Sports Notebook, Monday
Duluth Marshall and Esko are the teams to beat in Class 2A, Section 7. Cherry is the team to beat in 1A, Section 7. And, mark it down in your calendar, Duluth FC will hold a public meet-and-greet on Tuesday night.

The Howie Blog Top 5 local baseball rankings:
- Duluth Marshall (12-0). At Champlin Park today, at Grand Rapids Tuesday, at Hermantown Thursday, at Montevideo Saturday, at Blake Saturday.
- Esko (15-1). At Pequot Lakes Friday.
- Proctor (8-4). Host Duluth Denfeld Tuesday, host Grand Rapids Thursday, host Roseau Friday.
- South Ridge (10-3). Host Rock Ridge Monday, host Moose Lake-Willow River Wednesday, host Sacred Heart Friday.
- Cherry (8-4). At Mesabi East Monday, host Two Harbors Tuesday, at Silver Bay Thursday, at Ely Friday, host Sacred Heart Saturday.
Quote Me
On Duluth FC, a national-caliber amateur men’s soccer club based in Duluth:
BlueGreens' new head coach Thomas Pazo – “We look forward to working extremely hard, playing attractive football, and representing the club and the Twin Ports community well in everything that we do.”
Team co-owner (with businessman Alex Giuliani) and general manager John Shuster – “I’m extremely excited for the season ahead. Coach Pazo has done a tremendous job bringing in top talent and people. This season, our players and coaches are going to emphasize getting out into the community when they’re not training and playing to truly become part of the Twin Ports communities. I’m looking forward to seeing this team’s impact beyond the pitch. I’m also really looking forward to Duluth FC Youth Camps that will take place in June, which give area players a chance to learn from our top-level staff and players.”
The BlueGreens will host a free public meet-and-greet from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at Clyde Iron Works in Lincoln Park. DuluthFC will open the 2025 season on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Joy FC at Walt Hunting Stadium at Duluth Denfeld High School. The BlueGreens compete in the NPSL Midwest Region North Conference and advanced to the national semifinals last season, when they finished 11-5-1 overall.
