Bears' Historic 2025 Season Comes to a Close - Fall to Cromwell-Wright in Section Championship
- Guest Author
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
by Coach Jared Hoemberg
The Bertha-Hewitt Bears’ remarkable 2025 football season came to a close Thursday night as they fell to the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals 41-18 in the Section 5 9-Man Championship in Brainerd. The Bears finished the year 9-2 overall, tying for the district title and reaching the section championship game for the first time since 2009.
Cromwell-Wright set the tone early, scoring on the very first offensive play of the game. The Bears took a calculated risk defensively, but the Cardinals capitalized immediately. Cromwell later added a field goal to go up 11-0 before the Bears punched back with a touchdown to make it 11-6.
Momentum seemed to swing in Bertha-Hewitt’s favor in the second quarter when an interception gave the Bears possession and a chance to take control. But after a stalled drive, Cromwell struck again with just six seconds left in the half, connecting on a deep touchdown pass to make it 19-6 — a moment that changed the tone of the game heading into halftime.
“That one was deflating,” said Head Coach Jared Hoemberg. “We worked so stinking hard to keep them out, and they still found a way in. Credit to Cromwell — they made plays when they had to all night. They earned it.”
In the second half, the Bears fought relentlessly but couldn’t find enough consistency on offense to close the gap until the fourth quarter. Despite putting up two late touchdowns, time ran out as Cromwell’s size, experience, and playmaking proved too much to overcome.
“We knew we had to play perfect football to win this one,” Hoemberg said. “That meant winning the line of scrimmage, being technically sound, and capitalizing on every opportunity. We didn’t do that as well as we needed to. Cromwell is a very talented, disciplined team, and they showed why they’re the top seed..."
