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Reece Waara TD throws power L’Anse to third straight win

L’ANSE — Reese Waara only put up nine passes, but two were first-half touchdown throws that led L’Anse to a 20-6 victory over visiting Munising on Friday night.

The Purple Hornets quarterback completed a 20-yard scoring toss to Paul Lister-Jacobson about 4 1/2 minutes into the second quarter, then put up a 29-yard TD pass to Jonah Dowd with around two minutes left in the first half. Waara also kicked both extra points to establish a 14-0 lead at the break.

“It was a good football game,” said Purple Hornets coach Mark Leaf. “It was good, physical, hard-hitting football.

“We found a way to win a game against a good football team.”

L’Anse improved to 3-1 and Munising slipped to 1-3 after this nonconference, divisional crossover game in the WestPAC, which has 16 teams divided into two divisions this season.

Waara completed 6 of 9 passes for 85 yards with an interception made by the Mustangs’ Anthony Mattson.

“Reese made a couple of nice touchdown passes,” said Leaf.

After a scoreless third quarter, the teams traded rushing TDs in the final period. L’Anse made it 20-0 on a Dowd 36-yard run in the first three minutes of the fourth, while Mason Schieding got Munising on the board with a 2-yard run with 3:05 left.

Each team missed on a two-point conversion pass, L’Anse’s intercepted by Mattson for his second pickoff of the game.

Dowd led Hornets’ rushers with 86 yards on 22 carries, while Waara added 49 in nine tries.

Schieding led all runners with 94 yards on 20 carries, actually six more yards than the entire Mustangs team as sacks set back their total.

MHS QB Josh Huotari completed 9 of 19 passes for 126 yards and no interceptions.

Overall, L’Anse held a 244-214 edge in total yards and 11-9 in first downs.

“Munising moved the ball on us a little bit,” said Leaf. “We bent a few times on defense, but we just didn’t break.”

Next week will be the second of the two nonconference crossover games for each team. Munising hosts Hancock at 7 p.m. Friday, while L’Anse plays at Lake Linden-Hubbell at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday.

Scoring

Munising 0 0 0 6 — 6

L’Anse 0 14 0 6 — 20

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

LAN — Paul Lister-Jacobson 20 pass from Reese Waara (Waara kick) 7:42

LAN — Jonah Dowd 29 pass from Waara (Waara kick) 2:04

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

LAN — Dowd 36 run (pass failed) 9:22

MUN — Mason Schieding 2 run (pass failed) 3:05

Game statistics

First downs — Munising 9, L’Anse 11

Rushes-yards — Munising 32-88 (Schieding 20-94), L’Anse 40-159 (Dowd 22-86)

Comp-Att-Int-Yards — Munising, Josh Huotari 9-19-0-126; L’Anse, Waara 6-9-1-85

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