Clearbrook-Gonvick routs Blackduck to take home first section title in 31 years

Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer By Leo Pomerenke Today at 8:09 PM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? FARGO — Clearbrook-Gonvick head coach Casey Kroulik looked up at the Fargodome scoreboard in the first quarter and couldn’t believe his eyes. “I looked at our other coach and I go, ‘We have 16, and it hasn’t been two minutes yet,’” he recalled. ADVERTISEMENT One minute and 29 seconds, to be exact. Ryan Gerlofs started the Section 6 9-Player Championship against Blackduck with a 75-yard kick return touchdown. The Bears forced the Drakes offense off the field quickly before running back Avery Ostenaa scored on the first play from scrimmage, running for a 27-yard touchdown to go up 16-0. “Setting the tone” may be coachspeak, but there’s a reason why it’s a cliché. Second-seeded Blackduck was in an unclimbable hole, and the No. 4 Bears marched to a 60-21 victory to claim their first section title since 1995. Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer “We had a lot of dads who were on that (1995) team up in the stands,” Kroulik said. “We've been here numerous times and run into some brick walls, like Fertile or Stephen back when we were up in Section 8. “To have this opportunity and bring the community — I think hands down we've had the most people in our stands over here. … So to be able to give them this championship is a lot of fun.” Clearbrook-Gonvick saw itself as undersized, especially against the Drakes. So the Bears used their speed to dominate the Blackduck defense, which didn’t have an answer throughout the first half. By halftime, C-G had a comfortable 46-point lead. Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer “We thought we had the speed advantage to get some points up, and we thought if we could jump on them early,” Kroulik said. “They're bigger, but it's hot in here. And we thought if we could get them into a sideline-to-sideline racing game, we're going to tire them out, and that's what we saw happen.” ADVERTISEMENT One of the leaders on the ground was Ostenaa, who celebrated his 17th birthday by scoring five touchdowns, four of which came in the first half. He used his speed to beat Blackduck defenders, specifically on 65- and 66-yard touchdowns, the two longest scores of the game. “I've said it before, it's more my linemen than it is me,” Ostenaa said. “I mean, they block with their whole life, and they put every piece of strength they have in them to move those guys out of the way to get me able to go down the field. It's nothing better to see a big, wide-open hole from our linemen. I can't thank them enough.” Quarterback Carter Kroulik threw his only touchdown pass in the second quarter, caught in the end zone by Grant Engen. Gerlofs also got to run the ball, scoring a 52-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Clearbrook-Gonvick will enter the 9-Player State Tournament as one of the more undersized teams, but to players like Ostenaa, that doesn’t matter. Their speed — and their heart — can lead them to victory, which has been proven throughout the Section 6 Tournament. “We might not have some size like other teams, but we have fast linemen, and that really helps,” Ostenaa said. “If we need to pull, we can pull fast. They can get around those places pretty fast, and it's great.” Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Leo Pomerenke / Bemidji Pioneer Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags FOOTBALL MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE By Leo Pomerenke Leo Pomerenke is a sports reporter with the Bemidji Pioneer. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling 218-333-9791 . 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