NEGAUNEE – The first time that Negaunee and Calumet met on the gridiron this season, the Miners eked out a close victory.

Friday’s rematch was another story. On a cold and windy evening, the Copper Kings stayed hot, pounding the ball through the Negaunee defense en route to a 24-14 win. Calumet got on the board first and never looked back.

“There were so many keys to the win tonight,” Calumet head coach John Croze said. “We played at a high intensity every play right to the bitter end. There were some plays that went the other way, but we didn’t let them bother us.

“Our kids came down here determined to walk off this field winners and I’m so proud of what they did.”

For Negaunee, 2015 will go down in the books as a “what if” season. The Miners started off strong, but stumbled in close losses to rivals Ishpeming and Marquette before falling flat to open the playoffs.

“Losses are always tough and I feel for these seniors,” Miners head coach Paul Jacobson said. “This is their last time on the field. Losses like this are never easy.

“There’s only one team who ends up happy at the end of the season in this division, and that’s not us. That’s not how we wanted the season to end, but I’m happy with the seniors we had and I’m looking forward to getting back to it.”

Calumet had its motor running from the beginning and the horsepower came from back Robert Erkkila. The senior plowed through holes in the Miners defense created by his offensive line and gave the Copper Kings an early lead on a 4-yard run. The 2-point conversion made it 8-0.

“Robbie gets all of the accolades, and deservedly so, because he’s one heck of a running back, but that group up front is what gave him room to move,” Croze said.

Later in the first quarter after a muffed Negaunee punt return, Copper Kings quarterback Russ Bjorn gave his squad a two-score lead with another 4-yard scoring run. Erkkila tacked on the 2-point conversion for a commanding 16-0 lead.

Negaunee fought its way back in the second quarter. After first-down runs by George Johnson and Shane Ring brought the ball into Calumet territory, Johnson plunged into the end zone 6:29 before halftime from a yard out.

But a missed conversion still left the Miners two scores down, 16-6.

The Copper Kings had two chances before the intermission to put the game away, but Negaunee stepped up on defense, forcing a fumble while Dylan Tasson picked off Bjorn aerial.

The Negaunee D also made a fourth-down stop in the third quarter to keep the Miners within 10. However, Negaunee’s offense continued to struggle moving the ball.

Calumet widened its lead to 24-6 with 8:29 remaining thanks to a short touchdown run by Bjorn and a conversion by Erkkila.

But Negaunee didn’t give up, getting back within 10 on a TD quarterback sneak by Brock Aho. The momentum was short-lived however, when Aho was intercepted deep in Calumet territory.

The Copper Kings plays Boyne City next weekend in the district final.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 246. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.