LINCOLN-It might be banged up and take its fair share of punishment, but the Alcona football team showed Friday it still has plenty of fight left.

Brock Franklin rushed for four touchdowns and 302 yards on 34 carries and the Tigers rolled past Lake City 60-28 at Alcona High School.

The Tigers (7-1) won their seventh straight game and avenged a two-game losing streak to the Trojans, including a playoff loss from 2013.

“We’ve been looking at this as a game to measure our growth and see where we’re at as a team. I think tonight was a pretty good look at how well we’re starting to play so it was good for us,” Alcona coach Jason Somers said. “”Our kids are really resilient and they’re tough. We took some shots tonight, they got back up, but we’re going to move on from here.”

Alcona pounded Lake City with its running attack all night and put up big numbers again thanks to a solid effort from the Tigers’ offensive line. The Tigers scored five touchdowns on the ground in the first half alone and built a 36-14 halftime lead.

“That offensive line is really starting to come together. They really like each other, that’s the fun part, so they really work hard for one another,” Somers said. “Of course the team benefits from that, but they’re a fun bunch.”

Dresden Parkinson added 124 yards on 13 carries and two scores and Alcona got rushing touchdowns from Jack Hutchinson and Kyle Haeger.

Franklin scored three of his touchdowns in the first half including a pair of one-yard scampers on Alcona’s first two drives. Alcona found the end zone on four of its five drives in the first half and only punted the ball once all night.

Balancing its offensive attack, Lake City stayed with Alcona for much of the first half. But Alcona’s running game and relentless defense wore the Trojans down as the game wore on.

Franklin’s two scores in the first quarter gave Alcona an early 12-0 lead, but Lake City closed the gap on the first play of the second quarter when Zachary Noren scored on a one yard run to make it 12-6.

After trading punts, Alcona took a 20-6 lead when Parkinson dashed 70 yards to paydirt and Jack Hutchinson ran in the conversion with 6:27 left in the half.

Lake City cut the lead to 20-14 with 4:55 left when quarterback Justin Balcer scored on a four-yard keeper.

But from there the game belonged to Alcona. In the last five minutes of the half, Alcona tacked on 16 points for a commanding lead. Hutchinson scored on a three yard run and Franklin added the conversion for a 28-14 lead with three minutes left. Then Franklin scored again with 22 seconds left from five yards out and Parkinson added the conversion.

The Trojans needed just two plays to score in the third quarter as Noren scampered 73 yards to the end zone to make it 36-22. But Alcona’s rushing attack couldn’t be stopped and on the next two drives Franklin (one yard) and Haeger (six yards) found the end zone to give the Tigers a 52-22 lead. Lucas Wise and Franklin each had a conversion.

Lake City’s last touchdown came with 9:52 to play when Balcer found Jacob Ball for a 35-yard score to make it 52-28. But Alcona responded on the next drive as Parkinson ran one in from three yards out and Luke Loyer caught a pass for the conversion.

“Lake City’s a good football team. I know their record doesn’t say so, but they play in a really tough football conference, they’re well coached and they’re didn’t give up,” Somers said.

Balcer was 11-of-18 passing for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He added 114 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown.

Franklin led Alcona’s defense with 10 tackles and Wise, Parkinson and Devon Mills all had nine. Hutchinson had one interception.

Alcona closes out the regular season at Mio next Friday.

James Andersen can be reached via email at sports@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5694. Follow James on Twitter @ja_alpenanews.