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North Branch 32, Hermantown 16

North Branch's bread-and-butter rushing attack was on full display against Hermantown, as the Vikings used long, methodical drives and timely defensive stops to earn a 32-16 victory over the Hawks.

The Vikings got two touchdowns from Cohen Baker and scoring runs from quarterback Will Determan and Matt Phillips, but it was a seven-minute drive to open the second half that ultimately helped North Branch take control of the contest.

Hermantown entered the game with the second seed in Section 7AAAA already locked up, and the Hawks elected to rest All-State running back Martin Sleen for the contest. Still, North Branch took advantage of the opportunity to build some momentum heading into postseason play.

North Branch's defense set the tone early, forcing Hermantown into a turnover on downs near midfield on the Hawks' opening possession. Although neither team managed to find the end zone in the first quarter, the Vikings eventually broke through early in the second when Determan capped off a scoring drive with a touchdown run. A successful two-point conversion gave North Branch an 8-0 advantage.

Hermantown wasn't about to go away quietly, however, as the Hawks answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion of their own midway through the second quarter to knot the score at 8-8.

The Vikings responded before halftime, turning to their physical rushing attack to regain control. Phillips found his way into the end zone for North Branch's second touchdown of the night, and Determan added the two-point conversion to give the Vikings a 16-8 lead heading into the break.

While North Branch had managed to build an eight-point cushion through the first two quarters, it was the opening possession of the second half that really put the Hawks on their heels.

The Vikings took the third-quarter kickoff and proceeded to chew up nearly seven minutes of clock, methodically moving down the field and keeping Hermantown's offense on the sideline. The lengthy possession was punctuated by a two-yard touchdown plunge from Baker, and another successful two-point conversion pushed North Branch's lead to 24-8 midway through the third quarter.

The drive was a perfect example of what the Vikings want to accomplish offensively, controlling the line of scrimmage, keeping the chains moving and wearing down opposing defenses with their relentless ground game.

Hermantown still had some fight left, though, and the Hawks made things interesting early in the fourth quarter when they scored a touchdown and converted the two-point attempt to cut North Branch's lead to 24-16.

With the momentum threatening to swing back toward Hermantown, the Vikings once again leaned on their rushing attack to put the game away.

Baker delivered the decisive blow with just over four minutes remaining, scoring his second touchdown of the contest to restore a two-score advantage. Determan followed with a successful pass on the two-point conversion, stretching the lead to 32-16 and effectively putting the game out of reach.

With the win, the Vikings drew the fourth seed in the Section 7AAAA playoff bracket and were set to host fifth-seeded Duluth Denfeld in their postseason opener on Tuesday, Oct. 27. They fell 39-38 in an upset to the Hunters, who they beat 60-32 just two weeks ago. For a full recap, check out next week's Chisago County Press.

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