Boys Basketball

     The Aitkin Gobblers and Mora Mustangs had played two pretty close matchups this season. The Gobblers won 79-71 and the Mustangs returned the favor with a 72-68 victory. The game Saturday at Denfeld in the quarterfinals of the Section 7AA Tournament was nothing like the first two. The Mustangs had a hot first half, led by a bunch at the break, watched the Gobblers close it to twelve and then moved on to the win 77-57 ending the Gobbler season at 20-8. Fourteen three-pointers by the Mustangs didn’t help the Gobblers cause either. Isaac Asmus in his final game as a Gobbler scored 19 points while Noah Moss who tried to will his team back in the game in the second half, finished with 18. Isaiah Baker added 7, Tyler Boyd and Caleb Smith each had 6 and Bo Sanford finished with 1 point. 
     The first half was dismal for the Gobbler fans. Tyler Boyd scored early but the Mustangs raced out to a 16-2 lead. Asmus scored and later hit another and Moss hit two free throws for an 18-7 score. It was 30-9 before Moss hit a three and after an Asmus basket Mora went on a 13-0 run before Moss stopped that with three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt. Boyd scored again after a hustle steal by Jacobson and the half ended mercifully for the Gobblers.
        The second half saw the Mustangs get out to a 51-23 lead when the Gobblers made a nice 12-0 run. Moss hit a free throw, Asmus hit a pair of buckets, Baker converted a three-point play, Smith scored and Moss hit a bucket to trim the lead to 51-35. After a three by Mora, Aitkin ran eight straight points for a 54-43 deficit. Moss scored, Asmus hit a hoop, Smith buried a three and Sanford hit a free throw. It was 58-43 when Moss added a three-point play to get the deficit to twelve at 58-46. Mora took over at that point and went on a 12-0 run of their own to put the game away. Asmus scored his final Gobbler bucket to make it 74-57 and the Mustangs hit a three for the final score. Seven Gobblers ended their careers after this loss. Isaac Asmus, Caleb Smith, Tyler Boyd, Isaiah Baker, Wyatt Winter, Max Hagel and Owen Foday.

Gobblers   21 36 57

Mustangs 44 33 77  

      It has been over thirty years since the Aitkin Gobblers have played three post-season games in a season. It was 1993-94 when the Gobblers beat Barnum to win the sub-section and advance to the Section Tournament where they lost to Esko in the semifinals. That year they finished 19-6 for the year and were led by Will (the thrill) Roseberg, John Bigelow, John Wilkowski, Mark Meyer, Jeremy Rikala, Dan Meyer and Jason Jacobson to name a few. Jason’s son Jack plays on this years team. They were coached by Greg Hills who also coached the 1991-92 team that made it to the District title game before being edged by the McGregor Mercs 52-46 in the final. Clark Backstrom, Loren Morgan, Keith Ahonen, Scott Kellerman, Tony Klee and others were the core of that club. In fact, the Gobblers have just played two games in the post-season twice in the last 17 years, so they are reaching into rare air Saturday at Denfeld. History is not lost on this years team led by seven seniors. Here’s what several of them thought about the third meeting with the Mustangs this year and what it would mean to win this quarterfinal matchup.

Isaac Asmus “To get past Mora we have to work together to improve out team ball and not worry about our individual play. We know we can beat them if we work together to move the ball and work as a team. We need to take advantage of game situations that would better our chances for this hard game. This game is basically the start to show people what our team is made of. It is my last run with my friends. We want to prove to everyone that we play our best until the end.”

Caleb Smith “We have to play our game and trust in our work that we have done all season and throughout our whole life. Another key component is rebounding. Winning against Mora would be huge for our program because we would be doing something that we have not done in a long time. It will be something we can look back on as a team.”

Isaiah Baker “I think we just need to be playing our high level of basketball that we have been playing the last few weeks. Our team needs to communicate on the defensive end and hustle. As for the offensive end we need to stay calm and collected and try not to let the defense rush us into making bad shots or turning the ball over. I think if we can run through our plays a couple of times to tire out the defense we should be good. As for how important is this game for the program, it would be huge. I’ve talked to our coach and other guys and we don’t know how long it has been since we have won two playoff games so this would be a big win and a big moment for the program itself.”

 Tyler Boyd “I think if we are going to get past Mora we are going to have to play at our best. We are going to have to play team ball and limit our mistakes and turnovers. We are also going to have to hustle for every loose ball and play good defense. The win would be huge for our program as I don’t know the last time an Aitkin team won two playoff games. It would also mean a lot of the players and coaches as it would be a great accomplishment.”

      Aitkin beat Mora in January 79-71 at Mora and then dropped a 72-68 game last month at Aitkin. They were two very competitive matchups during the season so this one shapes up to be another good one.






   

      The Aitkin Gobblers moved to the quarterfinals of the Section 7AA tournament with a resounding 75-48 win Monday over the Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers. Isaac Asmus led the scoring with 15 while Noah Moss added 12, Tyler Boyd had 11, Caleb Smith, Isaiah Baker and Jack Jacobson all had 9, Bo Sanford had 6 and Andy Hanson and Wyatt Winter each finished with 2 points. The Gobblers will matchup with Mora Saturday at Denfeld High School at 12:30. The Mustangs, the #4 seed, opened the tourney Monday with an 88-21 win over International Falls.

      Boyd started the Gobblers off on the right foot with a pair of hoops and after Smith hit a bucket it was 6-2. The 'Toppers closed it to 6-5 and Asmus scored for an 8-5 edge, but they went cold and the 'Toppers had an 8-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. The Gobblers fired themselves up and went on a run of their own, this one being 18-0. Moss scored, Asmus hit a bucket, Boyd went up the baseline for two, Baker went up the lane for a deuce, Smith hit two from the line, Asmus converted a three-point play, Sanford buried a three and Moss banked one in and Aitkin was up 26-13. After a pair of hoops by Duluth Marshall, Jacobson scored and Baker hit another hoop to make it 30-17. Aitkin led 30-21 when Boyd scored again and after Asmus hit two gifters and Jacobson scored around a Duluth Marshall basket the Gobblers led at the break by eleven.

      The second half started with two 'Topper baskets but again the Gobblers responded. This time it was a 22-0 run and the game was in hand. It started with a three by Moss followed by a bucket by Asmus, another by Moss, a free throw by Boyd, a three by Smith, a bucket by Jacobson, a hoop by Asmus, another by Jacobson, a deuce by Moss and a hoop by Hanson. That left the score at 58-29. Later in the half Baker converted a three-point play and a hoop, Asmus scored, Boyd hit another from underneath, Sanford buried a three and a basket and Winter scored the final home points of the season off the glass.

It was the final home game for Boyd, and he really got his team going, "I don't know what fired me up, I had chances and was able to convert and I think playing in front of the home crowd for the final time had something to do with it." Jacobson was also an integral part of the Gobbler win, and he knows what time it is, "It's the playoffs, we have to play well every night, and they came out a little more pumped than they did last week when we played them. We had to respond and we did."

Hilltoppers      25 23 48

Gobblers         36 39 75

      In other first round games #8 Pillager beat #9 C-I 81-59, #10 MLWR beat #7 Two Harbors 81-79, #3 Esko beat #14 Mesabi East 82-38 and #6 GNK beat #11 Proctor 55-53. Those scores set up the four games for Saturday.

11:00-#1 Pequot Lakes vs #8 Pillager

12:30-#4 Mora vs #5 Aitkin

4:00-#2 Pierz vs #10 MLWR

5:30-#3 Esko vs #6 GNK

     The seedings are out now for the Section 7AA boys basketball tourney starting on Monday. Pequot Lakes is #1 and Pierz is #2. Both received a bye in the first round. The Gobblers are #5 just behind Mora, while Esko holds down the #3 spot. Here is Mondays schedule.

#9 C-I at #8 Pillager (winner plays Pequot Lakes)

#13 I. Falls at #4 Mora

#12 D. Marshall at #5 Aitkin

#10 MLWR at #7 Two Harbors (winner plays Pierz)

#14 Mesabi east at #3 Esko

#11 Proctor at #6 GNK

        Here are the latest rankings according to QRF for Section 7AA boys basketball.

1) Pequot Lakes          24-1

2) Pierz                          18-7

3) Esko                          13-13

4) Mora                         17-8

5) Aitkin                        19-7

6) GNK                         18-8

7) Pillager                    16-9

8) Two Harbors          17-9

9) Proctor                    10-16

10) C-Ironton              11-14

11)  MLWR                      7-18

12) Duluth Marshall    5-20

13) I. Falls                      7-19

14) Mesabi East           1-23

      The Aitkin Gobblers closed out the season Thursday night with a 96-45 win over the visiting Moose Lake-Willow River Rebels. It was a history making win as the Gobblers finished the season with their 19th win, most ever in a regular season and at 5:00 of the first half Isaac Asmus scored a bucket that put him one point past Nathan Ehnstrom to become the leading career scorer at Aitkin High School. He needed 25 points to tie Ehnstrom at 1,619 and with the hoop he went to 1,620. Asmus finished the night with 36 points and sits at 1,630 for his career with the playoffs still ahead next week. The senior talked about the milestone, "I started out just wanting to try basketball and make some new friends and it turned into this. I just wanted to play basketball, and my teammates have been so supportive. Like I said last night, records don't matter, wins do and that's what we want to do." Asmus had lots of help in this win as Noah Moss had 16, Jack Jacobson, Cole Trotter and Andy Hanson each had 8, Tyler Boyd and Bo Sanford each had 4, Tyce Jorgensen and Caleb Smith each had 3, and Jayden Janzen, Isaiah Baker and Wyatt Winter each scored 2 points. 

       The Gobblers started strong and never let up. They led 6-0 and later 15-6 and after Sanford scored twice it was 21-8. Asmus scored the next nine Gobbler points and when Moss followed that up it was 34-15. Asmus later scored a pair of baskets and Moss did the same for a 42-18 lead. Boyd scored twice and Hanson hit a pair of hoops and Asmus closed out the half with three buckets. The second half got everybody in the game, many of whom scored. Smith hit his only three of the night to put the lead at 71-30, Winter scored, Jacobson hit two free throws and Trotter, looking strong as ever after missing much of the season with an injury hit a bucket for an 81-38 lead. Trotter scored six more points,, Jorgensen hit a three and Janzen ended the scoring for the night with a bucket. Coach Landon Janzen after the win, "We came out and took a lead and never let them back in and that's what we wanted to do. We wanted Isaac to get his points and that way we can get ready for the playoffs with everybody healthy and ready without any distractions."

Rebels        24 21  45

Gobblers   60 36 96

         The Gobbler JV team finished 21-4 on the year with a 49-42 victory. Jordan Goeritz led the way with 16 followed by Tyce Jorgensen with 13, Jayden Janzen with 9, Andy Hanson with 5, Max Hagel with 4 and Lenny Hughes with 2 points.

Rebels     28  14 42

Gobblers 24 25 49

      The Gobbler C-Squad lost 46-32. Cole Kaiser led Aitkin with 11, Madden Dotzler had 6, Drew Proctor had 5, Alex Martinson had 4 and Luke Jacobson and Noah Hughes each had 2 points.

      Aitkin will open section 7AA play with a home game Monday with the opponent still undetermined.

      The Aitkin Gobblers celebrated Senior Night Wednesday with an 84-37 win over the Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers, and every senior got into the scoring column. This night belonged to Isaac Asmus as he broke the Gobbler single game scoring record by putting up 46 points to lead Aitkin. The old record was set by Nathan Ehnstrom in 2015 with 43 points. Caleb Smith added four threes for 12 points, Tyler Boyd had 7, Noah Moss had 6, Wyatt Winter had 4, Owen Foday had 3 and Jack Jacobson, Max Hagel and Isaiah Baker each had 2 points. What a night for the Gobblers as they became the first Aitkin boys' team to record 18 regular season victories. Aitkin led by thirty-one at the break and rolled to a big win moving their record to 18-7 with Moose Lake/Willow River coming to town on Thursday.

     The Gobblers jumped out to a 7-0 lead on two buckets by Asmus surrounding a three by Smith. It was 9-4 when Asmus scored, Smith hit another three, Moss scored and Asmus got his first dunk of the night for an 18-4 lead. It was 22-10 when Boyd hit two straight hoops, Asmus converted a three-point play started with a dunk, Moss scored and when Asmus scored again followed by a Winter basket it was 37-12. It was 37-14 when Asmus scored twice around another hoop from Boyd and Smith ended the scoring for the half with another from beyond the arc. 

     The second half saw Asmus score 23 more and he had lots of help. Baker scored for a 49-18 lead and later after a pair of hoops from Asmus, Moss scored and the lead ballooned to 55-19. Asmus hit three straight and Smith added his fourth three for a 63-21 lead. Aitkin led 77-33 when Foday buried a three followed by a bucket from Winter and two free throws by Hagel. The 'Toppers ended the scoring for the night with two free throws.

     Coach Landon Janzen after the win, "The game went pretty much like we planned, get the ball into the big guy and let him take care of business. It was Senior Night and I was able to play everybody, and all the seniors got on the scoreboard." Asmus went out and did his business with the accuracy underneath he has displayed all season. When he was asked about the record he said, "It's all about playing basketball, winning is more important than any records." The 'Toppers had no answer for Asmus underneath and couldn't keep up, dropping to 5-20 on the season.

Hilltoppers     16 21  37

Gobblers       47 37 84