Sports, Did you know .....

The Falls Broncos football team has an all-time record of 19-21 against Hibbing. However, the two teams haven’t squared off since 1991, when the Broncos won 12-6 in the second game of the season. The Bluejackets and Broncos enter tonight’s contest in Hibbing with identical records: 1-5 overall and 0-5 in the Sea-Range Conference.

The undefeated Littlefork-Big Falls Vikings football team is averaging just over 50 points and surrendering just under seven points a game over its past three contests. Friday it plays host to Mesabi Academy, a team that sits at 0-6 overall and scored its first touchdown of the season last week in a 58-6 loss to Cherry. In the Bulldogs’ six losses, they are giving up just over 54 points a game.

Broncos senior Jacob Casareto leads the football team with 84.5 defensive points through five games (a sixth game was won via forfeit). Players are awarded points for everything from tackles (six different point categories) to sacks to interceptions. Mike Jensen has the school’s single-game record of 55.5 points in 2001 and Mike Mannausau holds the season record with 348.5 points in 1993.

That the Falls Broncos football team has an all-time record of 17-21 against the Proctor Rails. However, the Rails are riding a four-game win streak against the Broncos after winning twice in 2006 and 2007. The Broncos (1-4) haven’t beaten Proctor (3-2) since the middle of the 2005 season. The two teams play tonight at Sports Stadium on the Falls’ homecoming.

That long-time Bronco football coach Stuart Nordquist has a 157-74 overall record (.680) in conference play through 33 years and five games into the 2008 season. Notable performances against conference foes, both current and old, include Aurora-Hoyt Lakes (10-2), Cloquet (10-3), Crosby-Ironton (8-0), Eveleth-Gilbert (15-2), Greenway (20-8), Mesabi East (10-0) and Two Harbors (18-2).

The Broncos’ all-time record against Eveleth-Gilbert in football is an impressive 19-2. The Falls also owns a 3-0 record against the co-op of Eveleth-Gilbert/Mesabi East, giving the Broncos a combined 22-2 record against the Golden Bears. Broncos coach Stuart Nordquist alone is 19-1 all-time against E-G.
The Broncos travel today to Eveleth-Gilbert for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The Littlefork-Big Falls football team, ranked No. 4 in Minnesota’s 9-man rankings by the Associated Press, is averaging 35 points a game and only surrendering 5.25 points a game through four contests.
L-BF is 4-0 on the season and 3-0 in the St. Louis County North Conference with two shutouts.

The Broncos’ all-time record against Ashland in football is only 1-2. The teams started playing each other in 2005 and the Falls won the first meeting 52-14. Since then, however, Ashland has won 20-8 (2006) and 33-8 (2007).
The Broncos travel to Ashland tonight in a 7 p.m. contest.

That before the 1942 high school athletic season, Falls High School’s nickname was “The Men of Purple and Gold.” The nickname “Broncos” started in 1942 after winning a local contest in the Daily Journal. Walt Scheela thought up the name for the contest and came up with it to honor the legendary Bronko Nagurski.

The Broncos’ all-time record for most pass attempts in a game is 30 by Marshall Virden in 1974 against Virginia. Senior quarterback Jacob Casareto put up 22 pass attempts Friday against Hermantown, completing 10 passes for 168 yards.