Sports

by Tom Coombe
After an unconvetional celebration during the 2020-21 school year, Winter Frolic Week returns at Ely High School with a more traditional celebration.
The annual mid-winter, mid-school year event went on last year, but amid Covid-19 restrictions that scrapped many of the usual festivities - including the dance.
That’s not the case this year and the monotony of the middle of the school year will be broken up with an array of events and old-fashioned fun in the works as students celebrate the season.
While the bulk of the events are coming up, the celebration actually has already begun with a pep rally that took place at the end of the school day Friday - including the announcement of Winter Frolic royalty candidates.
Hallway decorating follows Sunday, setting the stage for dress-up days, home sports events, pep fests as well as a dance.

by Tom Coombe
The Ely Timberwolves’ biggest win of the year was a heartstopping, and in the case of Mason Davis, toothshaking.
Less than a minute after a collision knocked him out of the game, and knocked two teeth from his mouth, Davis returned to the floor and picked up a key steal and basket that helped preserve a thrilling 58-56 win over Duluth Marshall.
Saturday’s win, which came with dramatic momentum shifts down the home stretch, came against a Marshall team that was ranked fourth in Section 7A.
It came after a 72-49 loss at Mt. Iron-Buhl the night before and may have sent a message that the Wolves (9-6) can compete against the teams in the upper echelon of a stacked section.
“I think it was a great game for us and proved we can play with the better teams when we combine good defense with good offensive possessions,” said Ely Head Coach Tom McDonald.

by Tom Coombe
The Ely Timberwolves are in need of an offensive jolt.
In their last seven games, all defeats, Ely hasn’t scored more than one goal in any contest and was shutout in three.
Tuesday, Section 7A contender Greenway came to the Ely Arena and ran roughshod over the high school hockey team in a 9-1 rout that included a whopping 48-4 disparity in shots on goal.
The Wolves were also blanked 6-0 at Lake of the Woods on Jan. 14.
Ely, now 2-12, faced Ashland (Wisc.) on the road on Friday and follows up with a home rematch against the Oredockers on Monday night at 6 p.m.
If the Wolves are to return to early-season form, which included a pair of wins and a slew of competitive defeats, they’ll need more firepower.
Junior Kole Macho, the Wolves’ leading scorer, had Ely’s only goal against Greenway.
It was a third-period tally assisted by Jace Huntbatch and Deegan Richards and came only after the Wolves had fallen behind 6-0.

by Tom Coombe
For nearly two periods, the Ely Timberwolves hung with one of the better teams in Section 7A.
But two late goals in the second period proved to be backbreakers, and visiting Proctor went on to win Tuesday night’s high school hockey contest 7-0.
Ely fell to 2-10 for the winter while the Rails are now 9-5-1 and ranked third among 10 teams in 7A.
Senior goaltender Chase Sandberg kept the Wolves close, turning away 50 shots in the game and 25 in the middle period.
That’s when Proctor’s Keenan Reyelts and Brett Bartlam both scored in the final two minutes of the period.
It turned a two-goal game into a 4-0 difference and the Wolves faced too steep of a hill in the period.
The Rails’ Cullen Solum, who had a three-point night, scored twice in the final frame as the visitors sent the game into running time.

by Tom Coombe
There were six races - and six Ely victories - on Tuesday at Hidden Valley.
No matter the level or gender, the host Timberwolves swept at the Ely Invitational, winning each Nordic skiing race.
In the varsity event, junior Zoe Devine and senior Gabriel Pointer scored convincing wins at a small meet that brought northern rivals Mesabi East and Grand Rapids to town on a cold, windy and overcast morning and afternoon.
Ely skiers were also first in the junior varsity contests, with Claire Blauch and Silas Solum bagging first-place finishes.
Junior high skiers Aila Harding and Oliver Hohenstein also won their respective races to complete a dominant day for the red-and-white.
The races served as a tune-up of sorts, as Ely’s top skiers will take part in Saturday’s Mesabi East Invitational at Giants Ridge - which serves as the state’s largest regular season event and is held at the site of the section and state meets.

Alumni hockey and basketball games were held in Ely. Hockey was played on Dec. 23 and basketball on Dec. 26.
Over 60 former players participated in the games, which have become an annual tradition.
Hockey photos were taken by Ken Hupila and the basketball games by Eric Sherman.

by Tom Coombe
In a matter of weeks, Joey Bianco and Jack Davies have become a potent - and winning - combination for Ely’s high school boys basketball team.
That was evident this week in the Wolves’ home holiday tournament.
The hosts won the four-team event, with Bianco pouring in a career-high 36 points and taking over the title tilt - a 63-37 Wolves win over Bigfork.
Bianco also had 21 points the night before in a 77-32 first-round win over Mille Lacs, but Davies showed off his shooting abilities as well while knocking down eight three-point baskets.
Six of those triples came in the first half as Ely rolled to a commanding lead and never looked back.
Only an eighth-grader, Davies led all scorers with 26 points.
The wins extended Ely’s victory streak to three and the Wolves are 6-2 heading into a Jan. 7 showdown with Section 7A contender.

by Tom Coombe
In Ely, the holiday season usually includes plenty of basketball.
That’s again the case this year as the Memorial Gymnasium will be home to 10 games in a three-day span, starting Monday, for holiday tournaments hosted by Ely’s boys and girls high school teams.
Action begins at 4 p.m. Monday with the first of three girls games that day.
The events are back after a one-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Because of statewide restrictions, the 2020-21 season was delayed and didn’t begin until after the holidays.
But that’s not the case this winter, and Ely is set to host a six-team girls tournament Monday and Tuesday, with four boys teams squaring off Tuesday and Wednesday
For the second consecutive tournament, the girls field is six teams and Monday’s slate begins with Northeast Range taking on Wrenshall at 4 p.m., followed by Deer River vs. South Ridge at 5:30 and the host Timberwolves meeting Carlton at 7 p.m.

by Tom Coombe
Ely’s Nordic Wolves made the most of a challenging course and picked up two individual first-place finishes and a team win at last Saturday’s Grand Rapids Invitational.
Senior Gabriel Pointer won the boys race and junior Zoe Devine was first among the girls, and the Wolves had a strong day overall in the event at Mount Itasca, the team’s second meet of the young season.
“Saturday was a good confidence booster and a number of skiers skied very smart races,” said Ely Head Coach Paula Anderson. “It was a skiathlon, also called a continuous pursuit on a multiple lapped course and very hilly with fast downhills.”
Pointer took the lead from the start and maintained in easily in the boys competition.
The veteran Ely skier won with nearly 30 seconds to spare, completing a 7.6-kilometer, six-lap course in 24:44.3.
Fellow Ely senior Jon Hakala took third (25:33.7) and Micah Larson was fifth (25:02.7).

TOP AND BOTTOM PHOTOS - Members of the Minnesota Warriors and Ely’s Rusty Blades played two games at the Ely Arena Saturday. The Warriors program, “Educates, trains, motivates and encourages individuals who have physical or mental disabilities incurred during service to the United States, to participate in the sport of ice hockey.” Photos by Eric Sherman.