Houghton is all smiles after their 28-6 victory over Hancock in the annual Copper Bowl game Friday at Alumni Field in Houghton. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — On the first Friday of October of this year, a plaid invasion overtook Alumni Field at Houghton High School. On that fateful day, more than 1,700 plaid-wearing folks assembled on the field and set a new world record for the largest gathering of people wearing plaid. Fast forward two weeks and another color invasion occurred on the same field. While smaller in number, a throng of Houghton students donning all things orange and black stormed Alumni Field on Friday to celebrate their beloved Gremlins 28-6 victory over the Hancock Bulldogs in the annual Copper Bowl game.

With the win of the gridiron, the Gremlins won the bigger two of the three annual “Copper Games.” The Gremlins’ volleyball team downed the Bulldogs in the Copper Spike 3-1 on Thursday, but the Gremlin’s JV football fell to Hancock, 30-20, earlier in the week, so the Bulldogs retained the Copper Cup as a result.

“This one means a lot, especially being at home and the last game of the year,” said Gremlins coach Tim Driscoll “The kids played hard, and we get to keep the cup, and our season ends on a high note.”

This game was very much won in the second half by the Gremlins. While they scored first to start the second quarter, the Gremlins led by just two points, 8-6, at halftime. However, they kept the Bulldogs scoreless in the final two quarters, while they scored 20 points of their own.

With just seconds off the clock after the first quarter, the Gremlins’ Kyle Primeau punched in a five-yard touchdown run that ended an 80-yard drive. They capitalized on their two-point conversion and led 8-0.

However, five minutes later the Bulldogs rallied for a touchdown of their own. Hancock quarterback Bryce Hanner handed the ball off to running back Cody Turner, who found daylight and went 62 yards unscathed for a touchdown. The Bulldogs failed on their two-point conversion, and the Gremlins kept a two-point lead at 8-6 at the midway point.

“It was a good battle in the first half, and we had just a two-point lead,” said Driscoll. “At halftime, we identified some things we wanted to change, and some things that they were doing.”

He added that control was the name of the game headed into the second half.

“Once we were able to get our blocking scheme down, and read their defensive front, we were able to control the football and run our game,” said Driscoll.

Primeau was the driving force behind the Gremlins’ second touchdown at around the 7:30 mark of the third. Quarterback Oscar Petersen connected with him for a 43-yard pass play that set up a touchdown run by Joe Halonen just one play later.

Momentum in the game was slowed down by numerous penalties on both sides of the field, but, at the same time, Hancock had one too many turnovers. A costly one that seemed to seal their fate took place deep in their own end around midway through the third. The Gremlins jumped on a fumbled Bulldogs’ ball in the red zone and converted into a touchdown to make it 20-6 headed into the fourth quarter.

They scored once more with less than five minutes to go in the game to put this game out of reach at 28-6.

Despite the loss, Bulldogs coach Ramon Sague liked the effort his kids put in till the end of the game. He said he wished he could have seen more of that complete-game spirit throughout the year.

“It was a good, hard-fought game, and I was please with the overall effort, despite all the turnovers and penalties,” he said. “I was hoping for a stronger second half, but it just became too many turnovers. We were able to move the ball, but then we would lose it. Overall, we played an excellent game with effort, intensity and tackling. I’m proud of the way the team has improved at the end of the season, and hopefully it is something we can build on moving forward.

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Friday’s matchup ended the 2023 seasons for both the Gremlins and the Bulldogs. Neither team will advance to postseason play. The Gremlins finished the year at 3-6 and the Bulldogs at 1-7.