Howie on Prep Sports, Tuesday

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Hermantown will host Duluth Denfeld at 7:15 tonight before traveling to Duluth Marshall on Thursday in back-to-back Lake Superior Conference boys basketball games this week.

The then banged-up Hawks (2-10) fell to the Hunters (7-7) 94-58 on December 19 at Denfeld Gym, and it’s Hermantown's first and only meeting against the Hilltoppers (6-7) this season.

Denfeld is led by senior shooting guard Marnaries Ferguson and 6-foot-four sophomore center Carter Brown. Six-foot-six power forward Brooks Johnson, a Bulldogs recruit and the Northland's most thunderous dunker ever, leads a Duluth Marshall squad that also features junior point guard Ricardo Marcel and burly senior center Josh Johnson.

“As we have quickly found out, there is no easy game on the schedule for us this year, and that's not a bad thing,” said Hawks head coach Andy Fenske. “Our boys are working to find that competitive drive and learning to face adversity head-on as it comes our way.

“Despite our record, the boys show up every single day ready to work. They're determined to make sure that no one is going to be able to say that they just rolled over for another team. We all know teams that when the losses keep piling up, frustrations flair and you lose the locker room. That's not these boys, and we're incredibly grateful for that.”

Fenske said senior leaders Alex Schott and Blake Sundland, in particular, are challenging themselves and their teammates to keep the pedal to the metal.

“Junior Landon Burg has also filled some big minutes and contributed a lot,” said Fenske. “His classmates Lance Janson and Grant Johnson have brought some great things to the court as they've battled their way back from injuries. Then our standout sophomores and freshman have continued to impress our staff with their willingness to learn and take more onto their shoulders that most of their peers across the state don't have to worry about.

“Our goal is to the prepared for March as best as we can. We know that getting ready to climb that mountain won't be an easy one, but there are no groups of kids we'd rather be surrounded by right now than the boys we have with us.”

2024-25 Hermantown Boys Basketball Schedule / Results

Proctor – L 78-66, Overall: 0-1. Lake Superior Conference: 0-1. Home: 0-0. Road: 0-1.

Princeton – L 95-87. Overall: 0-2. LSC: 0-1. Home: 0-1. Road: 0-1.

Hibbing – L 86-56. Overall: 0-3. LSC 0-2. Home: 0-2. Road: 0-1.

Columbia Heights – L 75-67. Overall 0-4. LSC 0-2. Home: 0-2. Road: 0-2.

Duluth Denfeld – L 94-58. Overall 0-5. LSC 0-3. Home: 0-2. Road: 0-3.

Chisago Lakes – W 97-84. Overall 1-5. LSC 0-2. Home: 1-2. Road: 0-3.

Delano (Delano Tournament) – L 102-75. Overall 1-6. LSC 0-2. Home: 1-2. Road: 0-4.

Monticello (Delano Tournament) – L 72-36. Overall 1-7. LSC 0-2. Home: 1-2. Road: 0-5.

Milaca – W 65-62. Overall 2-7. LSC 0-2. Home: 2-2. Road: 0-5.

Duluth East – L 93-41. Overall 2-8. LSC 0-2. Home: 2-2. Road: 0-6.

Cloquet, L 83-62. Overall 2-9. LSC 0-4. Home: 2-2. Road: 0-7.

Bemidji, L 88-39. Overall 2-10. LSC 0-4. Home: 2-3. Road: 0-7.

Tonight – Duluth Denfeld

Thursday – at Duluth Marshall

Jan. 28 – at Bemidji

Jan. 30 – Grand Rapids

Jan. 31 – Cloquet

Feb. 4 – at Mounds View

Feb. 6 – at Grand Rapids

Feb. 11 – at St. Francis

Feb. 14 – St. Paul Harding

Feb. 20 – Superior

Feb. 21 – Rock Ridge

Feb. 25 – at Mound Westonka

Feb. 27 – at North Branch

Feb. 28 – Duluth East

Mar. 5, 7, 13 – Section Tournament

Home games listed in boldface.