and basketball teams posted impressive tournament victories Wednesday night.
The top-ranked Hawks hockey team blitzed Alexandria 6-0 in a Minnesota Class 1A state hockey quarterfinal at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Junior defenseman Henry Peterson scored a pair of goals and senior goaltender Dane Callaway had 16 saves to post his sixth shutout of the season for Hermantown (19-8-2), which advanced to face Mahtomedi (18-11) in a state semifinal at 1 p.m. Friday at Xcel. The Hawks blitzed the Zephers 5-1 on December 16 at Hermantown Arena.
Meanwhile, the Hawks boys basketball team, riding a 47-point, 15-rebound performance from senior power forward Abe Soumis, defeated Hibbing 92-73 in a Section 7AAA quarterfinal at Hermantown Middle School Gym.
Nathan Hill added 21 points and Brayden Lundeen 11 for top-seeded Hermantown.
“We came out to a sluggish start, knowing that it's the playoffs, and it seemed to take a moment to get the ball rolling,” said Hermantown coach Andy Fenske. “Hibbing came out with the hot hand and kept themselves close the entire first half by knocking down threes and outworking us on the boards. Once we settled in, we were able to take a double-digit lead into the half and not look back.”
The Hawks will play host to Rock Ridge in a 7AAA semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday. The fifth-seeded Wolverines upset fourth-seed Duluth Denfeld 70-57 on Wednesday at Denfeld High School Gym.
“We need to look to slow down Rock Ridge in their transition offense,” said Fenske. “They love pushing the ball and starting their offense from the wings. If we can take that away and limit their threes we stand a good chance to come out on top. This is a team that can score in bunches and we'll need to ramp up our defensive efforts.”
The 7AAA final is March 14 at 7 p.m. at Denfeld High School Gym.
Quote Me
“While we usually praise team accomplishments, we need to take a moment to recognize that Abe Soumis surpassed 1,000 career rebounds, the first ever to do so at Hermantown.” – Hawks boys basketball coach Andy Fenske
