June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.

Eagles close out season with loss to Nevis Tigers


By Scott Wicks- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Seeded 7th in the Section 5 Nine-Man Playoffs, the Eagles headed to Nevis to take on the #2 seed Tigers for the second time in just over two weeks. With weather conditions pretty good except for a 1 inch coating of snow on the field, the boys were hoping to pull off the upset.

A big play early by Eagles safety, Zak Nornberg, who picked off a Tiger pass on the games second play and returned it 60 yards for a quick 6-0 Eagle lead, had the team and their fans pumped up just over 30 seconds into the opening quarter.

This may have awakened the Tigers as they pushed across three quick scores to take a 24-6 lead, but the Eagles countered with another touchdown of their own when QB Marcus Woods hit Cooper Koval on a 32 yard pass with 6 seconds still left in the 1st quarter to close to within 24-12. The Tigers dominated the remainder of the half and led 52-12 at half.

The second half was a much more closely contested as the Eagles defense was able to force the Tigers into numerous punts but were unable to penetrate the tough Tiger defense. Another Tiger score near the end of the 3rd quarter ended the scoring for the evening and made the final 60-12.

Coach Hasse commented, "we were overwhelmed by a very physical Nevis team. To our boys credit, in the face of being outmanned they never quit. That's been true for the whole year. The best thing that happened this year was to finally get the losing streak off our backs and win a couple of games for our seniors who had never won a football game in grades 7-12 until this year. It takes a lot of character to keep playing when you aren't finding a lot of success."

The Eagles finished the season 2-7, but with marked improvement over the course of the season and from previous seasons. The game also concluded the high school football careers of seven Eagle Seniors; TJ Mitlying, Ben Kemper, Jesse Horner, Easton Wake, Jacob Trostle, Brody DeHart, and Zak Nornberg.

About his seniors Coach Hasse says;

-TJ Mitylng has provided outstanding leadership for us this year. You can always count on him to keep things loose but focused.

-Ben Kemper played half the season with one arm and was a shining example of physical and mental toughness

-Jesse Horner had a great statistical season on offense and defense. The best thing to be said about him is that he is a great football player--can play anywhere on the field and has for us on both sides of the ball.

-Easton Wake provided great versatility for us this year. He played multiple positions on offense and defense.

-Jacob Trostle led our team in tackles this season and adopted the middle linebacker role in week three. Through lots of hard work he became an outstanding defensive player and a fine fullback as well.

-Brody Dehart was our special teams captain, punter and kicker. If I could give Brody an award it would be a spirit award as he was always cheering on his teammates and actively involved in the game.

-Zach Nornberg joined only this year and provided us with our two biggest plays: a 79 yard reception for a TD vs Hill City, and a 60 yard interception return for a TD vs Nevis in the playoffs.

Looking to the future the coach added, "I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of all our players. The young guys competed all year long to the best of their ability and several outstanding players return to us next year. With the streak over and numbers starting to go back up at the youth level--the future of Northland Football looks brighter than it did a couple years ago.

Special recognition should go to the Stefan family for all of their hard work on the field this year. It still looks great and is likely the most playable field in the area right now. And to the parents of the players for their dedication and support; to the students and staff of NHS for their cheering and well wishes; finally a big thank you to the community at large for attending games and cheering on the Gold and Black attack!"

As a fan and parent I would like to thank the players, coaches, parents and fans. It was a fun season and can't wait until next year!

Success is not always measured by wins and losses. Being able to compete with your friends and schoolmates as a team with a common goal is one of the most rewarding aspects of a high school experience.

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