Prep Football: Hermantown overpowers Proctor in Week 2
The Hawks finished with 357 rushing yards on 23 carries — a staggering 15.5 yards per attempt. Martin Sleen led the way with 143 yards and five touchdowns on six carries.
Sports
Howie on Prep Football: Hermantown, Grand Rapids and North Branch heavy favorites to begin 2-0
It’s Week 2, and the Northeast Red feels like a carnival ride — loud, dizzy, and guaranteed to keep at least one team still winless before it’s over, as the Big 3 begin to separate from the pretenders.
Minnesota Mile returns Friday
The HowieHanson.com is powered by Lyric Kitchen · Bar The Minnesota Mile will bring runners back to Enger Park on Friday evening, offering a one-mile showcase on Skyline Parkway with some of the best views in the city and the chance to support youth athletics. The event, capped at 600
Howie: Neal Pionk and the Olympic dream
So here’s Neal Pionk, sitting in the back row of orientation camp, probably wondering if anyone will remember that winning hockey games requires more than highlight-reel goals and “branding initiatives.” If history holds, they won’t.
Duluth East tops Hermantown in four sets behind Hartwick’s big night
Despite Hermantown’s defensive grit and Lilah Conley’s all-around effort, the Greyhounds' consistency down the stretch proved too much.
Wilderness hire Larson as assistant coach
The Minnesota Wilderness named Craig Larson assistant coach Sunday, filling the spot vacated by Evan Alexius, who left for an NCAA job. Larson, a 30-year coaching veteran, spent the past three seasons with Aberdeen as scout and director of player personnel. He previously guided Northern Lakes to its first state
Hermantown rolls past Denfeld in Northeast Red opener
“Overall it was a beautiful night for football … a big crowd, a new flag pole dedicated to a tremendous man and coach (former Hawks coach Gary Bowen) and a Hermantown win … really couldn’t ask for much more than that.” -- Hermantown Coach Mike Zagelmeyer.
Gophers open with home win over undermatched Buffalo
Minnesota’s defense dominated from the outset, holding Buffalo to just 151 total yards and limiting the Bulls to 1 of 11 on third down. The Gophers forced six three-and-outs and kept Buffalo’s rushing attack under 40 yards.
Howie: 2025 Spirit of Duluth tourney the first without Bill Oswald
This December, Bill Oswald's seat at the table will be empty, but his fingerprints will be on every shift, every goal, every frazzled parent clutching a cup of bad coffee. The Spirit of Duluth is back. It never really left. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.
Howie: Thielen’s back
The real story is simple: the Vikings needed a guy who knows the offense and won’t panic on third-and-six. Nostalgia just happened to be the bonus prize.
Prep Sports Notebook
Hermantown used a balanced scoring attack to defeat Proctor 4-0 in a girls soccer match Thursday night. The Hawks jumped out early with three first-half goals. Senior forward Brooke Wiese converted a penalty kick to open the scoring, and Claire Niksich followed by finishing a setup from Mya Gunderson. Bryden
Howie: Hawks’ Sleen, Perich comparisons obligatory
This is precisely how the Koi Perich saga began. Esko’s Swiss Army knife was suddenly the kid everyone wanted to talk about, and before you knew it, P.J. Fleck’s staff was tripping over themselves to lock him down.
Howie: UMD, MY9 Sports announce 2025-26 broadcast schedule
MY9 Sports has carried Bulldogs athletics since 2010. In 2022, the agreement was extended through the 2027-28 season, guaranteeing broadcasts of all home men’s hockey and football games, along with expanded coverage of women’s hockey, volleyball and basketball.
Saturday Prep Sports Notebook
Benilde-St. Margaret’s broke open a tie match with three second-half goals to defeat Hermantown 4-2 in boys soccer Saturday. Henry Scroggins put the Red Knights on the board in the 21st minute, but Hermantown answered with two goals from Quinn Raukar — assisted by Hunter Nelson in the 25th and