FOOTBALL
Two Harbors
The Agates opened their season on the road at North Branch and found themselves in a tight one from start to finish. After a scoreless first quarter, junior Cameron Poe-Johnson broke things open late in the second with a 13-yard touchdown run. North Branch answered with eight seconds left in the half to tie it 7-7.
The Vikings added another score in the third, but Two Harbors evened it again when Axel Morsette, a junior, punched in a six-yard touchdown and then tossed a two-point conversion to 11th grader Junior Lucero. North Branch moved ahead once more with a 17-yard touchdown, missing the conversion to keep the margin narrow.
With 3:37 left in regulation, sophomore Zeke Gomez connected with Morsette for a 21-yard touchdown. The two-point try was no good, and the game moved into overtime. Lucero powered in a four-yard touchdown in the extra frame, followed by a successful two-point run from Morsette to seal the win. Last season, Lucero scored the lone Agate touchdown in the opener against North Branch, a game the Vikings won 22-10. This year, he helped flip the script.
Silver Bay
The Mariners hosted Ogilvie on September 4 and kept the opener far tighter than last year’s 14-50 road loss, but the Lions still came out ahead 32-20. Silver Bay heads to Cook County on September 11, then returns home to host Blackduck on September 18.
Cook County
The Vikings’ opener against Carlton-Wrenshall was canceled. They look toward their September 11 home game against Silver Bay. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 16-6 Cook County win. They travel to South Ridge on September 18; last year’s September matchup between the teams was postponed.
VOLLEYBALL
Silver Bay
The Mariners hosted Two Harbors on September 1 and fell 1-0, but they regrouped quickly. On Thursday they topped McGregor 3-1. This week included a trip to Moose Lake and a home match against South Ridge. They travel to Cherry on September 15.
Cook County
Cook County has been busy and successful. After finishing second at the Mora Early Bird Tournament, the Vikings beat Cherry 3-2 on August 31 and followed it with another 3-2 win over South Ridge. They were scheduled for two matches on September 8 against Rockford and Carlton-Wrenshall, then traveled to Cromwell-Wright on September 10. They continue on the road September 14 at Legacy Christian and also face Littlefork-Big Falls.
Two Harbors
Two Harbors claimed both the win and the oar in the annual “War for the Oar” rivalry match at Silver Bay on September 1. The oar had been in Mariners’ hands after last season’s victory. The Agates carried that momentum into their home match the next day, topping Moose Lake/Willow River 3-1. They return to action September 14 against Mesabi East.
SWIM AND DIVE
Two Harbors handled business in the pool last week, sweeping both varsity and JV against Rock Ridge. The varsity Agates stacked early points with a win in the 200 medley relay and never let go, riding first-place finishes from Lucy Lane in the 200 and 500 free, Rylee Schmitz in the IM and fly, and Brynn von Goertz in the sprints. Harper Smith added a strong diving card to keep the margin comfortable as Two Harbors closed out a 90-60 varsity victory.
The JV side was closer, but the Agates still found enough depth to pull away late. Izzy Bergman and Kaitlynn Kinsey each picked up multiple wins, and Madison Brandt paced the distance group with a 300 free victory. Two Harbors sealed the meet with a JV 400 free relay win, finishing ahead 72-61.
