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Two weeks into the Minnesota high school football season, Section 7 is already beginning to separate contenders from everybody else.
Hermantown (2-0) delivered the loudest statement Friday night, overwhelming rival Proctor (0-2) 50-8 on the road. The Hawks have scored 98 points in two games after opening the season with a 48-13 victory over Duluth Denfeld, establishing themselves immediately as one of the teams that will define the Class 4A race in northeastern Minnesota.
Grand Rapids (2-0) survived its first real test, edging Bemidji (0-2) 19-17 after overwhelming Cloquet in Week 1. The Thunderhawks have now won two very different football games — one by 42 points and another by two — which is exactly the combination a serious postseason team eventually must demonstrate. Bemidji, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 despite cutting dramatically into the margin after its 44-20 opening loss to Elk River.
Cloquet (1-1) supplied another important result, responding to a difficult opening week by defeating previously unbeaten Esko (1-1) 41-18. The Lumberjacks had been routed 56-14 by Grand Rapids in their opener but turned the script completely against an Esko team that entered Friday after a 19-12 victory over Pequot Lakes.
Brainerd (2-0) administered the most decisive beating of the night, shutting out Duluth East (1-1) 51-0. East had opened by defeating Rock Ridge 36-25, according to the Minnesota Football Hub Northeast Red results, but nothing carried over against a Brainerd team that has followed a 38-32 victory at Buffalo with an emphatic second win.
Rock Ridge (1-1), meanwhile, rebounded in equally convincing fashion by crushing St. Cloud Apollo (0-2) 50-6 after its opening loss at East.
Hibbing (2-0) also remains unbeaten after taking care of North Branch (0-2) 25-8. The Bluejackets opened with a 14-2 victory over Pine City and have allowed only 10 points through two games. North Branch, which lost its opener 28-20 to Two Harbors, has started 0-2 against two northeastern Minnesota teams that remain unbeaten.
Two Harbors (2-0) is another early riser. The Agates followed their opening victory over North Branch with a 28-20 home victory over Duluth Denfeld (0-2), giving them consecutive eight-point wins to begin the season. Denfeld has faced an unforgiving opening schedule, losing first to Hermantown and then to another unbeaten opponent.
The smaller-school results produced their own group of 2-0 teams. Deer River (2-0) routed Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (1-1) 40-6 after opening with a 30-0 shutout of Chisholm. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin entered Friday 1-0 after receiving a 2-0 forfeit victory over Hinckley-Finlayson, but Deer River left little question about which team controlled this matchup.
Moose Lake/Willow River (2-0) remained unbeaten with a 13-2 victory at Barnum (1-1) in one of the night's lowest-scoring games. The Rebels have surrendered only two points through two games after opening with a 26-0 shutout of International Falls. Barnum had opened by defeating Ely 38-14, making Friday's result a meaningful early measuring stick for both programs.
Mountain Iron-Buhl (2-0) continued its explosive start with a 34-8 victory at Rush City (1-1). The Rangers have scored 106 points in two games after hammering Cherry 72-28 in their opener. Rush City entered the game after shutting out Mesabi East 26-0, making Mountain Iron-Buhl's road performance another substantial early-season statement.
Chisholm (1-1) broke into the victory column by surviving Cherry (0-2) 24-22. The Bluestreaks had been shut out by Deer River in their opener, while Cherry had allowed 72 points against Mountain Iron-Buhl. Friday's two-point decision gave Chisholm an important recovery before the schedule moves deeper into September.
Cook County (2-0) remained unbeaten with a 28-0 shutout of Silver Bay (0-2), following its season-opening 2-0 forfeit victory over Carlton-Wrenshall. International Falls (1-1) recovered from its opening loss to Moose Lake/Willow River by defeating Ely (0-2) 21-8, while Blackduck (2-0) followed its 28-15 victory over Bertha-Hewitt with a 24-6 win over South Ridge (1-1). South Ridge had opened with a 14-12 victory over Verndale.
Crosby-Ironton (1-1) rebounded from an opening 29-0 loss to Aitkin by routing East Central (0-2) 50-6. East Central has run directly into two powerful opponents to start the season, losing 52-6 to Braham in Week 1. Braham (2-0) remained perfect with a 14-6 victory over Pine City (0-2), which has scored only eight points in losses to Hibbing and Braham.
The Class 5A Section 7 picture also continued to develop. Cambridge-Isanti (2-0) stayed unbeaten by hammering Chisago Lakes (0-2) 49-14 after opening with a 14-6 victory at Sartell-St. Stephen. Elk River (2-0) followed its opening victory over Bemidji by defeating Sauk Rapids-Rice (0-2) 44-19, while St. Francis (1-1) fell 21-13 in overtime at New Prague (1-1).
Pequot Lakes (0-2) remained winless after a 20-19 loss to unbeaten Albany (2-0). The Patriots have lost their first two games by a combined eight points, falling 19-12 to Esko before Friday night's one-point defeat. There are difficult 0-2 starts, and there are 0-2 records that still suggest a team is close. Pequot Lakes belongs in the latter category.
Two weeks do not decide a Minnesota high school football season, but they begin defining it. Hermantown (2-0), Grand Rapids (2-0), Hibbing (2-0), Deer River (2-0), Moose Lake/Willow River (2-0), Mountain Iron-Buhl (2-0), Blackduck (2-0), Cambridge-Isanti (2-0) and Elk River (2-0) have already done what contenders are supposed to do: win twice before September reaches its midpoint.
