ISHPEMING – Ozzy Corp showed Friday night why he’s the all-class Upper Peninsula quarterback.

The 6-foot-5 Ishpeming High School senior rushed for 133 yards – 98 in a decisive second half – and scored a touchdown as the Hematites posted a 26-6 Division 7 predistrict win over a stubborn Westwood High School squad in Ishpeming.

Corp also completed 5 of 9 passes for 78 yards and threw in an interception while playing defense in his night’s work.

“We’ve ridden him all year and he played well tonight,” IHS head coach Jeff Olson said. “Whether it’s running or throwing, we rely on him.”

IHS (9-0) will now host the winner of today’s Harbor Springs at Iron Mountain game for the district title.

Corp also threw an 18-yard two-point conversion pass to Nick Comment in the fourth quarter following an Ishpeming touchdown in a game that was 6-6 at the half.

“We wanted the ball in his hands (the second half),” said Olson, now 180-79 in his coaching career. “Our (offensive) line blocked better in the second half.”

Said WHS head coach Scott Syrjala: “For the most part, we contained Corp. As much as we could, anyway.”

Halen Carello added a pair of scores for the state No. 2-ranked Hematites on runs of 17 and 36 yards. Comment chipped in a 7-yard TD scamper.

The Hematites’ defense held the Patriots to just 60 yards in the second half. IHS limited Mid-Peninsula Conference rushing leader Luke Gray to just 41 total yards on the ground.

“Our kids responded in the second half and played assignment football,” Olson said. “We put more people (defensively) on him so as not to let him get outside.”

Said Syrjala: “We had the ball three times in the second half – two punts and a pick.”

The Patriots (5-5), seeking to end a 20-game losing streak against Ishpeming, played IHS toe-to-toe in the first half.

“Hats off to them,” Olson said. “They played hard and came off the ball well. We had to make some adjustments at the half.”

Gray gave Westwood a 6-0 lead with a 1-yard TD plunge at 5:14 of the first quarter on a 14-play drive that featured Gray passes of 17 yards to Darren Wing and 15 to Hunter Roose.

“We missed a couple of receivers in the first half,” Syrjala said. “We should have had another touchdown, but the ball was dropped twice.

“Our kids gave it their best shot. But in the second half, we couldn’t match Ishpeming’s physicality.”

Carello scored his first touchdown at 8:34 of the second quarter to tie the game, then both teams missed a chance to score just before the half.

A Westwood drive stalled at the Ishpeming 10, then the Hematites – with help of Corp passes of 18 yards to Luke Kuliu and 24 yards to Thomas Finegan – got to the Patriots’ 20 before time expired.

Comment gave Ishpeming the lead after a drive of 6:22 in the third quarter, then Corp gave IHS a 20-6 lead with his score four seconds into the fourth quarter.

He intercepted a pass on Westwood’s next drive before Carello put the game on ice with his long TD run with 6:33 remaining.

“We answered the challenge at the half,” Corp said. “It shows we’re a competitive team.”

Syrjala, in his first year at the WHS helm after spending 14 years as an IHS assistant coach to Olson, said his team played hard.

“This is a stellar group of kids,” he said. “I’m proud of them.”

Craig Remsburg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251. His email address is cremsburg@ miningjournal.net.