Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette Lake Linden-Hubbell’s Danny Marcotte looks upfield while running with the ball during the first quarter of a game against Norway Saturday at Warner Athletic Field in Lake Linden.

By DAVER KARNOSKY

dkarnosky@mininggazette.com

LAKE LINDEN — What a difference a couple of weeks can make. When they met to open the season in Norway, the Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes football team jumped all over the Norway Knights on the road, and were rewarded with a win, 54-34.

Fast forward two weeks, and on Saturday, the Knights were the team to jump out early, racking up 20 points in the first 12 minutes of play en route to a 34-6 victory over the Lakes at Warner Athletic Field.

For Knights coach Scott Popp, the difference was night and day.

“A couple weeks ago, we didn’t have two of our kids or three of our kids,” he said. “They’re starters on defense. We knew we had a big task because Coach Brett (Gervais of the Lakes), he has a heck of a line. I mean, his kids are so fundamentally sound. So were really worried and we really worked on taking the trap away from them, and our kids got through and they made the right plays.”

On the other side of the field, Gervais felt that something was missing from his team’s effort level throughout the afternoon.

“I just feel like we came out kind of flat,” he said. “I feel like Norway was better prepared than we were. They came out and played with fire. It was evident just from the beginning. They play fast offensively.”

Wyatt Spade got the Knights on the board first with a 3-yard scamper on the opening drive. Fortunately for the Lakes, the Knights missed the two-point conversion. After forcing the Lakes to turn the ball over on downs, Cole Baij hit Spade for a five-yard touchdown pass. On the conversion, Baij hit Ian Popp for the conversion, putting Norway up, 14-0.

Ian stung the Lakes again late in the first quarter when he exploded for a 42-yard touchdown run down the right sideline. The Knights missed the conversion after, but led 20-0.

Scott was proud of what Ian did offensively throughout the afternoon.

“Ian had a great day,” said Scott. “He’s got good vision of the field, and he knows how to sneak through and get some spots.”

Spade also drew a lot of praise from his head coach.

“He saw the crease, and he’s just fast,” Scott said. “I mean, he’s a fast kid. So, once he does hit that hole, he’s not shifty, and he’s just a straight-up runner. If he sees a hole, he can hit it pretty well.”

The Knights showed, especially in the first half, a desire to control the line of scrimmage, something that Gervais and his staff pride themselves on.

“They did a real nice job controlling the line of scrimmage,” he said. “Usually, that’s what we do, we control the line. I thought that they did some nice little adjustments. They played down at a four against us and 71 (Maddex Burklund) for them held down the line. I think that was a problem all day.”

In the second half, the Lakes played with a bit more intensity, and that allowed them to start to create a little offensively. Senior quarterback Danny Marcotte did finish his day with 52 yards rushing on 20 attempts. He was also 2-for-16 for 49 yards and two interceptions in the passing game.

Senior back Sam Roberts had 21 yards rushing on eight attempts.

The veteran duo hooked up for one big play late in the third quarter when the Lakes needed them to. Marcotte was in the process of getting hit, and he just got the ball off in time to hit Roberts in stride. Before the Knights could bring him down, he had turned the throw into a 34-yard play. Three plays later, on the first play of the fourth, Marcotte reached over the goal line getting the Lakes on the board from two yards out.

Gervais had hopes that the touchdown would be just what the Lakes needed, but the Knights were able to get it back on the ensuing drive.

“As soon as we did cut that (lead), I thought that maybe there was a chance,” he said. “Then we got beat with a back on a wheel out of the backfield, and that was kind of the last straw.”

On that final scoring play, Baij hit Ian on a wheel route, and he scampered in from 21 yards out to seal the win for Norway.

UP NEXT

The Lakes back in action at Warner Field as they host Stephenson at 1:30 p.m.