FURIOUS RALLY: Jets Top Broncos In Second Half

POWERS---On a night when the North Central Jets honored two of their greatest alums by retiring their jerseys, youth was served Monday night as the current Jets rallied from 13 points down to beat the rival Bark River-Harris Broncos, 65-53, in Powers.

NCA freshman Luke Gorzinski led the team with 26 points, including a huge steal and driving lay-up late in the third quarter that fueled the Jets comeback. Gorzinski was fouled on the play, and the Broncos were charged with a technical foul.

Gorzinski made two of the three free throws, then when the Jets got the ball back, his older brother, Noah Gorzinski drained a triple.

All of a sudden, going to the fourth quarter, the Jets, who were down 40-27 in the third quarter, had closed to within 46-45.

And they kept it up from there, overwhelming the shellshocked Broncos with their defensive intensity, forcing several BR-H turnovers and forced shots.

“I think I was just due,” Luke Gorzinski said of the turning-point play. “He (Riley Bray) was beating me off the dribble, and a lot and I was letting up my own ground. So I felt like I had to make a play. I had to make a play.”

Earlier, it was the Broncos that were making the plays, especially in the second quarter, when they completely dominated the Jets. BR-H dominated inside with Bray and with Trenton Wood-Keshick, who both had “and-one” baskets during the quarter as the Broncos led, 31-25 at the half.

Dylon Lippens scored inside and Joey Stein put one in as well, giving the Broncos that 40-27 lead midway through the third quarter until everything changed.

NCA got breakaway baskets from Cole Timblin and Wyatt Riley, and Gavin Casperson hit a short jumper, all caused by a tenacious Jets defense that got a wake-up call.

“We weren’t help-siding that good, so coming after halftime, Coach gave us ‘the talk’,” senior Noah Gorzinski said. “We came out and just pressured them and had more help-side defense, and that’s what really got us started.”

Wood-Keshick led the Broncos with 20 points and Bray chipped in 12.

Besides Luke Gorzinski’s 26 points, Noah Gorzinski had 13 points and Brien Gronmark played strong defense and handled the ball well, scoring ten points.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos, and hear post game comments from Luke Gorzinski and Noah Gorzinski.