Listen to this story
Audio reading for accessibility.
Ready to play.
Table of Contents
Note: The Howie Blog is powered by Perrault Construction, the trusted roofing, siding and window company in Duluth.
Today's Events
Class 4A, Section 7 Prep Football Championship
No. 1-seeded North Branch (7-2) vs. No. 2 Hermantown (8-1), 7 p.m. Duluth Denfeld. “We will have to play our best game against a very disciplined team that does what they do offensively extremely well,” said Hawks coach Mike Zagelmeyer of the final. “There are not a lot of secrets between us, just a history of excellent football games and Friday night should be no different. We are looking forward to it. To say a section championship is a goal is one thing, but we must go out and achieve it now. No more words, just actions.” Additional Read: Howie: Sleen, Hermantown to face top-seeded North Branch
National Hockey League
Tampa Bay at Wild, 7 p.m.
Thursday Results
Class 3A, Section 7 Prep Volleyball Championship
Hermantown 3, North Branch 1
Class 3A, Section 7 Prep Football Championship
Pequot Lakes 36, Two Harbors 15
Class 2A, Section 7 Prep Football Championship
Moose Lake/Willow River 24, Mesabi East 14
Junior Hockey
The Minnesota Wilderness will return to the ice this weekend on the first leg of its first Alaska trip of the 2024-25 season.
The Wilderness will face the Kenai River Brown Bears at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Friday and Saturday.
Both squads are riding the momentum of wins in home games that went past regulation. The Wilderness (5-7-2) slipped past Chippewa 2-1 in a shootout last Saturday. That win came in the final game of a 3-game series in which Chippewa was victorious in the first two contests.
Meanwhile, Kenai (8-7-1) defeated Fairbanks 3-2 in overtime last Saturday to force a split in a 2-game series.
Kenai’s victory snapped a 6-game losing streak, while Minnesota’s win was its first in Cloquet since Sept. 14, ending a 4-game skid at Northwoods Credit Union Arena.
Vikings Notebook
The Vikings on Friday activated tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list to the 53-man roster.
The roster move occurred as Hockenson's 21-day window was set to expire. It was accompanied by Minnesota placing left tackle Christian Darrisaw on season-ending Injured Reserve.
Hockenson has spent 10 months and a day recovering from a torn ACL he suffered against Detroit on Dec. 24, 2023.
He is expected to return to action in Week 9 when Minnesota hosts Indianapolis on Sunday Night Football.
"He'll be ready to go against Indianapolis," said Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell. "Looking forward to getting T.J. back in our offense — will be a significant boost for us."
Coincidentally, Hockenson made his Vikings debut in Week 9 of the 2022 season after he was acquired from the Lions via trade. Hockenson recorded nine catches for 70 yards on nine targets days after joining the team.
Now he'll try to quickly connect with Sam Darnold and offer a significant threat as a receiving option who has caught 155 passes for 1,479 yards and eight touchdowns on 155 targets in Minnesota.
