Evan McKnight Daily Press The North Central Jest overwhelmed Norway in a 68-8 victory Friday.

POWERS — Top-ranked North Central scored early and often here Friday night, overwhelming third-ranked Norway 68-8 in an eight-player football game.

The Jets (8-0) accumulated 504 yards in total offense, including 431 on the ground in this Great Lakes Eight West Division match-up en route to their 31st consecutive victory, dating back to the start of the 2020 season.

Senior Luke Gorzinski led the way, rushing 12 times for 242 yards and four touchdowns and completing 4-of-6 passes for 60 yards and a TD.

“Our team loves to play and Luke is just having fun playing with his friends,” said Jets’ coach Leo Gorzinski. “The guys hate to lose.”

The Jets marched 64 yards in eight plays during their opening possession, gaining a 6-0 lead on an eight-yard run by Gorzinski.

After forcing Norway (6-2) to punt, Jacob Gorzinski returned it 75 yards for another score, giving North Central a 14-0 cushion.

The Knights responded on their next possession, shaving their deficit to 14-8 on a one-yard run up the middle by senior Tyler Neuens with five minutes, 32 seconds left in the first quarter.

“Hats off the Norway,” said coach Gorzinski. “That’s only the second touchdown we gave up all year. They had us back on our heels. We had to switch our front and stunt a little more than we wanted to. That’s something we need to clean up.”

North Central answered just 12 seconds later as senior Dillon Raab broke off left tackle for a 65-yard TD dash and 22-8 advantage.

Luke Gorzinski then scored on dashes of 76 and 86 yards to make it 34-8 prior at the end of the opening frame, then added a one-yard TD run through the right side for a 41-8 cushion midway through the second.

“It’s hard to contain Luke,” said Norway coach Scott Popp. “He opens things up for other players. We’re very physical. It’s hard for the kids to keep their heads up because it’s North Central. Everybody expects them to do well. We’re very physical. The kids like to hit. We need to bounce back. We have to win next week to get into the playoffs.”

With 96 seconds left in the second quarter, Jacob Gorzinski tossed a four-yard pass to Raab, raising the score to 48-8.

Raab gained 81 yards on just three carries and Drew Allgeyer added 51 in six attempts, including a 10-yard TD run early in the fourth.

Lane Gorzinski caught a five-yard TD pass from Luke Gorzinski and Jordan Messenger dashed 44 yards for another score on a fumble recovery in the third.

The Jets finish their regular season by hosting fourth-ranked Forest Park Friday.

Norway sophomore Cole Baij completed 11-of-29 aerials for 143 yards. The Knights were limited to 15 yards rushing.

Junior Wyatt Spade hauled in four passes for 87 yards for Norway, which visits Stephenson in its regular-season finale Friday.