Frazee to host winner of Warroad, Hawley on Saturday

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Just eight years after playing a JV football schedule due to low participation numbers, the Frazee Hornets will open the Section 8AA tournament as the top overall  seed in the section. The Hornets wrapped up their regular season on Wednesday night with a commanding 42-6 win over Otter Tail Central to wrap up their best regular season since 2014.

On a cool and wet night, the Frazee Hornets scored on the opening drive of the game on a 68-yard touchdown pass, before adding a second touchdown in the quarter through the air, this time from 10-yards out, to take a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

The Hornets took to the ground in the second quarter with three touchdown runs coming from 34-yards, 46-yards and 12-yards out to take a commanding 34-0 lead at halftime.

“We definitely surprised them,” said head coach Russ Hackel of the quick start for the Hornets. “We expected a really close game with them. I think getting up early really took the wind out of their sails. From the first play of the game we didn’t take our foot off the gas.”

After a scoreless third quarter, Frazee added its sixth and final touchdown, this time on a 67-yard run to take a 42-0 lead. 

The lone Bulldog touchdown came on a 64-yard run by OTC quarterback Braxtyn Cameron to make the score 42-6, where it would finally end.

As a team the Hornets overwhelmed the Bulldogs as Frazee finished with 492 yards of total offense, including 335 yards on the ground and 157 yards through the air. 

OTC finished with just 245 yards in total offense, including just one pass completion for 35 yards and 210 yards on the ground. 

Hunter Malone had a huge game on the ground for the Hornets as he finished with 12 carries for an eye popping 196 yards and three touchdowns.
Mason Mickelson finished with eight carries for 50 yards, while Adam Vigen rushed five times for 49 yards and a score. Ben Reierson finished with four carries for 17 yards, while Ayden Grossman and Reed Simon both rushed two times for 10 yards. Dawson Lyman rushed one time for three yards. 

Vigen had his best night of passing on the season as the senior went 10-15 for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Grossman caught five passes for 92 yards and a score, while Reierson caught four passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. Noah Mekalson also caught one pass for 30 yards in the win. 

The six wins is the most for Frazee since 2022 when the Hornets went 6-4 overall, which included a 1-1 record in the playoffs. The Hornets have not won six games in a regular season since they went 8-3 overall (6-2 in the regular season) and advanced to the Section 8AA finals in 2014.

By earning the top seed, the Hornets received a bye and will host either fourth seeded Warroad, who is 2-6 on the season, or fifth seeded Hawley, who is also 2-6 on the season, on Saturday afternoon in Frazee. The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the Section 8AA championship, which is set for Friday, Oct. 31 at 5:30 p.m. at the FargoDome. 

The opening round bye on Tuesday will give the Hornets a chance to get some rest and work on the basics heading into Saturday’s Section 8AA semi-final game.

“It gives a little time to prepare and give some of the guys a rest that they needed,” said Hackel. “Hopefully we come prepared and be hungry.”

On the other side of the bracket, second seeded Barnesville, who is 5-3 on the season, will take on seventh seeded Roseau, who is 1-7 on the season, in the opening round of the section playoffs. The winner of that game will take on the winner of third seeded Pelican Rapids, who is 3-5 on the season, and sixth seeded Crookston, who is 2-6 on the season, on Saturday.