‘We got it back’: PH Northern outlasts Port Huron to win Crosstown Showdown, rivalry trophy

It’s an hour before kickoff, and cars keep piling in one behind the other to try and get the closest spot to Memorial Stadium.

Inside the gates, hoards of people line up for snacks and drinks at the concession stands, while kids played their own game of football on patches of grass.

As the temperature dropped as slow as the sun was winding down, the stands on both ends filled up with their respective fans. By the end of the night, one team would hoist the Brick Fowler Trophy.

In a close and thrilling contest, the Port Huron Northern football team survived a late charge from Port Huron to win the Crosstown Showdown, 14-7, on Friday. The Huskies improved to 5-0 while the Big Reds fell to 3-2.

“They’ve been working their butt off all week,” Northern coach Larry Roelens said. “I’m so proud of them tonight. With Port Huron, it’s a rivalry. It’s a coin flip every night. No matter what the records are, you throw them out the window. (For) all three phases, both teams, they fought hard. And it was a great football game tonight.”

The Huskies scored on the game’s opening drive when quarterback Dylan Bloink faked a handoff and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Cam Harju with 9:09 left in the first quarter.

Port Huron Northern’s Hayden Prone runs to the edge during the Huskies’ 14-7 win over Port Huron at Memorial Stadium in Port Huron on Friday.

Later in the quarter, Northern marched down the field into Port Huron territory again. Bloink ran for a 3-yard touchdown just 54 seconds into the second to give the Huskies a 14-0 lead.

The Big Reds threatened with a long run from tailback Gavin Troy (158 yards, one touchdown) that put Port Huron in the red zone. However, an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Amauri Haller to Jaiden Ashford was negated because of a holding penalty. The drive ended when the Big Reds turned it over on downs.

But they answered early in the second half. Troy got his team on the board with a 55-yard touchdown run at the 11:05 mark of the third quarter.

“I felt a little bit of confidence and I felt the momentum kind of gain,” Troy said.

Troy added that during halftime, his coaches continuously told the team to “Man up.”

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“They just kept repeating, ‘Man up, man up, man up and play hard football,’ ” Troy said. “And we came out in the second half and I thought we did a great job.”

Feeling that momentum swing their way, the Big Reds drove down the field once again, gaining ground into the Huskies’ territory.

Port Huron’s Amauri Haller drops back to pass during the Big Reds’ 14-7 loss to Port Huron Northern at Memorial Stadium in Port Huron on Friday.

However, they failed to convert on fourth down after an incomplete pass.

“We just kind of shut ourselves down and continuously shoot ourselves in the foot,” Troy said.

From then on, the game became an offensive stalemate.

“We put up 14 points early and that was it,” Roelens said. “Our defense kept us in the game, our offense stalled out here and there … our kids had their backs against the wall three times and just kept getting after it and playing good, solid defense.”

Bloink finished 10-of-17 passing for 84 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for 58 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. The senior left the game late in the fourth quarter with an injury.

Port Huron had one more shot to pull even with two minutes to play. The Big Reds gained momentum once again and drove into Northern territory.

Port Huron Northern players celebrate with the Brick Fowler Trophy after the Huskies’ 14-7 win over Port Huron at Memorial Stadium in Port Huron on Friday.

But Haller was intercepted by Huskies linebacker Austin Haeck with just under a minute remaining. That sealed the victory for Northern.

“I end up catching it, I was running down and that play just changed everything and it’s crazy,” Haeck said. “Port Huron played a great game in the second half and we just stuck with it and just shut them down. This is the biggest game, one of the biggest games in my career. It’s crazy. It feels amazing.”

Once the clock hit zero, Roelens was presented with the Brick Fowler Trophy to the cheers and amusement of players, friends, and family. Near the Huskies’ side of the end zone, everyone gathered to celebrate the win.

“You want to win the trophy,” Roelens said. “You want to have the Brick back. We got it back and that was our senior slogan this week — that we want to bring it back for this class and I’m so happy and proud of them that they did it.”

Contact Sergio Montanez at spoveda@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: ‘We got it back’: PHN outlasts PH to win Crosstown Showdown