Justin St. Ours | Escanaba Daily Press Newberry’s Connor Rintamaki (8) stiff arms Carney-Nadeau’s Brayden Kakuk Friday in Powers.

By JOHN VRANCIC

Escanaba Daily Press

POWERS — Newberry raced out to a 34-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 55-8 victory over Carney-Nadeau in an eight-player high school football game played at North Central’s field on Friday night.

The visiting Indians rolled up the big halftime lead by scoring 28 points in the second quarter.

“Give Newberry credit,” Wolves’ coach Jim Belec said. “They came out and smashed us in the mouth. I think we’re coming in too high after last week’s win (58-38 over Ontonagon). They had that big second quarter and we couldn’t recover.”

Newberry junior quarterback Connor Rintamaki threw touchdown passes of 14, 48 and 21 yards to junior tight end Eric Edwards in the second period.

Junior Coleton Labadie then gave the Indians their 34-point halftime cushion on a 3-yard run off left tackle with 3:17 left in the second frame.

“We had a couple good days of practice this week,” Newberry coach Joe Austin said. “We’re getting better at stopping the off-tackle plays. We have nothing but respect for Carney-Nadeau and their coaches.

“Their kids played hard and never gave up.”

Sophomore running back Brayden Kakuk score C-N’s lone TD on an 88-yard dash along the right sideline early in the third, a play after junior Nick Johnson recovered a fumble on the Wolves’ 12.

The Indians responded quickly, retaking a five-score lead of 42-8 on a 48-yard run through the right side by sophomore Marco Juarez on the ensuing possession.

Junior tight end Liam Shanley scored on a 49-yard run around left end, and Labadie added a 62-yard TD run around right end in the fourth quarter.

Juarez opened the scoring on a 12-yard run through the right side in the first.

The Indians took advantage of several short fields in the second quarter, cashing in twice after the Wolves gambled and came up short in fourth-down situations.

“I thought if we could get to the edge, we’d have receivers open, but we couldn’t complete the passes,” Belec said. “Our execution wasn’t there. Even though we got our butts kicked, it’s better than not being able to play at all. This is also better than trying to play in the spring. We did some good things in the second half.”

Newberry finished with 478 yards in total offense. Juarez ran 19 times for 193 yards, and Labadie added 101 in eight attempts. Rintamaki completed 4 of 8 passes for 87 yards and three TDs.

“It was like a godsend for us to come here rather than taking an even longer bus ride to Lake Linden(-Hubbell),” Austin said. ‘We’ve played some tough teams. We’re just glad to get this game in. It has been tough for everybody with COVID-19.”

The Wolves (2-3) had 223 yards, including 188 on the ground. Kakuk rushed for 131 on 15 carries.

C-N is now searching for a game next weekend. The Wolves were to host North Dickinson Oct. 24, but that game was canceled after all Dickinson County schools decided Friday to shut down for two weeks due to COVID-19.

Newberry hosts Engadine Thursday.