Escanaba junior Ashton Rymkos (in black) secures a touchdown catch during a game against Grayling on Sept. 28, 2024 at Escanaba Athletic Field. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — Fresh off a 45-0 win over Sault Ste. Marie and a collision with No. 3 Marquette on the horizon, Escanaba football played host to Grayling on Saturday.

The Vikings entered the confines of Escanaba Athletic Field at 0-4 on the season, but their previous opponents possess a combined record of 14-2 entering Week 5.

By all accounts, Saturday’s game was a trap game for the Eskymos. And with a fumble on their first possession and an interception on their final possession of the first half, everything pointed to the orange and black being caught in a tussle to the end with a 21-14 lead at the half.

Then the Eskymos unloaded a plethora of second-half haymakers to claim a definitive 62-21 win.

“The plan we had was (to deliver) body blow after body blow, then try to break things open and be the fresher team at halftime,” Esky coach Bailey Lamb said. “I think it worked out. We cleaned up a lot of issues from the first half.”

The Vikings (0-5) marched to the Esky 42-yard line on the first possession of the second half, but fell short on 4th-and-9 to set up the Eskymos (3-2) in prime position on offense. Two-straight runs from junior Keagan Braun put the home team at the Vikings’ 30-yard line. Then Kaleb Gagne did an impression of a runaway freight train, breaking multiple tackles before finding the endzone to push the lead to 28-14.

Sophomore Brody Ison and Gagne each earned a sack to push the Vikings back to their own 5-yard line before punting. Braun punched it in from 24 yards out on the first play of the Esky drive for a 34-14 lead.

Grayling crept to the Eskymos 46-yard line, but a false start backed it up five yards. Two plays later Esky senior Javon Stevenson came away with an interception.

Two plays later Stevenson continued to be a headache for Grayling, catching a pass from Nolan Bink for a 28-yard score to up the lead to 41-14.

“I know Nolan sees me every time I run a route,” Stevenson said. “I know Nolan’s ready to get me the ball.”

Grayling failed to convert on 4th-and-2 on the ensuing possession. Bink found junior Ashton Rymkos from five yards out for a 48-14 lead.

Bink added a four-yard touchdown run and junior Ryan Cronick punched it in from a yard out for the final two body hooks in the blowout win.

The Eskymos outgained the Vikings 283 yards to 152 yards in the first half, 278-92 in the second half and 561-244 for the game.

“It’s been a long time since we put together two good weeks in a row,” Lamb said. “The first half kind of showed you what could happen, and then when we kind of reset at halftime.”

Bink finished 18 of 22 for 173 yards with a touchdown and an interception through the air and added 65 yards and three touchdowns off seven carries on the ground. Braun earned 91 yards rushing off 10 carries and scored twice. Gagne churned 59 yards off six carries with a score. Ison finished with 77 total yards with a five-yard touchdown reception. Cronick earned eight yards off three carries with a score. Wagner added 29 yards on five carries.

“Our first four running backs all start on defense. So juggling (the rotation) has been really kind of the trick,” Lamb said. “Some drives are going to every two (plays) we’re rotating all four of them. Some drives we let them rest. It’s been fun trying to navigate that in game, because it’s never how you’d write it up the night before.”

Stevenson led the Eskymos with 74 receiving yards off four catches with a touchdown. Johnson secured 73 receiving yards off four catches and converted a 31-yard pass to Brian Boutilier to set up Cronick’s score. Rymkos totaled 47 yards receiving on four receptions with a touchdown. Adam Prey totaled 21 yards on two receptions. Evan Johnson also had two catches for 21 yards.

Now the Eskymos hit the road for three of their next four games. There’s a Week 7 collision with Gaylord and a Week 9 showdown with Gladstone.

But first is a battle with the No. 3 Sentinels.

“You know they’re going to be really well coached,” Lamb said of Marquette. “Every time we play them it’s a battle, it’s chippy, it’s what you want from a football game. If we stay focused on what we can do, have a good week of practice and don’t get ahead of ourselves I think we can compete with anyone. we line up against.”

Esky and Marquette kick-off at 7 p.m. Friday.