NEGAUNEE — The Negaunee football team capped off homecoming for Miners fans with a 48-20 win over Hancock on Friday night at Miners Stadium.
The Miners (4-1) bounced back in a big way after last Friday’s 29-27 loss to Kingsford, dominating the Bulldogs (1-4) on both ends of the night.
With the home team leading 41-6 at halftime, Hancock struggled to find an answer to Negaunee’s high-powered offense and relentless defense.
“I like the result of today’s match.” NHS coach Paul Jacobson said: “I think we really learned a lot about ourselves in the Kingsford game last week.
“We wanted to go out there and get off to the start we had last week, but we’re just happy with how we played.”
He was quick to point out the importance of the team’s play on the line.
“I think we started up front and simplified some things up front for our line and played really well up front.” Jacobson said.
As for his preference for running the ball, he admits he can play the passing game.
“Our backs were running hard, and it always helps when you have the ability to throw the ball.” Jacobson said: “And Ty is throwing the ball really well and we have some good weapons on the edge, so it’s really balanced right now and it’s tough to defend at this level.”
Negaunee wasted no time in seizing the initiative. Baron Heslip intercepted a pass from Hancock quarterback Ben Keranen on the Bulldogs’ opening drive, and the Miners defense attacked early, setting Negaunee deep in the opposition half.
Just a few plays later, Weston Yesney found the end zone on a 15-yard run, giving the Miners a 7-0 lead with just two minutes left.
The Bulldogs tried to fight back and showed signs of hope with standout running back Ned Larson, whose 20-yard burst brought Hancock into Negaunee territory. However, the Miners’ defense was strong and forced turnovers on downs.
Negaunee quickly scored again, this time with Brock Bonovetts bulldozing into the end zone from 23 yards left, pushing the lead to 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
From there, the Miners kept their foot on the gas. After a strong punt return by Ian Engstrom, the Miners were within striking distance again. Yesny scored his second TD of the night and the extra point gave the Miners a 21-0 lead.
Negaunee’s offensive rhythm was complemented by a stifling defense, forcing Hancock to punt and commit turnovers. NHS quarterback Ty Jacobson capped off the first-quarter scoring with a 40-yard passing bomb to Engstrom, giving Negaunee a commanding 27-0 advantage heading into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter when Keranen connected with Larson for a 35-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 34-6, but it was clear the Bulldogs were struggling to keep up with Negaunee’s pace.
Jacobson and the Miners responded quickly, with a key run by Vonovetts leading to a spectacular TD catch by Heslip, pushing the score to 41-6 by intermission.
Owen Cardinal took over as quarterback for the Miners in the second half. Negaunee stuck to its ground-and-pound approach, and Bonovetts took a 40-yard scoring run early in the third quarter to extend the lead to 48-6.
Despite the score, Hancock continued to fight and added two more scores, but it was too little, too late as Negaunee bided his time to claim victory.
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