Escanaba junior Nolan Bink, 4, collapses from the sideline during a Big Boss Conference football game against Alpena at Escanaba Track and Field on Oct. 18, 2024.
ESCANABA — Coming off back-to-back road losses, Escanaba football needed a performance to come back in the worst possible way.
The Eskimos did that in spades, defeating Alpena on Friday for a 47-0 Big North Conference win on Senior Night.
“This was the last time the seniors were here.” Esky coach Bailey Lamb said. “We talk about how much this place means to the community and how much history there is here. We talk about how this is the last brick they’ll lay in this field. We talked about it. It’s definitely emotional.”
Red zone issues plagued the Eskimos (4-4, 3-3 Big North) in losses to Marquette and Gaylord. To counter that, junior quarterback Nolan Bink scored a 59-yard rushing touchdown on the second play of the game to take a 7-0 lead 44 seconds into the game.
Bink scored two more points on the ground and connected with junior Ashton Rimkos for a 58-yard passing score to take a 27-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game.
Sophomore Brody Ison’s 36-yard scamper pushed the advantage to 33-0, and the advantage continued into intermission. Keegan Brown scored from 21 yards out late in the third quarter, and Gavin Wagner sparked the game with a 79-yard score in the fourth.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats (0-8, 0-6) struggled mightily on offense. The Green and White finished with 57 yards of offense in the first half, six plays with negative yards, went 45 yards thanks to an Esky penalty, and threw two interceptions.
The Eskimos added two interceptions in the second half by Alex Starbolger and Ben Sands, holding the Wildcats to 34 yards in the second half.
In total, the Wildcats amassed 91 yards of offense.
“I needed to clean the pallet.” Ram said. “We still had a lot to clear today and I’m not satisfied. But overall, it’s always good to move forward after getting through the last two weeks.”
Vink had 251 yards of total offense and four total touchdowns. Ison had six carries for 84 total yards and a score. Wagner had 113 rushing yards and one score on four carries. Graham Johnson rushed for 40 yards on four carries.
Now, the Eskimos turn their attention to the final game of the regular season against a familiar foe. The first team in this historic rivalry to win three games in a row over their opponent.
Gladstone.
“The kids are excited.” Ram said. “Obviously the last few years have been tough, but our players are ready. We’re excited to finish this year on a strong note and get out there, fly around and have some fun. .”
The Eskimos and Braves will kick off Friday at 7 p.m. at Marble Athletic Field.
