There was a lot to unpack from third-seeded Hermantown's 10-6, come-from-behind Section 7AAAA high school football semifinal victory over second-seeded Duluth Denfeld on Saturday afternoon at Marv Heikkinen Field on the Denfeld campus.
"The would've, could've, should've and second guessers could have a field day with it," legendary Hawks head coach Mike Zagelmeyer said on Sunday morning, after reviewing the game video offering his post-game thoughts.
"I thought our team did a great job blocking out the noise -- the one expectation of our program from our inception -- which can be tough both mentally and physically," said Zagelmeyer. "At times we were not good with our execution on Saturday, but the one thing that can't be taken away from this team is its toughness -- period. Whenever this season comes to an end, and it will at some point as all seasons do, I think this team will be remembered for its toughness and that makes me smile."
Hermantown (7-3) will battle top-seeded North Branch (8-1) for the 7AAAA championship at 7 p.m. Friday at Marv Heikkinen Field at Duluth Denfeld. The Northeast Red champion Vikings, who blitzed visiting Grand Rapids 28-0 in a Saturday semifinal, edged the Hawks 28-21 on Sept. 15 at beautiful Centricity Stadium.
Hermantown's defense has answered the bell many times in 2023 and did so again against the Hunters, including stopping an early fourth-quarter Denfeld drive on downs to set up the Hawks' game-winning scoring drive, capped by Zach Thorsten’s one-yard plunge.
"Our ability to get to the football defensively was tremendous," said Zagelmeyer. "We were able to bottle up one of the best backs in northern Minnesota (junior fullback Taye Manns, who was averaging over 160 yards per-game). Our linebackers – (Conner) Fure, (Ryder) Wrazidlo, Thorsten and (Dakota) Rowan -- are absolutely special players for us. They're all seniors, all of whom have put their time in, have gotten better each year and have worked their tails off. To see success for them come to fruition is rewarding. Our defensive line won the battle Saturday. Their ability to cause fits for Denfeld on the line of scrimmage allowed our linebackers to do what they do."
Hermantown out-gained Denfeld 258-150 in total offense, and 17-6 in first downs. Junior quarterback Alex Schott, a rising college prospect, was 13-of-17 for 120 yards.
"We keep putting more on Alex's plate, and he continues to excel in whatever we ask him to do,” said Zagelmeyer. “Our offense had their backs against the wall and had to drive the length of the field to win the game, yard by yard and inch by inch, or our season was going to be over -- and they were able to do it. I'm so extremely proud of the way our team and our coaching staff battled and overcame adversity. Some of that adversity no one will ever know about. But I really feel that I was able to witness and be a part of watching a team grow up before my eyes. The senior leadership on this team is unwavering and for a team to be successful it has to start with them."
Burly placekicker Bode Madill connected on a 30-yard field goal as time expired at the end of the first half, giving the Hawks a 3-0 lead.
“Bode is a tremendous weapon to have for a high school football team,” said Zagelmeyer said. "The momentum going into halftime (following the field goal), I thought was huge for us.”
Though advancing to the 7AAAA championship was one of the Hawks’ goals, Zagelmeyer said his team must flush away the Denfeld victory as they prepare for the run-happy Vikings.
“As exciting as it was, the Denfeld win needs to be filed away,” said Zagelmeyer. “There will be time to look back on it down the road, but we all need to move forward and focus on the task at hand which is to beat a very powerful North Branch team.
“They’re a team that ended our season last year, that beat us this year, a team that really challenges your mental toughness, and a team that is currently undefeated in district play. In fact, their only loss is a non-district game, which was in their first game of the season. However, there is no question that our guys are excited for the opportunity to play them and for a chance to win a section title with a trip to the state tournament on the line.”