ESKO — Aitkin head coach Alan Hills is happy his team is back in the section finals.

The second-seeded and Class 2A’s eighth-ranked Gobblers (9-1) will face top-seeded and Class 2A’s sixth-ranked Moose Lake-Willow Rebels (9-0) in the Section 7-2A Final Thursday, Oct. 30, at Esko High School.

It’s Aitkin’s first section final since 2021.

“It’s always our goal to get to that section final game,” Hills said. “Until we’re going to state on a regular basis, playing for that opportunity is where we set our sights. It’s a goal we had at the beginning of the year and we’ve achieved it.”

The two teams played on Sept. 12 with MLWR tabbing a 34-14 win. Hills thinks the game was closer than the score indicates.

“They’re a good football team, but we were tied with them at half,” Hills said. “It wa

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