**ARTICLE BY LIEN VELDBOOM**
A solid second half lifted the Coopersville Broncos to a win this Friday against the Hamilton Hawkeyes. The Broncos entered the game with a chip on their shoulder, after a one-point loss to Unity Christian a week ago. While Coopersville was sometimes threatened, they earned the victory against the Hawkeyes, 28-14.
The first quarter was quiet until the clock read 1:32. The Broncos broke the plane and added six points to the board. Dylan Merlo opened the scoring with a 2-yard run followed by a successful PAT by Evan Raymond. This was the only offensive action from the Broncos in the first half.
In the second quarter, it was all Hamilton, with a touchdown coming mid-quarter and one to close out the quarter. The first score for the Hawkeyes came from Ben Boehm,who ran it in from the 1-yard line. With 28 seconds left, Brandt Goodpaster entered the end zone with a 5-yard run to give Hamilton the 14-7 lead at the half.
It was all Coopersville in the second half. They scored three more touchdowns, closing the game with a 21-0 run. The first was a one-yard dash from Nash Merkins, his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. The only non-rushing score came in the fourth quarter when Colton Bosch found Merlo for a 20-yard dime pass. Merkins added the final score for the game with a 21-yard run to close out the game, taking the Hawkeyes out of comeback territory.
Next week, the Hawkeyes will look to bounce back after dropping their first two conference games. They are scheduled to face the Unity Christian Crusaders. The Broncos will go on the road again to play the Trojans of Fruitport.
