Ishpeming, Michigan – Friday, September 21st, 2018 – The historic rivalry between the Negaunee Miners and the Ishpeming Hematites, which started in 1895 was alive and well Friday night as the Hematites took down the the Miners with a final score of 36-26. Mark Evans and Gregg Nelson were in Ishpeming to bring all of the action live to 101.9 SunnyFM.
The first quarter started with a Miner kick to the Hematites. Ishpeming’s Gavin Sundberg made magic happen right away, scoring the first touchdown of the game on the opening drive. The conversion was also good, bringing the Hematites to an early 8-0 lead. The Miners tried to even the score, but couldn’t make anything happen as the first quarter came to a close.
The second quarter is where the excitement really began with Ishpeming’s Gavin Sundberg scoring another touchdown. The conversion was good, bringing the Hematites to a 16-0 lead over the Miners. However, the Miners didn’t remain scoreless for long, with Negaunee’s Jason Waterman bringing the ball into the end zone. Just as the Miners were catching up, Ishpeming’s Hunter Smith drove home a 78-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the Hematites with a 22-8 lead over the Miners. The Miners answered back with their own touchdown scored by Drew DuShane. The conversion was a no-go, keeping the score at 22-14 with the Hematites taking the lead into halftime.
Negaunee’s Theo Kumpula kicked off the third quarter with a gain of over 30 yards, bringing the Miners a first down. The Hematites also had a nice drive mid-quarter, but neither team was able to score in the third.
The fourth quarter began with the Hematites still in the lead with a score of 22-14. Not long after the start, Ishpeming’s Gavin Sundberg came back again to score his third touchdown of the game. A good conversion brought the score to 30-14. Negaunee’s Keegan Erva responded with a touchdown of his own, scoring another one for the Miners. The conversion was missed, bringing the score to 30-20 in favor of the Hematites. Ishpeming’s Drake Sundberg then went in to score, bringing the Hematites to a 36-20 lead. Negaunee then scored one more touchdown, but it was not enough to get the win. The Hematites won with a final score of 36-26.
The Negaunee Miners‘ next game is on Friday, September 28th, 2018 against the L’Anse Purple Hornets at 7 p.m. in Negaunee. Join Mark Evans and Gregg Nelson for all of the can’t-miss action! The Elder Agency pregame show will start around 6:30 p.m. and kickoff will follow at 7:00 p.m. on Sunny.FM. Also, congratulations to Ishpeming’s Gavin Sundberg, MI Internet Company’s Player of the Game! Great job!
LISTEN – FULL GAME – MINERS FALL TO THE HEMATITES (36-26)
