Matt McCarthy | Iron Mountain Daily News North Central junior quarterback Luke Gorzinski (11) drops back to pass during the 2021 MHSAA Division 2 8-player state championship game, Saturday at the Superior Dome in Marquette.

MARQUETTE — Colon fans wore red T-shirts which read ‘fear the bunny’ in white lettering during the eight-player, Division 2 state championship football game here Saturday.

North Central, however, played without fear while retaining its title in a 63-0 rout of the Magi inside Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome.

Junior kicker Jaden Walters entered his name in the state finals record book by kicking seven extra points.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I didn’t even realize I had gotten the record. Helping our team win was my top priority. The record is more secondary. Our defense played amazing. We were constantly in their backfield. We threw them for losses on the first three plays, which had to be hard for them. I didn’t play football last year. It was amazing to see how well we came together.”

There was a running clock at some point in all 13 games, with North Central’s closest contest taking place in a 42-0 triumph at Forest Park Oct. 22.

In that game, the Jets played without senior Alex Naser, who was nursing a hairline fracture below his knee.

“That was an important game,” said junior quarterback Luke Gorzinski. “We had to overcome adversity which didn’t show on the scoreboard.”

Saturday’s victory was North Central’s 23rd straight, dating back to the beginning of last season. The Jets haven’t lost since Nov. 9, 2019, when they dropped a 22-14 decision to Pickford in a regional final.

“The guys are all part of this,” said Gorzinski. “Taking an early fall in the playoffs makes you hungrier. It motivates you to take your game to a new level. You find out what doesn’t work, and you learn from it. This is something we have to keep in perspective. When you have a target on your back, the streak doesn’t mean anything. We have to go right back to work and get ready for next year.”

This victory was especially sweet for Naser, who didn’t play in last season’s state finals due to COVID tracing.

“It feels real good to be here,” said Naser, who plans to attend Baker College in downstate Owosso to become a mechanic. “Missing last year’s finals made me more motivated to hit the weight room and be ready. All of us been playing together since fifth grade. Playing up here is almost like playing in our backyard. We knew we had a good shot at it (state title). We just had to keep our heads in the game.

“For the seniors, this was our last game. We just wanted to take care of business. We hated to see their quarterback (junior Simon Vinson) go down (due to upper-body injury). He’s a good ballplayer.”

Saturday’s triumph marked the second state title within the same calendar year for the Jets, who beat Portland St. Patrick 70-48 during last season’s finals Jan. 16 at Brighton.

“It feels great to take back-to-back state titles,” said senior Wyatt Raab. “Not everyone gets to experience this. We worked hard for this all year.

“The heat made it miserable for practice in August. It was even hot in warm-ups before some of the games. The heat made it feel like you were melting, but it was all worth it.”

The Jets (13-0) outscored their opponents 745-43 this season and finished with 620 yards in total offense Saturday. Colon (11-2) was limited to 126.

“What a great way to end the season,” said coach Leo Gorzinski. “This is a culmination of all the hard work we put in. We’re standing right where we want to be. This doesn’t happen by chance. You have to put in the work. You’ll get exposed if you don’t put in the time. We’re not done yet. We don’t plan on going anywhere. We’re pretty excited about the situation we’re in. It’s a wonderful thing having the guys come all together. This is a special place to be.

“Our heart goes out to their quarterback. They’re a good team. We expect to see them again.”