Gwinn running back Seth Aho turns the corner looking for a gain in the Modeltowners’ high school football game at Lake Linden-Hubbell on Saturday. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo by Paul Peterson)

By PAUL PETERSON

Houghton Daily

Mining Gazette

LAKE LINDEN — Senior tailback Seth Aho led the Gwinn Modeltowners in their second-half charge that broke a halftime deadlock in a 36-22 victory over Lake Linden-Hubbell on Saturday afternoon.

With the two teams knotted 14-14 at intermission, Aho scored on runs of 42 and 80 yards in the second half.

Gwinn coach Dion Brown said that Aho is a constant force for his team.

“He (Aho) is our leader,” Brown said. “He’s a hard-working kid, probably the strongest one on the team.”

The Lakes, who were outsized by the Marquette County team, managed to stay in the game on the arm of junior quarterback Carter Crouch.

Crouch hurled two touchdowns to flanker Will Lyons and ran for one more.

Lakes coach Andy Crouch said he was surprised his team was able to move through the air.

“We sure couldn’t run on them,” the LL-H skipper said. “We were able to find some seams in their defense, though.”

After Aho’s five-yard TD run put Gwinn ahead on the opening drive of the West PAC contest at Warner Field, the Lakes responded immediately when Carter Crouch connected with Lyons on a 21-yard scoring play. Both teams misfired on their PAT tries for a 6-6 reading.

The Modeltowners regained the lead in second period on a 15-yard scoring scamper by quarterback Caleb Anderson and PAT run by Aho.

LL-Hubbell matched that with a medium-sized scoring drive of 55 yards as Carter Crouch hit Lyons with a 20-yard pass for the TD.

Aho’s 42-yard TD rush and ensuing conversion run made it 22-14 early in the third quarter.

Aho, who gained 222 yards in 16 carries on the day, peeled off his 80-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter and GHS had some breathing room at 30-14.

But the scrappy Lakes were able to take advantage of a lost Modeltowners fumble early in the fourth frame at the Gwinn 13.

Carter Crouch covered the final four yards and Cole Gregoire tacked on the PAT to pull LL-H within 30-22.

The eventual winners put the icing on their third win of the season on a short run by Daniel Holmes.

Brown gave credit to the Lakes for playing hard.

“They come out and hit,” he said. “We also had some mental mistakes in the first half, but we were able to settle in and finish it out. It’s a good win.”

Coach Crouch said he was pleased with his team’s overall play against a good team.

“We made some mistakes and dropped some passes at key moments,” the Lakes coach said. “But the kids played hard.”

Carter Crouch was good on 9 of his 18 passes for 98 yards.

On Friday, Gwinn plays at Hancock, while Lake Linden-Hubbell will be at Houghton. Both are cross-divisional West PAC games and are considered nonconference.