SUTTONS BAY — Brothers Micaiah and Josiah Peramaki each scored three touchdowns as Munising outscored Suttons Bay 64-24 in a high school eight-player football game on Saturday afternoon.

The Mustangs broke open a close game in the second half after they led just 16-12 at intermission over a school that has appeared in the last three MHSAA Division 1 eight-player state championship games.

“(Suttons Bay) tried to come out and possess the ball,” Munising head coach Matt Mattson said. “Finally in the second half, our offense exploded on several long scoring plays.

“We had six touchdowns of at least 40 yards. They probably had more carries than we did in the first half, even though I thought we blocked well the entire game. But I also think we wore them down after awhile, and when either of the Peramakis gets an open hole to run through, they can break off a big play.”

Each time Munising scored in the first half, the Norsemen answered. The only difference was that the Mustangs converted all eight of their 2-point conversions while Suttons Bay made none.

“That’s a 24-point difference between us making all of ours and them making none of theirs,” Mattson said.

Quarterback Kane Nebel broke loose for TD runs of 43 and 20 yards in the first half, with Josiah Peramaki and Nebel scoring the 2-pointers. Nebel’s first score came less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game, while his second was just 13 seconds into quarter No. 2.

Munising, which improved to 5-0, started rolling late in the third quarter.

Josiah Peramaki broke loose for a 60-yard TD run with 3:20 left in the period, while Nebel hooked up with Micaiah Peramaki on a 62-yard scoring aerial with 1:03 to go. Adding in 2-point runs by Jacob Mattson and Nebel, the Mustangs suddenly led 32-12.

Though the Norsemen got their own TD with just seconds left in the third, Micaiah Peramaki answered with a 41-yard scoring run only 37 seconds into the final quarter. With Nebel’s 2-point pass to Cully Trzeciak, MHS still led 40-18.

Suttons Bay got its final TD with 6:56 remaining, but it still gave time — and apparently inspiration — for the Mustangs to tack on three more TDs.

Josiah Peramaki scored on a 55-yard run with 6:03 left and a 24-yard scamper with 3:42 left before Micaiah Peramaki put a ribbon on the day with a 54-yard TD rush with 2:03 to go. Each Peramaki and Cody Lincoln added in 2-point runs for the final tally.

The Peramakis and Nebel also accounted for the lion’s share of Munising’s 568 yards in offense.

Of the team’s 479 rushing yards in 40 carries — which rounds off to exactly 12 yards per attempt — Josiah Peramaki rolled up 185 yards in 12 carries, Nebel had 151 in 11 tries and Micaiah Peramaki 137 in 14 rushes.

Nebel completed 4 of 7 passes for 89 yards without an interception as Micaiah Peramaki had two of the catches for 83 yards.

The challenge likely gets tougher this week as the Mustangs host Pickford (4-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.