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Ironmen wrap up state playoff berth

The Vermilion Ironmen are in the state playoffs and they might even have their first postseason home game in several years.Thursday afternoon at Grand Rapids, the Ironmen stormed back from a 28-14 third quarter deficit to down Itasca 42-28 in a Northern Division community college football game.Quarterback Willie Johnson threw for over 300 yards and five touchdowns, and a 100-yard interception return - 70 yards by Ernest Edmonds and then the last 30 by Javorris Jackson after a fumble - snapped a 28-all deadlock in the fourth quarter and gave the Ironmen the lead to stay. The win was the Ironmen’s sixth straight and it assured them of a spot in the four-team state tournament, which starts Nov. 4.Vermilion also closed in on a division title, which would result in a first-round home game.If Northland defeated Mesabi late Thursday, the Ironmen (4-0 division, 6-2 overall) would clinch the division title.If Mesabi won (the game was completed after the Echo’s deadline), this Thursday’s game between the Ironmen and Mesabi (7 p.m., Ely School Stadium) would be for the division crown.Few details were available from Thursday’s game, but it was a seesaw affair as the advantage swung back and forth between the Ironmen and the Vikings.Vermilion jumped out to a 14-0 lead, then fizzled as Itasca took control.The Vikings scored four straight touchdowns, the last on the kickoff to start the second half, to gain a 14-point lead.Momentum turned back to Vermilion in the third quarter as Johnson, the freshman signal-caller from Jacksonville, Fla., went to work.His five TD throws were to four separate receivers. Isaiah Osborne, Patrick O’Malley and Stephen Jett caught one apiece, while Kirby Mayle was on the receiving end of a pair of scoring plays.Third quarter throws to Jett and Osborne tied the game, but Itasca (2-2 division, 4-4 overall) threatened to take the lead early in the fourth.That’s when the game changed on one play. Itasca drove down to the Vermilion three, but a pass was picked off by Edmonds in the end zone.“I wanted him to kneel (and take the touchback) but he decided to run the darn thing out,” said Turner. “He got all the way to the (Itasca) 30 when they stripped him, but we had a good convoy of blockers, and JJ (Jackson) picked it up and took it in.”Robert Karr, who was perfect on all six extra-point attempts, sailed one through the uprights for a 35-28 Vermilion lead.The Vermilion defense stiffened in the second half, giving up no touchdowns, and they got the ball back for the offense.Johnson added an insurance score, finding Mayle on an 11-yard play.“This was really big,” said Turner. “The difference was attitude. We jumped on them right away, then our defense forced a punt but we had 12 guys on the field and that gave them another chance and they scored. We got down at the half but we came out in the second half and started to play again.”Ironmen 19, Hibbing 18Vermilion scraped out a road win at Hibbing Oct. 13.Both teams scored three touchdowns, and the difference was the one extra-point that Vermilion converted. That came in the first quarter.The Ironmen couldn’t contain Hibbing back Robert Robinson, who ran for 216 yards on 33 carries.He sparked a scoring drive that gave Hibbing a 6-0 lead, but Vermilion came back on the ensuing possession, with Johnson hooking up with Osborne.Cardinals quarterback Kevin Gregory hooked up with Cedrick Evans on a 12-yard scoring play in the second quarter, but the Ironmen came back again on the following drive, with Johnson throwing a six-yard TD pass to Mayle.Hibbing regained the lead at 18-13 on a one-yard run by Robinson, but the hosts couldn’t complete a two-point conversion.Vermilion took the lead for good in the fourth on a six-yard completion from Johnson to Harold Fannin.Hibbing got the ball at its own five with under a minute to play and drove to the Vermilion 40 before turning it over on downs.

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