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

       The Aitkin Gobblers used a huge second half to defeat the visiting International Broncos 74-59 Tuesday in the opening round of the Section 7AA tournament. The Gobblers got 23 points from Kate Palm, 19 from Kacie Kaiser and 11 from Taya Hawkins but also got 9 from Adah Williams and 8 from Eva Kalis, all in the first half, to really provide some great balanced scoring. Tika May added the other 4 points for the Gobblers. The win puts the Gobblers into the quarterfinals against the top seeded C-I Rangers on Saturday. The first half was close all the way. Aitkin took a 2-0 lead on two free throws by Hawkins and were up 4-2 after a bucket by Palm. The Broncos took an 8-4 lead, but Aitkin responded with six points in a row with Kaiser scoring and Kalis with a pair of hoops.  Later Kalis scored for a 12-9 lead, but the Broncos later went on a 12-0 run and led 21-19. Palm buried a three to go up 22-21 but the Gobblers wouldn't lead again until the second half as the Broncos hit a three at the buzzer for a four-point lead at the break.

      The second half started with a hoop from Palm, two free throws by Hawkins and a deuce by Kaiser and Aitkin had the lead back at 39-37. Kaiser scored again and after a hoop by the Broncos, Hawkins scored, May scored off a long inbound pass and then after a timeout she scored again on the break for a 47-41 lead. It was 51-46 when Hawkins hit a three, Palm scored and Williams hit a short jumper bringing a timeout with 7:00 left and the Gobblers in front 58-46. Aitkin led 66-50 when the Broncos made their final push, hitting three buckets, but the Gobblers had this one in hand. Kaiser and Palm each scored four points near the end and the Gobblers moved to 13-14 heading into the game on Saturday.

     Palm really turned things around in the second half, but knows the task Saturday is a tough one, "We turned up our defense and hit some shots in that second half. It was probably our best second half of the season. We know who we are playing Saturday but it's another game for us and for Tika." She also talked about her second half of the season, "I had a stretch of four or five games when I slumped, I wasn't scoring and helping as much as I should. The last few games I've been a little stronger and making some shots and that boosts my confidence." Hawkins has also stepped up the past several games and she knows what the difference has been for her team, "This was a huge team win, we all worked really hard for it, so proud of all of us." The Gobblers have done a much better job at the free throw line as well, hitting 11-15 against the Broncos. Another key to the win for Aitkin was the play of Kaiser who talked about the second half comeback, "We did some talking at the half and knew we had to come out and put more pressure on them. They were getting easy shots, and we had to make it tougher. We got in tighter on the players we were guarding and that seemed to help us on that end of the floor. I had a chance to get some buckets underneath and once we got the lead, we were not going to give it up."

        Coach Kaija Davies after the win, "Big first round win over the #9 seed to open our playoff run. Our girls showed incredible composure from start to finish and trusted the scouting report. They executed the game plan, stayed together through every run and leaned on each other when it mattered most. That's team strength. We had three players in double figures but more importantly it was a total team effort on both ends of the floor. Excited for Saturday!"

Broncos     37 22 59

Gobblers   33 41  74

     The pairings are set and Tuesday night will find the Aitkin Gobblers hosting the International Falls Broncos, a battle between the #8 Gobblers and the #9 Broncos. Aitkin comes in at 12-14 and the Falls will bring a 13-13 record into town. Looking at the common opponents, you won't see any glaring stats. Both teams lost big to Mesabi East, both beat up on Two Harbors and Aitkin beat Hibbing 51-41 while the Broncos lost to the Bluejackets 69-66. The Broncos are led by senior Cheznee Skrien, #33, who just last week broke the school record for points in a game with 42 points. Sylvia Valenzuela, #2, is the only other Bronco senior. Let's hear from some of the Gobblers on their season and playing that first playoff game at home.

Tika May-"I'm excited to get one last home game. It inspires the team to put all of our effort and energy into it with the support of a home crowd, our friends and families surrounding us and cheering for us."

Kate Palm-"It is so exciting to be playing at home. We know it's going to be a tough game, but we'll be ready. This will be the last home game for sure for Tika, so we want to keep winning for her and to keep our season going. It will be great to have our fans cheering for us at home. It's a good confidence builder for us to be playing on our home court."

Eva Kalis-"As far as this season goes for me personally, I've learned and experienced new things that have helped me grow in other things other than basketball. I have loved playing with this group of girls and I'm so thankful to be a part of it. As for the team season, we have had our ups and downs but have been able to overcome it all and come back even better than before. Everyone plays as a team and is so determined, positive and up lifting. A home Section game is so important for our team so we can have our classmates and community cheering for us. The energy of the crowd can really impact the game, and we are all so glad that we will be getting the positive cheering that we need to win this next game."

Adah Williams-"I think we have had our ups and downs this season. It was tough to start off with Crosby-Ironton, and it took a little bit to get into our rhythm but once we did, things started to go a little smoother. One thing our team never did was quit. We had games we should have won but that's life. Coach Kaija told us we had to win Friday to get a home game, so we came together and won it for Tika. We are so blessed to have one more home game this season. International Falls is good and it will be tough, but we can do it."

Taya Hawkins-"I think this season has had ups and downs but ending our regular season with a win, I feel confident going into the playoff game Tuesday. It is so important to have that first playoff game at home where we don't have to drive. We get our gym and our fans. I'm very excited for Tuesday."

Kacie Kaiser-"Being able to have the first round of sections at home is a huge win for us. It's one of our main goals that we set at the beginning of the season so achieving it means so much for the team. Having the community there to cheer us on and pack the gym is a huge motivation to give everything we have to the game. I'm super proud of my team, even though the season started off a little rough, but we pushed through and ended it on a high note so I hope we can bring that energy into Tuesdays game."

       Game time at the Aitkin High School gym is 6:00. Let's fill the gym, be loud and proud!

    

       The Aitkin Gobblers will open the Section 7AA tournament with a home game Tuesday against the Broncos from International Falls. Aitkin is the #8 seed while the Falls is #9. C-I is the #1 seed and will play the winner of this game in the quarterfinal round on Feb. 28 in Cloquet. The other two games on that side of the bracket has #4 Pequot Lakes hosting #13 Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin and #5 Mesabi East hosting #12 Moose Lake/Willow River. On the other side it has #2 Duluth Marshall having a bye and playing the winner of #7 Pierz and #10 Staples/Motley, #3 Proctor hosting #14 Two Harbors and #6 Esko hosting #11 Pillager. 

     The Aitkin Gobblers finished up the regular season Friday with a 67-39 win over the Pillager Huskies. Aitkin heads to the Section 7AA playoffs with a record of 12-14. The Gobblers were led by Kate Palm with 17 points while Taya Hawkins had 15 and Adah Williams had 11. Eva Kalis added 8, Kacie Kaiser had 7, Tika May, playing her final regular season game on her home court, had 5, and Annika Kalis had 4 points.

     The Gobblers got things going with a three from Eva and after a bucket by the Huskies, she hit another bucket and it was 5-2. May scored and after two free throws by Pillager, Hawkins hit two from the line. The Huskies took a 14-11 lead, but the Gobblers quickly countered with a three by Palm, two free throws from Annika and a three by Williams to lead 19-14. The Huskies closed to 19-18 but Williams canned a trey, Palm did the same and after another Huskie three, May hit a three-ball and Aitkin led by seven. Palm hit another from beyond the arc and Eva hit a free throw and the Gobblers led at the break by two.

     The second half brought a blowout. Hawkins opened the half with a deuce and after Pillager tied the game, Kaiser scored and Hawkins converted a three-point play. Pillager scored but it would be some time before they scored again. It was 39-36 when Aitkin went on a 25-0 run to lead 64-36. Annika scored, Palm hit a runner in the lane, Kaiser scored, Williams scored, Palm hit a three, Kaiser hit two gifters, then hit another, Williams hit another three, Hawkins scored, Palm buried a three and Hawkins hit a three to end the run. Hawkins hit another three before it was over and the Gobblers had a huge win. Coach Kaija Davies, "Proud of our girls tonight. They played with great energy, confidence and togetherness from start to finish. We saw strong execution on both ends of the floor and a commitment to doing the little things that leads to wins. What stood out most was our team effort-unselfish offense, solid defensive pressure and players stepping up in key moments. It's exciting to see the growth and maturity this group continues to show as the season progresses. We are heading into the playoffs with momentum and belief in one another. This group is locked in and we're excited for the opportunity ahead. Thank you to our fans and families for your continued support, it does make a difference."

Huskies     29 10 39

Gobblers  32 35 67

      The JV finished the year at 22-3 with a 59-35 win. Hailey Munsterteiger and Chey Shaffer each had 14, Ada Samuelson had 12 and Annika Kalis had 11 to lead the way. Grace Hunter had 6 and Elsie Kyllonen had 2 to complete the scoring.

Huskies     23 12 35

Gobblers  27 32 59

      The C-Squad lost a low scoring affair 18-13. Paityn Hawkins had 5 to lead Aitkin while Izzy Spicer had 3, Eleanor Hughes and Leah Palm each had 2 and Natalie Shereck had 1 point.

Huskies    10 8 18

Gobblers  5 8 13

      The Aitkin Gobblers fell to 11-14 with a 112-40 loss at Duluth Marshall Thursday night. Chloe Johnson had 40 points to lead the 'Toppers while Taya Hawkins had 14 and Kacie Kaiser had 11 to lead Aitkin.

     The Hilltoppers got off to a fast start leading 7-0 before Eva Kalis got the Gobblers on the board. It was 10-2 when Hawkins scored and 22-4 when Kaiser hit two free throws to make it 39-10. She later converted a three-point play for a 44-13 score, but the 'Toppers went on a 19-2 run interrupted only by two free throws by Eva. Kate Palm ended the run, but it was 62-17 by then. Hawkins had a three and a bucket and the half ended 65-22. The second half was more of the same with the 'Toppers using their press to get easy buckets and extending the lead. Palm had a bucket, Eva had a hoop and Hawkins had two buckets and a three as the half wore on. The rest of the scoring for the Gobblers had Eva Kalis with 9, Palm with 4 and Chey Shaffer finishing with 3 points.

Gobblers        22 18  40

Hilltoppers     65 47 112

      The regular season is in its final days and the post-season starts next week for girls basketball. Here's a look at the Section 7AA standings heading into the final days.

 1) Proctor               18-7

 2) D. Marshall       19-7

 3) C-Ironton         20-5

 4) Pequot Lakes   17-9

 5) Mesabi East     20-5

 6) Pierz                   14-11

 7) Esko                    10-15

 8) Aitkin                  12-14

 9) I. Falls                 13-13

10) Pillager              11-15

11)  Staples/Motley 6-20

12) MLWR                  6-20

13) GNK                     8-17

14) Two Harbors      5-20

      Ratings are based on the QRF values.        

       The Aitkin Gobblers finished off a tough three games in three nights stretch Thursday night with a great comeback win 55-47 over the visiting Denfeld Hunters. The Gobblers trailed 42-37 with just over six minutes left and produced a 13-0 run to take the game away from the 10-13 Hunters. Kate Palm scored 29 points for the locals to lead the way while Taya Hawkins had 9, Tika May, Kacie Kaiser and Eva Kalis each had 5 points and Annika Kalis had 2 points as Aitkin moved to 11-13 with two games left next week.

       Aitkin took a quick 2-0 lead on a bucket by Palm and after a three by the Hunters May scored and Hawkins hit a free throw. Trailing 7-5 May buried a three and Eva scored for a 10-7 lead. Palm hit a pair of hoops, Eva scored again and Palm ended the half with a three to give the Gobblers a four-point lead. The second half was tied at 19-19 when Palm hit two from the line, then a basket and Hawkins hit two free throws for a 25-19 Gobbler advantage. Later in the half the Hunters closed it up with a three and Aitkin led 27-26. Annika hit a hoop and after another three by the Hunters tied the game, they took a timeout with 8:52 left. Palm hit a three, but the Hunters hit a bucket and a three to take a 37-32 lead but then the game changed dramatically. Palm hit a free throw, Eva hit a free throw, Palm hit a three, Kaiser scored and then hit a three and Palm climaxed the run with another three and a 45-37 lead. With 1:21 left Denfeld hit a three, but Palm answered that with one of her own and then hit a gifter for a 49-39 Gobbler lead. Hawkins hit four free throws down the stretch to keep the Hunters at bay and Palm hit two free throws near the end for the final score. Aitkin finished 14-18 from the free throw line and it was a big reason for the win. Palm, who has struggled to score in seven of the last eight games had no such problem in this game and she talked about the big run that got her team in front to stay, "We flipped the switch and knew we had to get going and we did.  The defense turned up the heat and helped us get easy buckets. When we decide to play with grit we can play great basketball. I got the green light tonight and was able to hit some threes, (5 for Palm in this game), it was a tough week and we really needed this one." Coach Kaija Davies was happy with this one as well, "Tonight was a hard-fought game against a strong 3A opponent and it came down to the final minutes to secure it. We battled through adversity, stayed composed late and executed when it mattered most. One of our leading scorers stepped up in a big way to help lead us to victory. Her effort on the offensive end set the tone, but what stood out just as much was our team defense. We committed to guarding together, communicating and trusting one another and that made the difference down the stretch. We continue to grow with every single game. This group is learning to win tough ones, how to stay united and how to respond in big moments. Most importantly we play with unity, for each other, for our program and with the incredible support of our fans and parents behind us. Proud of this team and the direction we are heading. On to the next one."

Hunters     15 32 47

Gobblers  19 36 55

       Chey Shaffer scored 16 points and Grace Hunter added 13 as the Gobbler JV picked up a 51-37 win. Ada Samuelson added 6, Annika Kalis and Elsie Kyllonen each had 4, Izzy Spicer had 3, and Leah Palm and Charlotte Lundgren each scored 2 points.

Hunters      15 22 37

Gobblers   29 22 51