John’s Journal: Another Crack At State Title Motivates MIB Rangers

MOUNTAIN IRON -- A new banner hangs in a prominent spot on the wall inside the weight room at Mountain Iron-Buhl High School. Two team photos are prominent reminders of what the Rangers football and girls basketball teams accomplished last season: Minnesota State High School League state champions.

There is a strong family angle to this story. The football team was led by senior quarterback Asher Zubich, now playing at St. Olaf College. The star of the girls basketball team was his kid sister Jordan Zubich, who will soon begin her senior year and has committed to the University of North Carolina.

Their dad, Dan Zubich, is the Rangers head football coach and about as proud a parent as you will find.

Ask Dan about his favorite memories from 2022-23 and he thinks back to the first weekend in December. That Saturday, the Rangers rallied to defeat Spring Grove 28-25 in the Nine-Player state championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The girls basketball players cheered from the stands, then rode a bus to Hopkins High School, where they defeated Hayfield in a matchup of two of the state’s best small-school teams.

“We were watching that game on the bus on the way home,” Dan Zubich said. “And the next day, Jordan got her offer from North Carolina.”

A new year began at MIB on Monday evening when the football team held its first practice of the season. If things go well for the Rangers, they will make another lengthy postseason run. While last season’s state title was their first appearance in the Prep Bowl, boys from MIB have made regular trips to the state playoffs. Mountain Iron was the Class B state champion in 1972 and returned to state in 1973 and 1982; Mountain Iron-Buhl went to state in 1983 as well as 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

The Rangers football team hasn’t lost a district game since 2019 and is unbeaten in postseason section tournament action since 2017.

The obvious question as the 2023 season begins: What are the expectations?

“As far as I know, there might be a dark horse out there but I think we’re as good as anybody,” said Dan Zubich, the head coach since 2012. “You know how kids are. I’ve been getting after them, saying ‘You don’t have to do anything now, you won the state title, huh?’ ”

Zubich likes to needle the players about working hard, while reminding them what last year’s team did to make their dream come true.

“I think we have confidence but it’s like smart confidence,” said junior Micaden Clines, who will take over at quarterback this fall. “It’s like, ‘Don't think too highly of yourself. You’ve still got to put in the work. You’ve still got to perform.’ ”

The year’s first practice was workmanlike, with few whistles and not one raised voice. The stadium at MIB is one of the finest in the state, with artificial turf and comfortable seating set between the school and a wooded area. During Monday evening’s practice, the sounds of football were bookmarked between vehicles on nearby U.S. Highway 169 and crickets beginning their evening choir performance.

There were 44 players on the field – from seventh grade to seniors – wearing helmets, t-shirts, shorts and cleats. They stretched, they did 20-yard bear crawls, they carried teammates on their backs for 20 yards, they were timed in the 40-yard dash, two players at a time. They did drills on blocking, tackling, footwork, throwing and catching, they ran plays in a nine-on-nine format (aka 18 Wide).

The Rangers attended a football camp for Nine-Player teams at the University of Minnesota Morris in July, giving those who attended a head start on working together.

There are holes to fill, beyond the spot vacated by Asher Zubich. Dan Zubich said five starters are back on defense, along with two offensive linemen and running back Damien Tapio.

“We’ve got a lot of experience on defense,” Tapio said. “We'll see but I think our defense might be better than last year. On offense it's going to be a different team.”

Tapio carried the ball 18 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the Prep Bowl win over Spring Grove, and also caught four passes for 29 yards. After Spring Grove led 19-0, Tapio’s 11-yard scoring run late in the first half put the Rangers on the board. He scored again from 10 yards with 25 seconds remaining in regulation to cap the Rangers' rally and the memorable three-point victory.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Clines. “You know, we started off down and we kept our composure. It was a lot of fun out there, sticking through it as a team.”

Those kinds of lessons can pay off a season later, and that’s what the Rangers are hoping for in 2023. They will open the season with a road game at Cook County in Grand Marais, a 275-mile round trip that will set the tone for MIB’s regular-season road schedule. They also will play at Lake of the Woods (332-mile round trip), North Central (234) and Blackduck (242).

Home games will be much anticipated at the Rangers’ state-of-the-art stadium that was built in 2018. When Mountain Iron-Buhl’s junior high team lost a home game last fall, it was the first home defeat for any MIB football team since the facility opened.

“We like to tease those guys about that,” Zubich said.

The state championship poster is in its place, and this year’s football team will try to hang another one.

“Last year’s seniors, when they were younger, were so good in lots of sports,” Zubich said. “We tell the kids they have to be mentally tough. It’s helped them, because they have been through so many games.”

--MSHSL senior content creator John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at [email protected]