LocalSportsJournal.com
The North Muskegon football team brought a lot of offense to its season opener in Hesperia on Friday, 
rolling past the host Panthers 56-12.
The Norse scored early and often, and several different players found the end zone.
Collin Schotts started things off with a 45-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Stephen Smith (12-yard run), Amarion Dickerson (74-yard punt return) and Brennan Panucci (5-yard run) added first half scores, and North Muskegon led 35-0 at halftime.
Eric Rypstra (32-yard pass reception from quarterback John Hayhurst), Schotts (31-yard run), and Kyler Dana (13 -yard run) all scored for the Norse in the second half.
Gabe Rahrig was 8-for-8 in extra points for the Norse, who outgained the Panthers 253-166 in total offense.
Hesperia scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, on a 3 -yard run by Logan Pierson and a 10 -yard pass from Logan Balkema to Johnny Majersky.
Smith finished with 93 yards rushing for North Muskegon while Schotts had 56. Hayhurst completed 4 of 6 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown while Rypstra had two catches for 51 yards.
Brett Galdeen and William Gallo led the victors on defense with 8 and 5.5 tackles, respectively.
Pierson paced Hesperia with 60 yards rushing on offense and four tackles on defense. AJ Perysian added 3.5 tackles and Cole Conkle recorded 2.5 stops.
North Muskegon hosts Ravenna next Friday in West Michigan Conference action. The Panthers will visit Ludington in a non-conference game.
