No. 16-3A Cloquet at No. 1-2A Esko
7:15 p.m., Monday, Feb. 10

Two schools slightly more than a stone’s throw down the road from each other go head-to-head Monday night. But proximity is only one of several key factors favoring this game. The student sections should be plenty familiar, as the schools are part of a co-op in several sports, including hockey. They’re also both darn good boys’ basketball teams this winter. Esko is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and has lost only to big schools Hermantown and Prior Lake. A veteran lineup that led the Eskomos to the state tournament last year leads the way, including sniper Kory Deadrick (23.0 ppg) and fellow 1,000-point scorers Marc Peterson and Casey Staniger. Cloquet will provide another big-school test, particularly in the paint with burly post Adam Laine (19.1 ppg), the school’s all-time leading scorer.