Girls Basketball

      The season came to an end Saturday for the Gobblers as they lost a 104-31 matchup in Cloquet to the Crosby-Ironton Rangers. C-I raced out to a big lead at the half and finished off the Gobblers who finished the season at 13-15. The Rangers move on to the semifinals next week. Kacie Kaiser and Kate Palm led the Gobblers with 10 points each while Taya Hawkins had 9. Hailey Munsterteiger scored the final two Gobbler points of the year with a pair of free throws near the end.

     The Rangers led 9-0 before the Gobblers got a shot off and were up 11-0 before Kaiser got the first Aitkin points. It was 22-2 when Aitkin called a timeout with 14:20 left in the half. Later when Hawkins hit a free throw it was 28-3 and when Kaiser hit two it was 31-5. Kaiser scored again and Palm hit a free throw and a three and it was 62-17 at the break. Gobbler points in the second half were tough to come by. Kaiser hit two free throws, Hawkins scored and Palm hit another three for a 74-24 score. The rest of the Aitkin points in the game were on a bucket by Hawkins, a three-point play by Palm and the two free throws by Munsterteiger. Coach Kaija Davies closed the book on another season, "It's important to recognize how competitive this group of girls truly are. Our record may not fully reflect the growth from last year, but what it doesn't show is the level of competition we chose to face. We intentionally built a tougher schedule to challenge ourselves, to grow, and to prepare for moments that matter. That kind of commitment doesn't always show up in the win column-but it absolutely shows up in the character, toughness and resilience of this team. This group competed every single night. They showed grit, heart and the willingness to battle through adversity together. The growth we've seen-individually and collectively is something to be proud of. They raised the standard, embraced the challenge and continued building on what this program has become. It is incredibly hard to say goodbye to our two seniors, Tika May and manager Kaelynn Gruhlke. These two have meant more to this program than wins and stats could ever measure. They helped take a program that wasn't very successful and poured their time, leadership and belief into turning it into what it is today. Their impact will last far beyond this season. We are so grateful for everything they've given-their commitment, leadership and the example they have set for the younger girls. We are proud, proud of the growth, proud of the fight, proud of the culture being built. While we are sad to see our seniors go, we are excited for the future of this program. The foundation is strong, the standard is set and the best is still ahead."

Gobblers  17  14   31

Rangers   62 41 104