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Another win for Gwinn

HARRIS – It is unbelievable how quickly momentum can switch sides and change the outcome of a football game.

Gwinn displayed that here Saturday, scoring two touchdowns in a span of just 16 seconds near the end of the third quarter to produce a 28-14 football victory over Bark River-Harris.

The Modeltowners (3-1) then took control when Chris Bosworth sprinted 96 yards on the opening play of the fourth quarter to secure the non-conference decision and snap a four-year losing streak to the Broncos. Gwinn needed just 2:42 to score those three touchdowns.

“Now our guys got the momentum,” Gwinn coach Dion Brown said. “In years past Gwinn would fold, but we have 12-13 seniors who want it bad. We play hard.”

Bosworth began the turnaround when he ripped off a 46-yard scoring dash along the Gwinn sideline with 2:27 left in the third quarter. Gwinn then recovered an onside kick and on the first play, Kevin Roberts hit Bosworth on a pass along the same sideline that covered 53 yards and a TD with 2:11 left in the quarter.

Brown said Gwinn designed the onside kick after seeing Newberry execute it against BR-H last week, then capitalized with the TD toss.

“We took those 16 seconds off,” said BR-H coach Al Stenberg. “Otherwise the kids played a pretty good game, but you can’t afford to take plays off, and they took advantage of that.”

Stenberg said the Broncos practice onside kick recoveries “but there is no way you can prepare a kid for that situation.” The ball hit the ground, then bounced off a BR-H player and right back at the onrushing Gwinn players.

“I knew we would be in the game,” Stenberg said, noting the Broncos led 14-8 at halftime and the game was tied at 14 following Bosworth’s 46-yard TD jaunt.

“They looked a little tired and we gave them life and they jumped all over us.”

Both teams had just 16 players available, but once the momentum swung to Gwinn it was difficult for BR-H to get it back.

“This is a hard one for us to lose,” said Stenberg after the Broncos fell to 2-2. “Our intent at the beginning of the year was pointing to getting into the playoffs. This (game) was a big hinge point for us.”

The Broncos try to regain their playoff beat Saturday when they play Climax-Scott in Petoskey. C-S, like BR-H a Class D school, went 11-1 last year.

Meanwhile Gwinn visits Negaunee Friday in a key Mid-Peninsula Conference game, a week after Negaunee smoked Iron Mountain 35-13.

Hunter Bachman ran for close to 120 yards for Gwinn and Bosworth had about 150, according to sketchy Gwinn stats. Gwinn’s defensive focus was on Iver Stenberg, who was held to 24 yards in eight carries and added six pass receptions for 80 yards.

“Our whole focus was to put our best players on him,” said Brown, recalling how BR-H hurt Gwinn over the top last year. “I’ve got two really good linebackers to stop the run.”

Kadin Mustafa intercepted an early Gwinn pass to set up BR-H’s opening scoring drive capped by Iver Stenberg’s eight-yard run. Stenberg caught a 16-yard TD pass from Jace Briggs late in the first half to send the Broncos ahead. Briggs hit 13-of-29 passes for 130 yards and added 40 yards rushing on 10 carries, several times escaping heavy pressure to get upfield.

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