Twin Ports Power 5: Cherry and Proctor lead the way

DULUTH — It’s a new year and the News Tribune sports team has something new coming at you — sort of.

We’ve had football rankings the past couple of seasons, but this year we’re going to up the ante and add boys and girls basketball to the mix — maybe more.

Fans of the five will just have to wait and see.

We’re over halfway into the season and, for my money, two teams have separated themselves from the pack — the Cherry boys and Proctor girls.

Cherry, the 2024 state Class A champion, had one of the best starting fives in the state last season, and News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year Isaac Asuma was nearly flawless, but this season he’s playing with the University of Minnesota.

Still, it seems the top-ranked Tigers haven’t lost a step so far.

For the girls, it’s Proctor which has separated itself from the pack. The Rails (11-1) are ranked seventh in Class AA and look like one of the deepest teams in the area.

While Proctor doesn’t have multiple Division I recruits on its roster — like Cherry — they are similar to the Tigers in other ways.

Cherry’s scoring could come from multiple places — including Noah and Isaiah Asuma or Noah Sundquist. Similarly, the Rails have plenty of options themselves, including Chloe Carlson, Lily Smith and Paige Evans.

There are plenty of other strong, talented teams in the area, but these guys have been a step above through the first six weeks of the season.

— Jamey Malcomb

• This list and its comments are based on games prep sports reporters Jamey Malcomb, Jake Pryztarski and Reagan Hoverman have watched and/or stats that have been submitted to the Duluth News Tribune.
• This is a ranking of the top five boys and girls basketball teams in the Northland, regardless of class size.
• We are allowed to be prisoners of the moment. If a struggling team gets a fun win, they might pop up on the Five and disappear the next week.

Top-ranked Cherry has picked up where it left off from its Class A state title campaign a season ago with 12-straight wins out of the gate.

The Tigers proved their mettle with a hard-fought first-place finish in the Superior Candy Crossover tournament over the holiday break with double-digit wins notched over Duluth Denfeld (89-77) and Superior (78-68).

Cherry followed up the tournament sweep with its third win over a Class A-ranked opponent on Saturday, Jan. 4 at the Lake Superior Classic tournament with a 74-59 victory over third-ranked Nevis.

The Tigers previously knocked off No. 2 Dawson-Boyd (70-64) and No. 9 Ada-Borup (89-79).

The Iron Range’s first state champion since the 1991 Chisholm Bluestreaks have all the ingredients needed to build on their success in the months to come with four players averaging double-figures entering Saturday’s matchup against Nevis: Carson Brown (11 ppg), Noah Asuma (15.2 ppg), Isaiah Asuma (20.4 ppg) and Noah Sundquist (24.7 ppg).

All four players are also averaging at least four assists and five rebounds, respectively. Brown has dished out an average of 7.5 assists per game to pace the Tigers, while Sundquist has been their most consistent rebounder with 9.2 per outing.

Cherry faces a grueling January schedule with big-time matchups looming against strong Class AA foes Esko and Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta before the Tigers take on Section 7A challenger Deer River, which remains unbeaten, along with an ever-dangerous Minneapolis North club on Jan. 25.

— Jake Pryztarski

When I think of the way basketball should be played — selfless sharing of the ball, fundamentally sound, aggressive defensively without fouling — my mind immediately goes to Esko.

Head coach Derek Anderson has built a cohesive unit that plays winning basketball, a style that reminds me of Tim Duncan’s late years with the San Antonio Spurs. Esko isn’t flashy — just like those Spurs teams — but they seem to always get the job done.

Jacion Owens has been a big reason why Esko is off to a 7-2 start this year. The senior point guard has a lightning-fast first step that pairs perfectly with his shifty handle, not to mention his sublime court vision and ability to finish at the rim seemingly at ease.

Sam Haugen and Graham Hartlieb bring a scoring punch to the floor that makes Esko a handful to defend. Both are capable shooters, but Haugen’s raw athleticism makes him a force to be reckoned with, especially while getting downhill in transition.

Fastbreak opportunities happen often, as Anderson has implemented a much more aggressive defense this season that helps Esko get its best players into open space more often than in previous seasons.

Although not necessarily big in stature, Esko is a physical team that is capable of muscling around unsuspecting opponents. There is perhaps no better example of that than their 86-69 win against Cloquet on Dec. 6.

Cloquet had no answer for Esko’s physicality that night. It was the only time this season Cloquet’s prolific offense looked anywhere close to pedestrian.

Esko has come up short in each of the last three Section 7AA title games, but to me, this feels like a team that is built to have more playoff success than past iterations.

— Reagan Hoverman 

I’ve been covering high school basketball for half a decade, and few offenses I’ve seen have as high of a ceiling as Cloquet’s this year. That doesn’t mean every night is a Fourth of July fireworks show, but Cloquet can reach a gear that most teams simply don’t have.

Led by senior guard Jack Battaglia, who is averaging more than 28 points per game, Cloquet has embraced its uniquely modern offensive approach. More than 44% of the Lumberjacks’ field goal attempts this season have been 3-pointers.

Cloquet has four players — Battaglia, James Wilmot, Noah Hansen, and Grant Biebl — who are shooting 34% or better from beyond the arc with 50-plus 3-pointers attempted this season. The statistics are simply staggering.

The Lumberjacks’ offense was on full display when they scored 100 points against a talented Hibbing squad on Dec. 20, almost entirely because of their shooting. The ‘Jacks went 19-for-32 from beyond the arc and simply overpowered Hibbing.

It’s not realistic to expect to shoot anywhere close to that efficiently regularly, but it’s evidence that when Cloquet is firing on all cylinders, it might not matter what the other team is doing or how good they are.

The lack of size on the roster may hurt Cloquet down the line, but I believe they’re capable of shooting their way out of almost any size deficit they may encounter, even deep into the postseason. When Cloquet is shooting it well, it’s capable of anything.

— RH

The Rangers have three players — seniors T.J. DuChamp, Micaden Clines and Chris King — averaging at least 15 points per game, and only one of their nine wins came by less than 10 points.

In most Class A sections in Minnesota, MIB would be a contender for a section title and a spot at state. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they play in the same section as one of the best Class A teams in recent memory — Cherry.

It’s almost a mirror image of Section 7’s IX-player football season, with MIB as the dominant force on the Iron Range and the Tigers just unable to keep up with coach Danny Zubich’s Big Red Thrashing Machine.

In the only regular season matchup, Cherry boat raced MIB 78-53.

— JDM

Duluth Denfeld definitely has one of the most talented players in the area in senior Marnaries Ferguson, and I believe the Hunters are, even at two games under .500, the favorite to win Section 7AAA.

Hermantown and Chisago Lakes have taken a step back and Denfeld has played some very good teams in Cherry and Blake, the No. 5 Class AA team, but they also have a couple of head-scratching losses — most notably a loss Friday to Grand Rapids.

I talked to coach Phil Homere a couple of weeks ago and he was frustrated that his team was “playing down” to their competition. That was in reference to a loss to 10-1 Cloquet and I can’t imagine he’s feeling better now. The Thunderhawks seem to be improving this season, but if the Hunters have designs on playing in the state tournament this year, that’s a team they have to beat.

— JDM

Proctor has been among the best teams in the area all season. The only blemish on the Rails’ record is a 62-61 loss at Rock Ridge Dec. 17, a top 10 Class AAA team at the time.

Proctor is balanced, with Chloe Carlson averaging 18.4 points per game and Lily Smith and Paige Evans both adding a matching 11.9 points every night for coach Matt Solberg.

The seventh-ranked Rails don’t have the most talent in the area, but they play well together and the scoring can come from anywhere. Four different players have led Proctor in scoring this season and they also play good defense.

The Rails play at Bemidji Saturday, but perhaps their most important matchup will be when they face an extremely talented and battle-tested Duluth Marshall team Jan. 21.

— JDM

After starting with seven straight wins, the Wolverines have dropped four straight, but they’ve also faced some elite competition in that stretch.

Rock Ridge lost to Crosby-Ironton, the second-ranked team in Class AA and Alexandria, the No. 2 AAA team in Minnesota, last month, but they also dropped games to Delano and Becker.

Still, senior Anna Westby is a big strong player for coach Byron Negen, while Lexi Lamppa and Maija Lamppa provide an outside threat.

Despite the last four games, the Wolverines should be the favorites to repeat as Section 7AAA champions and, if they can find their footing over the next few weeks, don’t be surprised if they win a game (or two) at the state tournament.

— JDM

Perhaps some thought the Rangers would take a step back after the departure of two-time News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year Jordan Zubich, but MIB was plenty good long before Zubich ever suited up.

MIB has won 13 of the last 14 section championships and they look to be contenders for another section title with sophomore Anna Neyens leading the team in scoring with 15.8 points per game. Junior Aniyah Thomas and freshman Izzy Wiita are both averaging at least 10 points per game and three other Rangers are averaging eight.

The Rangers got a rude awakening to life without Zubich in a 63-40 season-opening loss to Proctor, but they are still among the best in Minnesota’s Class A.

MIB has plenty of strong teams left on the schedule, but I’ll be paying particularly close attention to the Feb. 6 matchup against Cromwell-Wright.

The Cardinals are the only team to win Section 7A other than MIB since 2011 and they are off to an 8-2 start, with their only losses coming to Rock Ridge and Mesabi East.

— JDM

Before back-to-back wins over Pequot Lakes and Park Center, the Hilltoppers had dropped five straight games, but looks can be deceiving.

Of those five losses, four were against teams currently ranked sixth or better in their class and only one — Rock Ridge — is outside the top 10.

Chloe Johnson might be the most talented player in the area — boy or girl — and coach C.J. Osuchukwu has surrounded her with some fantastic players in junior Cairin Berger and sophomore Candace Ndomb.

Also a problem for many teams is the potential of eighth grader Gabija Krausauskaite, a 6-foot, 7-inch center who creates matchup problems all over the floor.

The biggest challenge for the Hilltoppers is in their own section, however. Proctor is a top 10 team in the state and there is defending section champion Crosby-Ironton. Not only do the second-ranked Rangers return Tori Oehrlein, they also added Regan Juenemann, a former All-Area team member for the Hilltoppers.

— JDM

The Hawks have performed well under first-year head coach Eric Borndal, picking up quality wins over Cloquet, Esko and Duluth East.

Bailey Hermanson has been crucial for Hermantown, but the Hawks have struggled against the best the area has to offer in a 66-32 loss to Proctor on Dec. 5.

They haven’t lost since, however, and a big litmus test will be the Jan. 14 game at Rock Ridge. The Wolverines are the class of Section 7AAA and Hermantown will need a strong showing — if not an outright win — to establish themselves as section contenders as well.