'An upgrade every week': Port Huron Northern's offense has the Huskies riding high

At first glance, everything about the Port Huron Northern football team appears to be the same.

Just like last season, the Huskies are off to a 4-0 start in 2022. They've won all of their games by double digits, another stat that mirrors 2021.

But this isn't a continuation of last season. Instead, it's a maturation of Northern's offensive attack.

"We're just a veteran team," Northern coach Larry Roelens said. "We were young last year, so we returned a lot of guys this year — a lot of skill guys. So that is leading to the success we have offensively."

"We've really stepped it up from last year," running back Hayden Prone said. "Our stuff seems to have an upgrade every week. That starts with the (offensive) line and we just keep driving the ball."

"Our team chemistry is through the roof," quarterback Dylan Bloink said. "We've really got a good group of guys. We just get after it during practice and the (offensive) line does their job so we can do ours."

So it was just another day at the office for the Huskies, who decimated Sterling Heights, 43-8, at Memorial Stadium on Friday.

"It all starts with the (offensive) line," wide receiver Jacob Kerrigan said. "They work hard every day at practice opening up the runs. If we win first down, then we can pass it on second down. It works out."

Northern's offense has worked wonders in the season's first month. But how does it differ from last year? A closer look at the numbers holds the answer.

The Huskies are averaging 38.5 points per game, which gives them the highest scoring average in the MAC Blue. They've outscored opponents 154-32 so far.

At this time last year, Northern was riding high with the same record of 4-0. But the 2021 team only averaged 18 points per game and outscored its opponents 72-21 through the first four contests. The Huskies have more than doubled their offensive output this season.

"Our coaches keep us on point," Prone said. "They don't allow slacking. So coaching is a big part of it."

Roelens credits a good chunk of the success to the growth of his players. That's especially true for Bloink, who is in his third season as the starting quarterback.

The senior has thrown for 477 yards (32-of-59 passing) and nine touchdowns this year. He's also ran for seven scores. And Bloink continued to click against the Stallions on Friday.

He found Kerrigan open on a streak for a 64-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. That gave Northern a 7-0 lead at the 5:29 mark of the first quarter.

Three minutes later, Bloink connected with Kerrigan again for a 23-yard touchdown strike. But the Huskies' quarterback wasn't finished.

Bloink added to Northern's lead on a five-yard touchdown run with nine seconds remaining in the first quarter. He followed suit as time expired in the second quarter and scored on a four-yard keeper to the right. The Huskies had a 33-0 advantage at halftime.

"The guys up front are doing a great job as well," Roelens said. "Our running backs, fullbacks — it's just complementary football and we're playing well right now."

One of those running backs is sophomore Reace Buckhana. He's totaled 270 yards (5.6 per carry) and three touchdowns in the first four games of his career.

"Reace has been doing a great job running hard for us," Roelens said. "Him and Hayden have done fantastic. Danny Moore has done a great job at fullback. And then our receiving core — Max Williams, Kanye Cole, Jacob Kerrigan, Nate DeLand, Jared McRobie and Cam Harju ... those guys out there do a fantastic job everyday as well."

Despite all the success, the Huskies know the road ahead won't be easy. Their biggest test yet comes in Week 5 when they meet archrival Port Huron in the annual Crosstown Showdown.

Northern began to look ahead to the matchup shortly after its win over Sterling Heights. The Huskies suspect that, just like last season, this game could play a role in deciding the eventual MAC Blue Champion.

"We've just got to keep working on the fundamentals," Roelens said. "That's the basis of everything. You can't get lazy with it. And then we just have to execute."

"We're all self-motivated," Prone said. "That's what helps us. We all want to be better. We all want to be out here. It's our lifestyle."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: 'An upgrade every week': PHN's offense has the Huskies riding high