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Fact Box

Ontonagon 0 6 0 6 - 12

LL-Hubbell 28 8 8 10 - 46

First quarter

LLH - Jordan Hahka 5 run (run failed)

LLH - Brandon Sundblad 35 pass from Gervais (run failed)

LLH - Travis Ambuehl 27 pass from Gervais (Sundblad run)

LLH - Dano Goldsworthy 1 run (Hakha run)

Second quarter

LLH - Ambuehl 39 run (Goldsworthy pass from Gervais)

ONT - Cameron Menigoz 10 pass from Mike Schmaus (run failed)

Third quarter

LLH - Gervais 33 run (Sundblad run)

Fourth quarter

LLH - Safety (ball fumbled through end zone)

ONT - Tyler Roberts 8 run (run failed)

Statistics

Total offense - Ontonagon 204 (152 rush, 52 pass), LL-Hubbell 303 (241 rush, 62 pass); First downs - ONT 11, LL-H 9; Rushing - ONT, Schmaus 28-115, Roberts 5-22, 1 TD; LLH, Sundblad 8-48, Hahka 6-40, 1 TD, Gervais 5-46, 1 TD, Kyle Kumpula 5-25, Brett Beauchamp 5-22; Passing - ONT, Schmaus 3-7-0-52; LLH, Gervais 2-2-0-62: Receiving: ONT, Menigoz 2-47, 1 TD, Soumis 1-15; LLH, Sundblad 1-35, 1 TD, Ambuehl 1-27, 1 TD.

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LAKE LINDEN - The contrast in playoff experience was evident when the Ontonagon Gladiators traveled to Lake Linden for a Division 8 pre-district football game Saturday afternoon.

The Glads were making their first postseason appearance in 13 years, while the battle-tested Lakes are a perennial playoff contender. That experience showed up right away in an eventual 46-12 LL-H victory.

"We had a bad snap on our first possession and they (Lakes) got the ball deep in our territory," OAHS coach Dave Linczeski noted afterward. "Once they get up on you, they're not going to let up."

Lakes' coach Andy Crouch, whose 10-0 team will host Forest Park in a regional championship game Saturday afternoon, said the quick start helped.

"We didn't want to give them (Gladiators) any early momentum," he said. "They have some offensive weapons, but we were able to get off to a fast start."

The Lakes scored on the initial Ontonagon turnover and added three more scores in the opening quarter for an insurmountable 28-0 advantage.

The first LL-H score - a 4-yard run by tailback Jordan Hakha - followed the lost fumble at the Gladiator 20.

OAHS then failed to cover a LL squib kick on the ensuing kickoff, setting up the Lakes inside the Ontonagon 40-yard line.

Senior fullback Brandon Sundblad made that hurt immediately when he took a screen pass from quarterback Brett Gervais and scooted 35 yards to pay dirt to make it 12-0 just five minutes into the game at rain-soaked Ron Warner Field.

Ontonagon, sparked by senior tailback Mike Schmaus, moved the ball reasonably well with its single-wing offense in the first half. But the Maroon and White couldn't sustain its drives.

In the meantime, the Lakes struck for two touchdowns later in the opening quarter on a 1-yard run by Dano Goldsworthy and a 27-yard pass from Gervais to Travis Ambuehl.

Ambuehl tacked on a 39-yard TD scamper in the second quarter to up it to 36-0 before OAHS got on the the scoreboard.

Schmaus passed 10 yards to Cameron Menigoz late in the opening half to cut the margin to 36-6.

The Blue and Gold removed any lingering doubts about the outcome by scoring on their first possession of the third quarter.

Gervais, who had a very effective day, darted 33 yards for a touchdown on a keeper play and Sundblad's two-point conversion run made it 44-6.

After LL-H added a safety on a Gladiator fumble in the end zone in the final quarter, Ontonagon tallied again when Tyler Roberts ran eight yards late in the game.

Crouch used nine ballcarriers in the game, getting his starters a good rest for the repeat showdown against FP.

"We know they (Trojans) will be coming to play," the LL-H skipper said. "We know that it won't be a 36-6 game this time. We'll have to block and tackle (Trojan standout) Josh Siler to win the game."

All-U.P. selection Sundblad led the LL-H rushing game with 48 yards, while Gervais, Hahka and Ambuehl were good for 46, 40 and 39 yards, in that order.

Schmaus turned in a fine game for the Gladiators by rushing for 115 yards and passing for another 52 yards.

Linczeski said he was proud of his team.

"I don't know if they expected to do as well, but we're already looking forward to next year," he commented. "It was a very good season for us."

Ontonagon closes with a 6-4 mark.