CALUMET — Negaunee built a three-touchdown lead in the first half and coasted to a 40-15 high school football victory at Calumet on Thursday night.

The Miners’ defense took advantage of a pair of Copper Kings’ turnovers while limiting their offense to less than 200 yards.

Negaunee’s Easton Palomaki and Kai Lacar each scored two touchdowns.

While the Miners’ rushing game churned out 252 yards and accounted for five TDs, the highlight-reel score might’ve been when Negaunee’s Philip Nelson returned a punt 67 yards to paydirt in the third quarter.

Lacar finished with 93 yards rushing in just eight carries while Palomaki gained 90 yards on the ground in 15 attempts. Nico Lukkarinen added 51 yards in 10 carries.

Quarterback Ty Jacobson completed 3 of 6 passes for 38 yards, all of his receptions going to Nelson.

Lukkarinen scored the only TD of the first quarter on a 20-yard run as Nelson kicked his first of two extra points. Lacar also kicked two in the second half.

Palomaki added a 10-yard TD run and Lacar a 5-yard scoring jaunt in the second quarter that made it 19-0 at halftime.

Brayden Nelson put Calumet on the scoreboard in the third quarter on a 56-yard TD run, pulling the home team within 19-8.

But later in the period, Palomaki tacked on a 10-yard TD run and Nelson made his big punt return to up Negaunee’s advantage to 33-8 entering the fourth.

Lacar rounded out the Miners’ point production with a 13-yard TD run in the fourth, while Calumet scored a late TD, though no details were available about the final Copper Kings’ score.

Negaunee (2-0) returns to action at home at 7 p.m. Friday against Hancock.

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