Last Thursday at Sherman Field, the Michigan Tech Huskies began their football season with a non-conference face-off against the Bemidji State Beavers, winning with a score of 37-17. After last year’s match at the Beavers’ home stadium in Minnesota, a 13-19 loss for the Huskies, this was a welcome victory by the Michigan Tech team as well as its fans.
The match started with a moment of silence held for former Michigan Tech Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, Ted Kearly, who passed away on Jun. 7 at the age of 93. Kearly’s commitment and contributions to Michigan Tech will be remembered.
While the Huskies quickly fell behind in the first quarter, they recovered in the second. They were then able to secure their lead in the fourth quarter. Slot Receiver, Nic Nora, shared his thoughts on the game, stating that he is “Proud of the guys after a tough win.” Nora, who did not play last year, was able to make two touchdowns during Thursday’s match, both of which turned the lead over to the Huskies.
Additionally, in the final quarter, Running Back/Safety Jake Rueff scored a touchdown that received standing applause from the audience. After the game, he commented that he believed the match was a “great win for the Huskies, but we’ve got to keep it going next week.” Similarly, Nora mentioned that the team was happy with their results, “but it’s just one [game] and we’ve got 10 more games to go, so we’ll celebrate tonight and we are on to South Dakota tomorrow.” While the team is excited about their win, they seem aware of the long season ahead and the need to focus on their match at South Dakota Mines on Sept. 4.
Weather during Thursday’s match was sunny, with the occasional light breeze and temperatures dropping into the 50s – decent weather for the players and the fans watching. One fan provided us with their thoughts on the game: “For the first game for Michigan Tech Huskies, they outplayed the opponent… and we came up with more big plays than Bemidji, so it was a good first win for Michigan Tech.” The next home game for Michigan Tech will be against Upper Iowa on Sept. 20.
