Lightning didn’t strike Sports Stadium on Friday night when Falls’ football team won for the first time this season, but it was detected nearby.

In a game ended at halftime after two weather delays, the Broncos shut out Eveleth-Gilbert, 38-0.

The victory improved Falls’ season record to 1-4 in the Sea-Range Conference and 1-5 overall, while the Golden Bears remained winless for the year.

“We knew going in — it’s two 0-5 teams playing — both of us are looking for our first win, so we knew it was going to come down to which team fired off the first play and wanted it more,” said Broncos head coach Jay Boyle. “We won that battle. Our guys were fired up. Everything was working just like it was supposed to.”

Eveleth-Gilbert was forced to punt on its opening drive and suffered a key injury when halfback and linebacker Cole Jackson left the game early in the first quarter.

The Falls kept a drive alive facing a fourth down on the Golden Bears’ 25-yard line. Nick Janttie then gave the Broncos their first touchdown running into the end zone from 15 yards away with 8:12 left in the first quarter. On the two-point conversation, Janttie threw an option pass to Josh Owen to give the Broncos an 8-0 lead.

Falls pulled in front by two touchdowns with 3:30 left in the opening quarter when running back Beau Herzig, who had returned to action following an injury earlier this season, scored on a 17-yard run.

Janttie scored his second rushing touchdown from 10 yards away with 10:06 left before halftime when the game was delayed for about a half hour after lightning had been detected in the area.

Of the Broncos’ 159 yards rushing of the 223 total yards on offense, Janttie ended up running for 114 yards on 17 carries.

“We didn’t have to go to the air,” Boyle said. “We got it done on the ground, which is how you can really dominate football games.”

Eveleth-Gilbert recorded only 8 net yards of total offense.

Falls added two more touchdowns before halftime, which turned out to be the end of the game after both teams agreed not to continue the contest following the second weather delay.

Bronco quarterback Gunnar Anderson connected on a 34-yard scoring strike to Owen, who subsequently returned an intercepted pass 30 yards for another touchdown.

Falls will play its final home game at 7 p.m. Friday when it hosts Hibbing, prior to closing out its regular season schedule a week from today with a road game against Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin.

“We want to finish the (regular) season 3-0...,” Boyle said. “Our guys now know what it feels like to win. Hopefully they will want to feel this again, and they will come out and put in the appropriate work this week and show up to play on Friday for Parents Night.”

I. Falls 38, Eveleth-Gilbert 0

E-G 0 0 — 0

IF 14 24 — 38

Scoring:

IF — Nick Janttie 15 run (Josh Owen pass from Janttie)

IF — Beau Herzig 17 run (Pass failed)

IF — Janttie 10 run (Herzig run)

IF — Owen 34 pass from Gunnar Anderson (Herzig run)

IF — Owen 30 interception return (Janttie run)