(Dennis Mansfield/Daily News photo) Norway’s Chase Carlson (No. 9) offers a hand to Nordics quarterback Colin LaFave (No. 32) after stopping LaFave on a first-half rushing attempt in the season finale for both the host Knights and North Dickinson on Friday night. The Knights ended their season on a positive note by dominating the Nordics, 38-0, for the win.

NORWAY — Host Norway dominated North Dickinson, 38-0, to win the season finale for both teams Friday night, though Knights head coach Scott Popp said the win was somewhat bittersweet.

Norway (5-4 overall) used big plays in the first half to build a commanding 30-0 lead at the half, with Chase Carlson hitting Aiden Richards for a 63-yard catch-and-run at the 1:27 mark of the opening quarter. Carlson rushed for the two-point conversion to give the Knights an early 8-0 advantage.

But it was quickly 16-0, as Norway used a little razzle-dazzle, with Austyn Dwight taking the ball on a reverse and scampering 26 yards for a score on a fourth-and-six play just 14 seconds into the second quarter. Michael Peterson then ran for the two-point conversion.

“Every game we’ve had big plays. We have players who can make big plays,” Popp said. “That’s what is so exciting.”

And the Knights were far from done, finding the end zone three more times before intermission.

Set up by a long punt return by Wyatt Spade, Gabe Hautamaki scored from 35 yards out one a second-and-nine play with the Knights unable to convert on the two-point try.

Then, just before the half, Peterson found Spade for a 47-yard catch-and-run for a TD. Peterson ran in the two-point attempt for a commanding 30-0 advantage.

Eastyn Dwight helped put the game out of reach less than five minutes into the third quarter, scoring the game’s final touchdown on a 44-yard run. Peterson hit Richards for the two-point try to complete the scoring at 38-0.

“Credit to them,” said Nordics head coach Mike Christian of the Knights. “They were so fast.”

North Dickinson did make a bid to put points on the board late in the game, taking the ball from its own 16 and eating up about eight minutes while driving the ball deep into Norway territory. But with just 1:38 left on the game clock, Wyatt Glasheen’s pass on a fourth-and-seven play from Norway’s 11-yard line was picked off by Eastyn Dwight to end the threat.

“We did a lot of good things,” Christian said. “(But) we were just that short every time tonight.”

The Nordics (2-7 overall) started the game shorthanded, with senior quarterback Maximus Mattson unable to take the field due to a shoulder injury. While Christian praised the effort of Colin LaFave, who shifted from his usual position at running back to quarterback, the coach said Mattson’s experience and leadership were missed.

“That was tremendous,” Christian said. “Max was at the center of our team all season long.

“Colin played well, don’t get me wrong, but Max is our leader,” he added.

LaFave, who ran the ball six times for 16 yards, finished the game completing two-for-six passing attempts for 35 yards, including a 28-yard completion to Steven Holmes. Glasheen had the Nordics’ only other catch for seven yards.

Glasheen carried the load offensively for North Dickinson, leading the team in both carries (25) and yards (56).

Beside missing Mattson’s leadership, Christian said his absence also cost the team some of its depth, with LaFave moving to quarterback and Glasheen having to carry a bigger load running the ball.

“We had to run Glasheen something like 80% of the time, rather than having him split the load with LaFave,” he said. “And they do a pretty good job of splitting things up.”

Other contributors offensively for the Nordics included Nathan Graham (three carries, four yards), Holmes (one carry, 15 yards) and Colt Glasheen (seven carries, two yards).

Defensively, North Dickinson was led by Will Smith who tallied two tackles, five assists and a half sack, with Colt Glasheen recording one tackle, a team-high seven assists and two fumble recoveries.

Also contributing on defense for the Nordics were Holmes (three tackles, two assists), Antonia Inglese (two tackles, two assists), Graham (two tackles, one assist), LaFave (one tackle, four assists), Nick Conery (one tackle, two assists and a half a sack), Matt Steinbrecher (one tackle, two assists) and Wyatt Glasheen (one assist).

While celebrating the win, Popp said the victory was an emotional one, as six Knights seniors played their last game Friday night and because Norway failed to qualify for the state playoffs.

Popp added that any disappointment was balanced by the fact that the Knights finished above the .500 mark in their first year of playing eight-man football.

“For the first year, for us to finish over .500, that’s huge for us,” Popp said. “It’s been quite a learning curve.”

Dennis Mansfield can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 229, or dmansfield@ironmountaindailynews.com.