Hermantown High School's fall sports teams face a significant week of competition Oct. 5-10, highlighted by the football team's senior night matchup against Esko, important late-season boys and girls soccer matches, and a volleyball showdown with Grand Rapids before a major weekend tournament in the Twin Cities.
The Hawks are approaching the final stages of their regular seasons, with postseason positioning becoming increasingly important. Football coach Mike Zagelmeyer's team is looking to rebound from its first loss, both soccer programs are preparing for section tournament competition, and Hermantown's volleyball team faces opportunities to measure its progress against strong regional and statewide opponents.
Football — Hermantown (4-1) hosts Esko (3-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Centricity Stadium, where the Hawks will recognize their seniors while attempting to regroup from a 24-15 loss at unbeaten Grand Rapids. Hermantown overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and briefly took the lead before turnovers undermined its comeback against one of the strongest teams in northeastern Minnesota.
Senior running back Martin Sleen remains the centerpiece of an offense that scored 181 points in its first four games. Quarterback Sawyer Senst and the Hawks' experienced offensive personnel will be expected to help restore the consistency that carried Hermantown through its unbeaten September. Zagelmeyer believes the Hawks learned from their mistakes against Grand Rapids, particularly the importance of protecting the football, but has made it clear that improvement must translate into victories.
Esko presents a different challenge, particularly with its ability to attack the perimeter. The Eskomos are coming off a 61-14 victory over Proctor, and Zagelmeyer considers their offensive versatility an important test for his defense. With the regular season approaching its conclusion, Friday's game offers Hermantown an opportunity to reestablish its momentum before an Oct. 14 home game against Rock Ridge.
Girls soccer — Hermantown closes its regular season with two important regional matches in consecutive days, visiting Proctor at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and hosting Duluth East at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Centricity Stadium. The Hawks are seeking a strong finish after a demanding September schedule that included Grand Rapids, Cloquet/Carlton, Duluth Denfeld and Benilde-St. Margaret's. Both matches offer opportunities to establish momentum entering the Section 7AA playoffs.
Bryden Giesen and Vienna Kolenda have supplied much of Hermantown's offensive production, with Kaija Markovich, Kaitlyn Patterson and Kaitlyn Glanville providing additional scoring depth. Kolenda has been particularly effective as both a finisher and playmaker, contributing two goals and three assists in the Hawks' 9-0 victory over Hibbing/Chisholm earlier this season. Hermantown's challenge this week will be generating consistent scoring opportunities against familiar opponents while maintaining the defensive discipline necessary for postseason success.
Boys soccer — Hermantown faces its final two regular-season opponents on consecutive nights, hosting Duluth East at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Duluth Denfeld at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Centricity Stadium. The Hawks have demonstrated the ability to compete with the region's stronger programs, but converting scoring opportunities and protecting leads will be particularly important entering the Section 7A tournament.
The Hawks are led by attacking standouts Quinn Raukar, Trevor Arnston and Parker Clennon, with Kestan Bradley providing stability in the defensive midfield and Ethan Aysta anchoring the goal. Raukar scored three goals in a 4-0 victory over Hibbing, while Clennon contributed three assists. Hermantown also recorded a 2-1 victory at Duluth Marshall and a 1-0 road victory against Bemidji in September, demonstrating an ability to win competitive matches against quality opposition. The final two games should help determine how prepared the Hawks are for another postseason run.
Volleyball — Hermantown hosts Grand Rapids at 7 p.m. Tuesday in one of its most significant remaining Lake Superior Conference matches before traveling to the St. Michael-Albertville area for the Midwest Fall Classic on Friday and Saturday. The tournament will offer the Hawks an opportunity to face different competition as they continue preparing for the final stretch of conference play and the section tournament. Specific tournament opponents and match times have not been confirmed.
Audra Schott has emerged as one of Hermantown's most productive attackers, with setter Kylee Stokke directing an offense that has demonstrated improvement as the season has progressed. Schott recorded 16 kills and Stokke distributed 41 assists in a four-set victory over Superior, while Lilah Conley contributed seven kills and Evie Nelson 12 digs in a subsequent sweep of Duluth Denfeld. The Hawks have also demonstrated competitive depth against larger programs, including victories over White Bear Lake and Irondale at the Duluth East Invitational. Grand Rapids will provide another important measure of how consistently Hermantown can execute against a strong conference opponent.
Girls tennis — Hermantown has completed its published regular-season schedule and is preparing for Section 7AA postseason competition following an encouraging season under coach Jessica Worden. The Hawks have recorded victories over Princeton, Duluth Marshall, Duluth Denfeld, Cloquet and Stella Maris Academy, relying on a combination of experienced seniors and developing younger players.
Riley Knight has been a versatile performer in doubles, while Mia Line and Calista Rother have developed into an effective pairing. Clara Patullo and Abby Grzbowski have provided important singles contributions. Seniors Alee DeVlieger, Jillian Ritsche and Chloe Gustafson have also played leadership roles throughout the season. Hermantown's ability to produce victories throughout its lineup, rather than depending exclusively on its top singles positions, has been one of its strengths.
Cross-country — Hermantown's boys and girls teams are moving toward the Lake Superior Conference championships, scheduled for Oct. 14 in Duluth. The Hawks produced several notable performances at the Hibbing Rotary Invitational, where the girls finished second with 115 points and the boys placed third. Seventh-grader Josie Niksich led the girls with a fifth-place finish in 19 minutes, 43.1 seconds, while senior Cooper Lucarelli paced the boys in 17:19.4. Freshman Cody Carlson followed closely at 17:27.3.
Girls swimming and diving — The Proctor/Hermantown cooperative program is also approaching the closing stretch of its regular season. Its reported results include a 99-69 victory over Duluth Denfeld, with individual wins by Raya Trigas in the 50-yard freestyle, Harper Opacich in the 100 butterfly, Samantha Herron in the 100 freestyle and Berkley Kolquist in the 500 freestyle. A meet date and opponent for Oct. 5-10 could not be independently verified.
The week represents an important transition for Hermantown athletics. Its soccer teams will complete their regular seasons, volleyball faces a demanding combination of conference and tournament competition, and football must demonstrate that its setback at Grand Rapids was an interruption rather than a turning point.
For Zagelmeyer's football team, Friday's senior night is an opportunity to regain momentum. For the Hawks' other fall programs, the emphasis is increasingly shifting from regular-season improvement toward postseason results.