It was, as they say around here, a “great day to be an Agate.” Saturday the 26th graced the Two Harbors football field with a late October sunshiny day as the team faced off against the 3rd-seeded Pierz Pioneers in the 7AAA section semi-final. Students and fans embraced the spooky season and dressed up accordingly. Though it may have looked like Area 51 with a couple aliens running around, the Agates were grounded, focused on winning their first playoff game of the season.
A final score with just a one-point difference reflects the intensity of the game, and Two Harbors emerged victorious with a nail-biting 21-20 win.
Senior Zack Libal helped the team seize an early lead in the first quarter, scoring a touchdown on an 18-yard run, while Junior Zach Johnson successfully added the extra point. They repeated this feat in the third quarter, bringing the score to 14-8 after Pierz had scored in the second quarter.
Pierz responded with a 34-yard touchdown, though they were unsuccessful on the two-point conversion attempt. They scored again before the quarter ended, taking a 20-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Senior Tate Nelson then scored a touchdown for the Agates, with Johnson again securing the extra point.
Looking ahead, Two Harbors will face Pequot Lakes in the 7AAA championship game on Thursday, October 31st, at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Patriots are top-seeded and undefeated, having recently crushed Esko 47-6 on October 26th.
The “1” in the Agates’ final regular season record of 7-1 came from their previous matchup against Pequot Lakes on another spooky date—Friday the 13th in September— when they lost 14-35. Since then, Two Harbors has gained significant momentum, winning six consecutive games (including one win by forfeit).
“We are extremely excited for the opportunity to once again play in the section championship game!” said Two Harbors football’s Head Coach Tom Nelson in an email exchange. “Pequot Lakes is a very good team who is highly ranked in the state. We are going to go out and give them everything we have.”
By the time this edition is released, the results of the championship game will be known. Here’s hoping that Two Harbors triumphs over Pequot!
Further north, the Cook County Vikings secured a win in the 9-Player Section 7 Quarterfinal against Kelliher-Northome on October 22nd. The assistant coach noted that the team felt confident going into the game, having performed well against the Mustangs before. They continued their strong play, winning 8-0.
Unfortunately, the Vikings could not overcome the top-seeded Mountain Iron- Buhl in the 9-Player Section 7 semifinal.
Congratulations to the Cook County Football Team for their outstanding season!
