North Central’s Lane Gorzinski runs up the middle for a touchdown against Superior Central on Oct. 6, 2023 at North Central High School Field.
SPALDING — After waiting over a week to wash the taste of defeat out of its mouth, Powers North Central bounced back here Friday night, posting a 60-8 victory over Superior Central.
North Central raced to a 40-0 lead in the first quarter of this crossover contest.
“After a week off, I’m glad the kids were able to pick up where they left off,” Jets’ coach Leo Gorzinski said. “We played fast and were able to jump out to the lead. We wanted to protect our home field. This meant everything heading into a tough part of our schedule. Superior Central chose to pick up this game. They were the underdogs, but gave us a game. Both teams came out healthy and were able to play football.”
The Jets (5-1), tied for third with Forest Park in the latest Upper Peninsula poll, visit second-ranked Norway Thursday, then travel to Crystal Falls for their regular-season finale Oct. 20.
Superior Central hosts Engadine Saturday and concludes its season with a home game against Munising Oct. 21.
North Central scored four times within the opening four minutes, gaining a 26-0 advantage on a nine-yard run around right end by junior Jordan Walters.
The Jets needed just 55 seconds to find the end zone on a 63-yard dash by senior Jacob Gorzinski.
Junior Lane Gorzinki then added a 10-yard TD run up the middle with nine minutes, 25 seconds left in the opening frame and junior Aidyn Burton raised the score to 20-0 on a 16-yard pass from Jacob Gorzinski 22 seconds later. Jacob Gorzinski, who ran for 62 yards on three carries, added 29 and 22-yard TD runs in the first.
In the second quarter, sophomore Brody Mercier scored on a 22-yard and junior Austin Farley added a 20-yard TD run for a 53-0 halftime advantage.
The Jets, who substituted freely through much of the game, added a score in the third on freshman Nate Pipkorn’s two-yard run.
Superior Central got its TD on senior C.J. Adams’ 35-yard aerial through the middle to senior Eli Penney in the final four minutes.
“The guys didn’t give up,” Cougars’ coach Josh Trader said. “It’s fun to see Eli grow up and play some football. It’s absolutely a positive to score on North Central. That sets us up for some good stuff. In our last two games, we matched up well with both teams. We’re looking forward to it.”
The Jets ran for 260 yards and added 43 through the air. Lane Gorzinski rushed for 96 yards on five carries and Jake Gorzinski hit 1-of-3 passes for 27 and Walter completed his lone pass for 16.
“With the (junior varsity) season being over, it’s a big help to be able to move kids up,” coach Gorzinski said. “I think our loss to Lake Linden (25-22 on Sept. 22) motivated the kids. This is the first full game we had Adrian Mercier and he got a chance to get some defensive coverage in. Norway has a solid team. We’re going to get back at it and practice next week.”
The Cougars were held to 42 yards in total offense, including minus-26 on the ground. Adams was 3-for-13 passing for 68. Sophomore Cole Ozoga caught two for 33.
“In the second half we started playing football the way we should,” Trader said. “One day we’re going to be on the flip side and we’ll be winning games. It’s coming. The kids work hard all the time and believing in what I’m saying. I enjoyed tonight. The main thing is we’re still playing football.”
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