Florence senior Logan Koski (21) breaks a Three Lakes’ tackle on Friday at Robert Landry Field in Florence, Wis. (Sean Chase/Daily News photo)

FLORENCE, Wis. — With its postseason hopes riding on every game, the Florence 8-player varsity football team wanted to start fast against Three Lakes on Friday with a large crowd at Robert Landry Field for homecoming.

It was so important, it was Bobcats’ head coach Kent Walstrom’s main message to his coaching staff prior to kickoff.

“I told the coaches, I said, ‘it would really help to play from ahead,'” Walstrom said. “Get a lead instead of playing from behind. Because we lost our last two games and, in the back of their head, if you get behind early in a game, you’re thinking, ‘Oh boy, is it gonna be like that again.’ And then you’re not playing as aggressively as you need to.”

Florence did exactly what its coach wanted when senior Breyson Kelley picked up a Bluejay fumble and rumbled 36-yards for the TD. The Bobcats turned that momentum into a 38-6 Northeast Conference victory.

“I was happy we got out to that lead and moved the ball well,” Walstrom said. “And the defense played pretty well.”

For Kelley, who was also named homecoming king, it was his first career TD. He also led the team with nine tackles.

“I saw the ball and I didn’t hear a whistle, so I just picked it up and ran,” Kelley said. “I was just waiting for a whistle or a flag.”

On their next drive, the Bobcats tacked on another touchdown as senior Logan Koski punched in an 8-yard run for a TD.

Although Koski was expected to dominate on the line for Florence, injuries changed the trajectory of his season.

“Of the teams that we have played, (Koski’s) the best lineman in the conference,” Walstrom said. “But with the injuries that we’ve had, we had to put him in the backfield as kind of a blocking back. But also, the more he carries, the more he wears down a defense.”

Koski kept his momentum in the second quarter as he punched in another rushing touchdown with seven minutes left until halftime. A successful 2-point try made it a 22-0 Bobcats’ advantage.

Koski wasn’t done and with a minute to go in the first half, he scored on a seven-yard run as the lead ballooned to 30-0. He ended the day with 128 rushing yards and three TDs on 16 carries.

“He didn’t get to run the ball a lot earlier, early in the year,” Walstrom said. “So we’ve worked a lot on pad level and staying low and protecting the ball. He’s really protecting the ball well and running low and churning and just carrying guys with them. And that’s a tough deal.”

Three Lakes finally broke through on the scoreboard with a minute remaining in the second quarter as it took a kick return 96-yards for a score. The Bluejays missed their 2-point try and trailed 30-6.

Florence’s defense stifled Three Lakes in the second half, setting up an opportunity to reward offensive lineman Sean Cassidy for his work in the trenches.

“He wasn’t even asking for the ball or for a chance to score,” Walstrom said. “We just decided that we wanted to reward him. So we were happy we could get it to a spot down there, near the goal line, where we could run some stuff with him and he hammered it in.”

Cassidy punched in a one-yard run in the fourth quarter as the Bobcats locked up a 38-6 win.

“It was my first varsity touchdown, I used to run a couple in during middle school,” Cassidy said. “(It felt) pretty good, it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to score one.”

Florence also received offensive contributions from Nike Nevil (20 carries, 128 yards) and Luke Deterville (8 carries, 31 yards).

Defensively, Cassidy tallied four tackles while Nevil and Kathan Short each recorded five tackles.

The Bobcats head to Niagara on Friday.

“We want to win out, dominantly, and make the playoffs,” Kelley said. “Then we’ll go from there.”

Trojans 33, Miners 13

WAKEFIELD — The No. 1 ranked Forest Park 8-player varsity football team kept its perfect season intact on Saturday as it took its talents to Gogebic and picked up a 33-13 Great Lakes Eight Conference – West win.

The Trojans are now 6-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play.

A 64-yard run by Dax Huuki kicked off the scoring for Forest Park in the first quarter. Nik Stephens followed that up with a 26-yard TD run of his own and the Trojans led 13-0 after the opening quarter.

Sophomore Vic Giuliani added a 9-yard rushing TD and Grayson Sundell punched in a 1-yard run as the lead ballooned to 26-0 at halftime.

Sundell scored on a 5-yard run in the third and the Trojans led 33-0.

Gogebic rallied in the fourth with Henry Jenkins and Leland Hollenbeck both adding a TD. However, it wasn’t enough and Forest Park escaped with a 33-13 win.

As a team, the Trojans tallied 292 rushing yards on 41 carries.

Forest Park is back home on Friday as it takes on Ironwood.

Nordics 52, Eagles 0

STEPHENSON — Don’t look now, but the North Dickinson 8-player varsity football team is on a two-game winning streak after rolling to a 52-0 Great Lakes Eight Conference – Central victory over Stephenson on Friday.

The Nordics are 2-0 in conference play and 3-3 on the year.

Brady Jungwirth kicked off the scoring for North Dickinson in the first quarter when he found Jason Graham for a 14-yard TD pass. Graham also added a rushing TD later in the frame as the lead grew to 16-0.

Spencer Kramer helped slow the Eagles’ offense when he took an interception 40-yards for a TD.

In the second quarter, Jungwirth connected with Trenton Kramer on a pass. He pitched the ball to Spencer Kramer, who broke away for a 29-yard TD.

Trenton Kramer caught two TD passes on the day, one from Graham in the second and one from Jungwirth in the third. Ty King also scored on a 10-yard pass in the second quarter as the Nordics rolled to the shutout victory.

Jungwirth ended the day with three passing TDs while going 11 for 15 on the day.

North Dickinson also received contributions from Graham (15 carries, 89 yards), Trenton Kramer (6 catches, 94 yards), Spencer Kramer (20 tackles, 2 interceptions), Colton Roberts (1 interception) and King (2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery).

The Nordics are back at the James D. Priestap Memorial Field on Friday for a conference clash with Carney-Nadeau.

Knights 40, Mustangs 28

MUNISING — The Norway 8-player varsity football team’s winning streak is now at three games after it dismantled Munising, 40-28 Great Lakes Eight Conference – East win, in Munising on Friday.

Owen Baij resumed his dominance against the Mustangs, tallying 142 rushing yards and three TDs on 17 carries. He also caught seven passes for 89 yards and a TD.

Senior quarterback Cole Baij ended the day with 220 passing yards and two TDs on an 11 for 13 day through the air. He also ran twice for eight yards.

Although the Baij to Baij connection has caused problems for teams, Norway has been sharing the ball all season and that was no different on Friday with Landon Amundson (4 catches, 61 yards), Bryce Adams (3 catches, 60 yards) and Josh Schiltz (1 catch, 30 yards, 1 TD) all caught passes in the win.

After reinjuring his ankle against St. Ignace, Cameron Varda was back in uniform for the Knights.

He ended the game with 52 rushing yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, Amundson led the way with 10 tackles and a tackle for loss. Norway also received contributions from Owen Baij (10 tackles, 1 interception) and Keith Burcar (8 tackles, 1 for loss).