ESCANABA — Defense was the name of the game for nearly three quarters until offense took over in a Division 4 playoff football game here Saturday afternoon.

The second-ranked Escanaba Eskymos found the end zone twice in the last 13:06 en route to a 17-13 triumph over the Freeland Falcons in a district opener.

Esky (9-1) hosts Big Rapids (9-1) in a district final this weekend. Freeland finished 7-3.

“The offense started to figure things out late in the second half,” Esky coach Bailey Lamb said. “That’s everything you want as a coach. This is what they work for. This is such a high intensity situation. Freeland has big, tough players. The guys were flying around on defense and made plays on offense when we needed them.”

The Eskymos sealed the verdict with less than 50 seconds left in the

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