HOUGHTON — It looked more like a hockey score than a football score on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field as Houghton edged Bark River-Harris 3-0.

It was fitting, however, as the Houghton win was also the first for new Gremlins head coach Micah Stipech who is also an assistant on the school’s hockey team.

“That’s not how I drew it up, but after losing a couple of weeks in the summer, we were just happy to get out here and able to play,” he said.

Will Flaherty’s 26-yard winning field goal came with just six minutes left on the clock. The Gremlins moved the ball inside the 10-yard line. It was the first time either team had gotten inside the 10 all game. However, the Broncos shut them down and on fourth-and-goal from the 9, the Gremlins trotted out Flaherty. At just 5-foot-10 and 145 pounds, Flaherty proved his worth in gold as he drilled a 26-yard field goal through the uprights.

It was his second field-goal attempt. His first attempt was blocked earlier in the game.

“Will showed up all summer and was kicking field goals and was sending me videos of his work,” Stipech said. “When his number was called, he got it.”

Not only did Flaherty’s summer regime pay off but so did the rest of the squad, said Stipech.

“Our guys put in 12 weeks of work in the weight room throughout all this and did not get dismayed,” he said. “And to see our kids get rewarded like this feels great.”

A pumped-up Gremlin defense shut down the Broncos offense — a very good one on paper. The Broncos entered this season with nine of 11 starters returning and according to Stipech, a team that moved the ball well. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. The Broncos were only able to put together a first down here and a first down there.

“It was a dogfight,” said Broncos head coach Al Stenberg. “We were not able to generate any offense, and that’s my fault as I am the one calling the plays. If we can’t get six points in this game, we don’t deserve to win it.”

Stenberg said he was pleased with his team’s defensive effort.

“I liked the tenacity and play of our defense. We flew around. We piled on the ball carrier and we adjusted to things we didn’t think we would see.”

BR-H 0 0 0 0 — 0

Houghton 0 0 0 3 — 3