Click the thumbnails to see photos and video highlights from the game.
ESCANABA---The Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devil football team dominated the line of scrimmage and rolled up 400 rushing yards in beating the Escanaba Eskymos, 46-19, in the season-opener for both teams Thursday night.
The Eskymos threw the ball well on offense, but failed to score twice inside the Blue Devil ten yard-line in the first quarter, and untimely penalties plagued the team all night long.
Eskymo senior quarterback Casey Bray completed 25 of 43 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Trent Lawson had eleven of those catches, and a touchdown, along with a leaping touchdown pass that was called back on a penalty.
Junior Kaiden Brown also had a strong game, with a touchdown reception of his own. Adam Reimer caught the other touchdown pass from Bray.
But the Escanaba passing game could not match the Sault running game, and the size of the Blue Devil linemen was a factor all night long, on both sides of the ball.
Sault Ste. Marie took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter on a short Cale Bell touchdown run. The fullback rushed for 173 yards on 20 carries, adding his own size to that of his line.
Escanaba went to a near no-huddle offense and cashed in on a 52-yard pass and catch from Bray to Brown, and after Julian Cashen made the extra point kick, it was 7-6 Eskymos.
It looked like it may stay that way heading into halftime when the Eskymo defense had the Blue Devils trapped in a 3rd-and-21 situation. But quarterback Callen Campbell scrambled and heaved a deep ball to Max Scott, who caught it barely in-bounds at the six yeard-line.
With seven seconds left in the half, Campbell completed the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak, and then threw a two-point conversion pass to Joey Gravelle.
All of a sudden, the Eskymos were behind heading into the locker room, and the Soo would get the ball to start the second half.
The Blue Devils went on a grueling coast-to-coast drive, piling up first down after first down, all on the ground. And nearly seven minutes into the third quarter, Campbell called his own number for a five-yard touchdown run on the sweep to the outside, making it 20-7.
Then came the backbreaker. With the Eskymos driving toward the red zone, Bray was pressured and heaved one toward the near sideline. It was intended for Cole Reese, but Blue Devil senior Carter Oshelski jumped up and intercepeted the ball. He raced down the sideline, make a man miss, and took it 73 yards for a pick-six touchdown, making it 26-7.
Escanaba went into the hurry-up, and cashed in on a Bray-to-Lawson touchdown pass to close to within 26-13 with 20 seconds left in the third quarter. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff pinned the Blue Devils deep, but any hopes of a comeback went down the drain when Ryver Ryckeghem broke off a 95-yard touchdown run to put the game away at 32-13.
Ryckeghem added a 57-yard touchdown run later in the game and wound up with 211 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Escanaba's final touchdown came on a Bray-to-Adam Reimer ten-yard strike.
ESCANABA---The Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devil football team dominated the line of scrimmage and rolled up 400 rushing yards in beating the Escanaba Eskymos, 46-19, in the season-opener for both teams Thursday night.
The Eskymos threw the ball well on offense, but failed to score twice inside the Blue Devil ten yard-line in the first quarter, and untimely penalties plagued the team all night long.
Junior Kaiden Brown also had a strong game, with a touchdown reception of his own. Adam Reimer caught the other touchdown pass from Bray.
But the Escanaba passing game could not match the Sault running game, and the size of the Blue Devil linemen was a factor all night long, on both sides of the ball.
Sault Ste. Marie took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter on a short Cale Bell touchdown run. The fullback rushed for 173 yards on 20 carries, adding his own size to that of his line.
Escanaba went to a near no-huddle offense and cashed in on a 52-yard pass and catch from Bray to Brown, and after Julian Cashen made the extra point kick, it was 7-6 Eskymos.
It looked like it may stay that way heading into halftime when the Eskymo defense had the Blue Devils trapped in a 3rd-and-21 situation. But quarterback Callen Campbell scrambled and heaved a deep ball to Max Scott, who caught it barely in-bounds at the six yeard-line.
All of a sudden, the Eskymos were behind heading into the locker room, and the Soo would get the ball to start the second half.
The Blue Devils went on a grueling coast-to-coast drive, piling up first down after first down, all on the ground. And nearly seven minutes into the third quarter, Campbell called his own number for a five-yard touchdown run on the sweep to the outside, making it 20-7.
Then came the backbreaker. With the Eskymos driving toward the red zone, Bray was pressured and heaved one toward the near sideline. It was intended for Cole Reese, but Blue Devil senior Carter Oshelski jumped up and intercepeted the ball. He raced down the sideline, make a man miss, and took it 73 yards for a pick-six touchdown, making it 26-7.
Escanaba went into the hurry-up, and cashed in on a Bray-to-Lawson touchdown pass to close to within 26-13 with 20 seconds left in the third quarter. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff pinned the Blue Devils deep, but any hopes of a comeback went down the drain when Ryver Ryckeghem broke off a 95-yard touchdown run to put the game away at 32-13.
Ryckeghem added a 57-yard touchdown run later in the game and wound up with 211 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Escanaba's final touchdown came on a Bray-to-Adam Reimer ten-yard strike.
