The Miners pulled away in the second half to defeat Gladstone 28-7 to improve to 2-0 as the Braves slipped to 0-2.

Negaunee head coach Paul Jacobson praised his team’s resilience.

“I thought we responded to adversity well, Gladstone played a tremendous ball game,” the veteran Miners coach said. “They’re physical and really went toe-to-toe with us. I just thought that we responded well when the chips were down.”

Gladstone head coach Craig Ness expressed disappointment with his offense’s struggles while praising his defense.

Negaunee quarterback Ty Jacobson watches a rushing play after he hands off the ball during the first quarter of a high school football game played against Gladstone at Miner Stadium in Negaunee on Friday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

“Our defense played extremely well,” the Braves mentor said. “We just didn’t have anything going on offense to help them, and if we could allow them to get a little bit rest, I think the score would have been a little different. But they played their hearts out, and I’m just very proud of them.”

Both teams struggled to find their footing in the wet conditions when the game opened. Led by senior quarterback Ty Jacobson, Negaunee started with the ball but had to punt early after Gladstone’s defense forced an early fumble.

The rain kept both teams in check, as neither offense could gain much momentum.

Negaunee began to make its first push late in the first quarter, knocking on the door of the end zone as the period ended in a 0-0 tie.

Miners running back Broc Bonovetz punched in a touchdown just seven seconds into the second quarter, giving the Miners a 6-0 lead after the 2-point conversion failed.

But Gladstone answered right back on the ensuing kickoff. Senior Casey Alworden broke loose and took it the distance for a touchdown, and with kicker Luke Ingraham’s extra point, the Braves briefly led 7-6 with 11:39 left before halftime.

After that, it was all Negaunee. Bonovetz soon found the end zone for a second time, capping off a physical drive with a short run. This time, Negaunee converted its 2-point attempt, with Ian Engstrom catching the pass from Jacobson to give the Miners a 14-7 advantage.

The rain cleared up, and with it, Negaunee’s offense found another gear, consistently moving the ball up and down the field. But thanks to Gladstone’s defense, Negaunee wouldn’t get any more points and take its seven-point lead into intermission.

The second half opened with more offensive struggles for Gladstone. Despite its defense forcing an early punt, the Braves’ offense, led by quarterback Mason Sierpien, couldn’t find any rhythm and was forced to punt again.

Though turning to its running back the bulk of the plays, Negaunee set up another score with a long pass by Jacobson. Running back Weston Yesney powered his way into the end zone late in the third, and with another 2-point conversion, the Miners went up 22-7.

Gladstone still couldn’t get its offense untracked in the final quarter thanks to Negaunee’s stout defense denying any hopes of a comeback.

And Yesney sealed the result with his second touchdown with 5:42 left remaining. Though the extra point missed, Negaunee had a three-TD lead with less than half a period remaining.

The Miners insured that by forcing a final punt and the offense running out the clock.

Negaunee gets back to a regular all-Friday schedule until the final week of the regular season, traveling to Calumet at 7 p.m. Friday, the same time that Gladstone returns home to face Kingsford.

Caden Sierra can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 551. His email address is csierra@nmu.edu.