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The Fremont, Hesperia, Newaygo and White Cloud Cross Country teams all ventured north to the Warriors Late Season Invitational at Chippewa Hills on Saturday, October 21 to compete in the final regular season meet of the season before heading into Regionals.
The weather was unseasonably warm and the colors of the leaves were remarkably vibrant as the athletes ran through the wooded trails of the Chip Hills course. The top 50 individuals in each the boys and girls race took home medals. The top two teams in each division (small and large school) took home trophies. Both the medals and trophies are unique for this invitational in that they are cut pieces of tree! The following is a write up from Coach Cliff Somers of the Fremont day. "It was pretty good running weather, just a little windy. We rested a few athletes on both the girls and boys team but were still able to win both races. This is the first time this year the girls were able to beat Chip. Hills who were also resting some athletes. The girls had a tight pack of 4 placing in the top 10 with a 39 second spread. Annika Tuls (So) was our 5th giving us a 1:11 1-5 split. Many girls ran their PR on a full length course today. It was a great way to go out for those who were running their last race of the season. The boys put 6 in the top 10 of their division. Ben Schmidt (Sr) broke the course record he set last running 15:47. Freshman Josh Zerfas stepped up big running his best race of the season to fill the hole left with a couple runners sitting out. As with the girls, many of the boys ran their season PR on a full length course." Fremont heads to Gaylord next week for Regionals. The following is a write up of Newaygo's results by Coach Alexis Mercer. "We haven't been to the Late Season Invite when it has been this warm for as long as I have been coaching. It was a beautiful day to run through the wooded trails. The girls team finished third overall in the large division, with 6 of the varsity girls taking home medals. Ellie Nausadis led the Lady Lions with a 5th place finish. Also medaling were Sophia Frisbie, Samantha Dosch, Liza Nausadis, Alexis Brocker and Jaylee Long. It was the final race for the JV girls. Elizabeth Childs ran her best race of the season by far and set a PR. Two Lions earned medals for the boys side. Ryan Brummel finished 5th overall and David Grodus earned his first medal at this meet in his three years running. Two other boys finished with PRs on the season: Blaise Brockway and Ryan Anderson. Both the boys and girls will now head to Allendale next week for Regionals." Both Tiger squads came in third at their final tuneup for the Regionals in Allendale next Saturday. Elizabeth Gates ran to a 5th place finish to lead the girls team with Gracie Bearup (13th), Monica Padron(17th), Maggie Whitney(19th), Samantha Fryling(20th), Zoe Zimmerman(21st), and Ashley Bearup(22nd).
The boys ran as a team with Spencer Cole, David Jaimes, Colten Covington, Aaron Zimmer,and Connor VanderWilt finishing in the 12-16th spots followed by Carter Cole (18th) , and Reece Welch(31st). Raymond Gardner also set a new personal best time at this final race of the regular season Newaygo 49 Manistee 20 The Lions finished up the regular season on a high note defeating the Chippewas (2-7) to make it 5 in a row as they head into next week’s tournament. McBain 62 Fremont 18 Down 27-0 and buried in their own territory the Pack came up with a huge play when Caleb Koomen hit Riley Krim with a pass that the speedy Mr. Krim took 95 yard to the house. McBain poured on the points from their potent offense to put the game away early but the Packers managed two more scores, a 22 yard Parker Dalson run and a 15 yard sprint by Kade Widing. Shelby 21 Hesperia 19 The Streak is over. No, not the season long skid by the Panthers that came out of nowhere. It was the 30 game free fall of futility the Tigers have endured since their seniors were freshmen that came to an end. That year Shelby followed up a win over Montague with a pasting of the Pirates, a 57-0 win over Hart. The following week their modest 2 game winning run was halted by Oakridge and now three seasons and another 29 losses later it is over. For Hesperia it will be time to regroup and take a look at what has turned out to be an most unexpected season.. Hart 8 White Cloud 0 A scoreless battle came down to the final seconds of the game when the Pirates sailed into the endzone for the winning score. The Indians moved the ball into scoring territory several times during the game but were victimized by turnovers penalties and dropped passes. Kevin Arnold hit on 3 passes for 52 yards with Conner Maring taking 2 for 35 yards and Eric Plotts catching for 17 yards.Alex Doke rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries and Buck Seabrook added 56 yards on 11 carries. Nine seniors took the field the final time for the Cloud. Kevin Arnold, Sean Kakoczki, Conner Maring, Derrion Holland, Buck Seabrook, Derek Moore, Ryan Larsen, Eric Plotts and Hunter Jackson. “They will be missed’” said Coach Hance. Northpointe Christian 49 Holton 21 The Mustangs shook off a 3 game losing streak and beat the hosts in Red Devil Stadium, never an easy task. The win puts NPC into the postseason at 6-3 and Holton finishes with a 3-6 mark. Kent City 47 Tri County 19 The Eagles completed a season sweep by defeated the Vikings on the road. Their next game looks to be at home and they will find out who will be coming to town Sunday night.. Lakeview 42 Central Montcalm 8 The Wildcats completed their table run and will be the third Silver team to tune in Sunday evening to see when and where they next play. The Cats have played on in 3 of the past 4 years. Since their first appearance in 2000 when they advanced to the district final Lakeview has made 10 trips to the postseason without a win. They will be looking to snap that streak next weekend. Lake City 35 Morley Stanwood 6 The Mohawks ran into a Trojan team hitting on all of their substantial cylinders. Whoever gets chosen as their foe for next weekend will likely not be as formidable as Lake City.MS will sit down Sunday evening to see who that opponent might be. Alma 39 Big Rapids 33 The Cards put up a good effort against a powerful Panther squad Reed City 50 Pine River 10 Reed City rolls on and will likely snare a game on their home turf, a big edge for the Yotes and their raucous fans. Chippewa Hills 28 Beal City 12 The Aggies a D-8 perennial playoff powerhouse with a pair of state titles on their resume will be missing the dance for the first time this century and just the third time since 1980. Think of that. If you started kindergarten in 2000- your high school team was playoff-bound every year you attended school including 4 years of college. The Warriors capped off their 7th straight season of playing beyond the first 9 and will await their next assignment coming Sunday. Grant 41 Ravenna 26 Football Preview Week 9 Playoffs for Tigers? Lions look for 6th in a row. Manistee 2-6 at Newaygo 6-2 The Chips struggle on the road where they are 0-4 and yield an average of close to 45 points a game. The Lions have evolved from a team hoping to make the playoffs into a team capable of being a dangerous district draw and a victory could help them secure a better seeding for next week. The game is on Newaygo turf and their run to the postseason with 5 straight wins has electrified their fans. Look for a strong showing by Lions. Ravenna 3-5 Grant 5-3 The only Ravenna wins have come against teams that reside in the bottom tier of the West Michigan conference, teams with a collective 3-21 record. The Tigers are bent on returning to the dance and Coach Geraghty’s team will be looking to make their fans forget the homecoming loss last week. Last year the Bulldogs took the season finale from the Tigers and advanced to the regionals in postseason play before falling to Pine River. This is not that team. But the WMC is a rugged league with undefeated Montague, a Whitehall team with just two narrow losses and the perennial powerhouse Oakridge program that has missed the playoffs once since 1994. Grant looks like a better team but the Dogs can bite when they’re let loose as shown by their 50+ points in each of their wins so the Tiger defense will be tested. . McBain 6-2 at Fremont 0-8 The Packers season has been a rough go for players and fans. It’s a lot more fun on the field and in the stands when your team is winning and Fremont has yet to win. It doesn’t get any easier with the playoff bound Ramblers coming to town. Give enormous credit to these Packer players.They have weathered a winless season and yet they put forth the same effort at game’s end as they do at opening kickoff. A win doesn’t seem likely but this team has earned our highest respect for their efforts. Hart 1-7 at White Cloud 2-6 The Cloud has a chance to match last year’s 3 wins with a victory over Hart. The Pirates only victory came against winless Shelby and they have been outscored 300-31. If the Indian offense gets a little traction the hometown fans should be going home happy. Kent City 8-0 at Tri County 1-7 The Vikes have the unenviable task of standing in the way of the Eagle quest for an undefeated regular season. In their 7 losses TC has only held one team under 30 points. In their 8 wins KC has only scored under 30 once. TC has yet to score 30 in a game. Hesperia 0-8 at Shelby 0-8 A season finale between two teams without a win. One who started the season hoping to snare a game or two and one with playoff aspirations. The Panthers need this one. A win won’t salve the wounds of a disappointing season but this is not a team to finish 0-9. Northpointe Christian 5-3 at Holton 3-5 The Mustangs have dropped three in a row after beginning the season 5-0. Those losses were all to playoff teams and the 5 wins were against teams that have not fared well this year. It’s been over a month since the Red Devils have been on home turf where they are 2-1. NPC needs a win to play next week and they might be able to get it here but it is not going to be easy. Holton can be a pretty tough place to play. Look for a lot of scoring. Central Montcalm 5-3 at Lakeview 2-6 At 2-3 the Wildcats needed to run the table to get into the playoffs. Three wins later they are on the cusp of becoming the third team from the Silver to get into the dance. Who stands in their way? Their oldest rival in the 54th meeting between the teams. The Cats have won the last 5 and the Bees are playing for pride not a playoff berth. CM hasn’t beaten a winning team yet and they are on the road in hostile territory so if the hosts prevail they can make it into the second season for the third time in four years Reed City 7-1 at Pine River 1-7 The Bucks stopped a season long skid with last week’s win against Calvin Christian. Friday they play at home against the Coyotes but barring a gridiron miracle their fledgling winning streak won’t be reaching 2. Alma 6-2 at Big Rapids 3-5 The Panthers have dropped the last 2 games after a 6-0 start and want a win going into the postseason. The Cardinals have struggled keeping good teams out of the endzone and Alma is a good team. Lake City 8-0 Morley Stanwood 7-1 The undefeated Trojans have torn through the rugged Highland conference and bested two strong non conference foes.. The Mohawks have lost just one game to a really good Kent City team. This time they’re at home. Against a really good team. Conference Champions:
Silver Girls – Kent City Silver Boys – Kent City Gold Boys – Fremont Gold Girls – Chippewa Hills All-Conference Gold Boys Ben Schmidt Fremont Nathan Walker Fremont Colten Covington Grant Brandon Wirth Reed City Spencer Cole Grant Colton Best Fremont Austin Mathis Remus Chippewa Hills Honorable Mention Gold Boys Dan Hardesty Big Rapids Ben Paige Fremont Ryan Brummel Newaygo Logan Williams Big Rapids Gabe Goosen Howard City-Tri-County Joshua Zerfas Fremont David Jaimes Grant All-Conference Gold Girls Meghan Langworthy Big Rapids Hannah Todd Remus Chippewa Hills Madison Hammer Big Rapids Riley Sweet Fremont Natalie Newcombe Remus Chippewa Hills Hanna Brock Big Rapids Deziree Shaw Remus Chippewa Hills Honorable Mention Gold Girls Emma Metz Fremont Abbigail Kiaunis Reed City Summer Longstreet Howard City-Tri-County Madison Grover Remus Chippewa Hills Sophia Frisbie Newaygo Ellie Nausadis Newaygo Hannah Fiorillo Remus Chippewa Hills All-Conference Silver Boys Fraser Wilson Kent City Aiden McLaughlin Morley-Stanwood Kevin McNeil Morley-Stanwood Hunter Nelson Kent City Casey Carew Kent City Kyler Korstanje Holton Alex Russo Kent City Honorable Mention Silver Boys Nick Flegel Kent City Aramis La Clair White Cloud Adrian Rodriguez White Cloud Ryan Wheeler Kent City Reginald Richmond White Cloud Jeremiah Hasty Hesperia Zach Young Hesperia All-Conference Silver Girls Lauren Freeland Kent City Layla Martini Kent City Dreea Atchison Morley-Stanwood Kenzie Bowers Kent City Abby Ignasiak Kent City Ella Bowman White Cloud Elizabeth Sible Kent City Mariana Maturen Morley-Stanwood Honorable Mention Silver Girls Haley Foster White Cloud Naomi Thompson White Cloud Becky Castillo Hesperia Aivery Devereaux Morley-Stanwood Hannah Brown White Cloud Bethany Elenbaas Morley-Stanwood Too Much Heinzman (3TDs) Topples Tigers
Newaygo 20 Grant 6 An hour before kickoff they started pouring into the stadium, dressed in orange and black and ready to cheer their Tigers on to a victory and a playoff berth. After all it was homecoming, the Tigers and Lions held identical 5-2 marks and the two losses each team wore on their records came against the same opponents Reed City and Chip Hills. Evenly matched and playing at home. The Grant faithful were fired up for a big win against an old rival. The hosts won the toss and elected to receive taking it out to the 30. Jared Evans broke through on the first play for a 12 yard gain. The next play he carried for another 6 then after a couple of stuffed runs Trent Throop hit Alex Longcore with a first down pass. 3 plays later Throop hit Freddy Hall on the run and he sprinted 45 yards as the Tigers drew first blood and led 6-0 when an errant snap led to a failed point after attempt. The enthusiasm on the Grant side was short lived. Zachary Rodriguez nearly broke the kickoff for 6 but was tackled on the Grant 13. Three running plays by Cooper Heinzman got the Lions into the endzone and the PAT by Francisco Rios gave the Lions a 7-6 lead. The team exchanged punts through the rest of the first and into the second before Newaygo put together a 4 1/2 minute touchdown drive featuring the hard driving running game of Heinzman who scored from 3 yards out and after Rios split the uprights it was 14-6 Newaygo. The Tigers saw a scoring opportunity go awry in the closing minute of the half when a penalty gave them the ball on the Lion 20 but the Lion defense sacked Throop twice and a chop block penalty took them back 25 yard and out of contention for a score. The second half saw both teams struggling to move the ball. The third quarter went scoreless as the rain began to fall in earnest. A couple of fumbles and missed snaps cooled down drives for both teams. The 4th saw Newaygo run qb Connor Swinehart, Rodriguez and Heinzman behind an inspired o-line leading to another short run for 6 by Heinzman making it 20-6 after a snafu on the exchange led to a failed PAT. Grant received the kickoff and began to move the ball but on a 3rd and 1 another issue on the snap from center led to an 18 yard loss and secured the win for the Lions. Newaygo won this one in the trenches as their offensive line gave the rushing game openings and the Lion defense made moving the ball tough for the Tigers. Newaygo (5-2, 6-2) returns to the playoffs after a 2 year absence and snaps the two game losing streak against their longtime rivals. Their final regular season game will be at home against Manistee (2-6) Grant (4-3, 5-3) will have to defeat the Ravenna Bulldogs (3-4, 3-5) to take part in postseason play. Mike LaFontsee Heinzman and Kade Bhutan were all over the field on defense for Newaygo while James Montney,T.J. and Jarrett Railing, and Jagarr Jenerou led the Tiger D. Tri County 20 Fremont 15 The Vikings prevailed in a battle of winless teams. Riley Krim and Caleb Kooman scored for the Packers but the streak reached 26 as the Viking offense held to just 12 points in their last three games put up 3 touchdowns. Fremont (0-7, 0-8) will play host to McBain (6-2) in their season finale while the Vikings welcome in the undefeated Eagles of Kent City in a cross conference matchup Muskegon Catholic Central 49 Hesperia 9 The Crusaders were just too much for the Panthers as Hesperia dropped to 0-8 on the season. The bad news is they go on the road for their final game. The good news is they face Shelby who are in the midst of a 30 game losing streak. White Cloud 29 Three Oaks River Valley 0 The Cloud went way south and rode home with their second win of the season.Kevin Arnold completed 4 passes for 136 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Eric Plotts grabbed the 2 touchdown passes for a total of 77 yards while Darion Holland and Conner Maring each had one catch for 46yds and 13yds respectively. Buck Seabrook rushed for 104 yards on 22 attempts and a touchdown. Alex Doke added the final touchdown on a 1 yard plunge and netted 76 yards on 15 attempts. Darion Holland added 21 yards on 3 attemps. Chance Montemayor added a 40 yards field goal and was 2 for 2 of extra point kicks. The defense caused 11 fumbles and recovered 3 for the Indians. Chip Hills 49 Big Rapids 26 Midway through the 1st Dorian Martin ran one in for the Cardinals to tie the game at 7. By halftime the Warriors scored 5 more times and cruised to the CSAA finale for both teams. Chip Hills (6-2) qualified for the playoffs giving the Gold 3 teams in (Reed City, Newaygo) and 1 with a shot at it next week (Grant) Reed City 62 Central Montcalm 6 The Coyotes (7-0, 7-1)) dismantled the Green Hornets (2-5, 2-6) to secure the title in the CSAA Gold Division. Kent City 35 Maple Valley 0 Eagles are on a roll and the train doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. They face Tri County next week with a shot at an undefeated regular season. Morley Stanwood 21 Beal City 16 The Mohawks (4-1, 7-1) defeated the Aggies and will face undefeated Lake City in a home contest to close the regular season Evart 48 Holton 41 The Red Devils (23, 3-5) lost a shootout with the host Wildcats Lakeview 55 Ludington 27 The Wildcats (3-2, 5-3) can wrap up a playoff bid with a season finale win over Central Montcalm next week. By Ken DeLaat Newaygo at Grant Lots of talk about this one and for good reason. Not only is it one of the hottest and longest standing rivalries around but there’s a playoff spot to be had by emerging as the winner. To say nothing about a year’s worth of bragging rights. The teams seem pretty evenly matched in many facets including coaching. These are two leaders who possess the ability to deliver their message to their respective teams and it has shown on the field of play. Both teams have developed some formidable line play, both teams have punishing running backs and a qb that can throw or run and both teams have the same blemishes on their record Reed City and Chip Hills. High school games can be decidedly unpredictable and with a lopsided number of turnovers and mistakes a game that should be close becomes a blowout. But these teams rarely make many mistakes and if they do it’s seldom seen twice. Our article early in the week gave some backdrop to the game and under any circumstances this is a really huge point on the schedule. So think about the player or fan going home knowing your team has just vanquished the school’s biggest rival and the good feeling that comes with a win And to top it off? You’re going to the playoffs man. You made it to the dance. Tri County at Fremont In 2004 the Vikings took down the Pack twice when both played in the WWAC the second time in the pre district. The next 9 years including 8 when they were both members of the Lakes 8 Fremont came out on top, Last year the Packer inaugural season in the CSAA Gold they faced the Vikings after a two year break and TC snapped the streak with a convincing 29-0 win that also halted their 4 game skid. Fremont needs a win. They are now 25 games into a streak and the last time they even had a good chance of winning was the opener of the ‘15 season, the first of those 25 losses in a row. When TC gets a chance to run their offense as they would like they can perform well, but, like Fremont, they have often found themselves in an early hole facing an uphill climb which reduces your offensive options quicky. The Pack can also do a bit of scoring and neither team has what one might call a shutdown defense. The Vikes have yielded nearly 40 points a game and Packer opponents have scored 7 or more touchdowns a game except for their opener when Evart was held to 5. It could be a track meet with the winner getting off the schneid and posting a 1 on the left column of the standings.It might the best shot at a win with for both schools since McBain will be bringing their playoff bound team to Fremont next week while TC will have the unenviable task of facing the undefeated and highly talented Eagles of Kent City. White Cloud at Three Oaks River Valley The Mustangs broke a 28 game losing streak earlier this year.and have not won more than 2 games a year since 2002 when their current players were toddlers or infants. The Indians will be traveling a long way south for this game and we hope it will be a happy bus ride home. The only common opponent? Wyoming Lee. The Rebels defeated the Cloud 48-0 earlier this year and also shut down the ‘Stangs 55-0 Muskegon Catholic at Hesperia. The Panthers have lost 8 games this season. The Crusaders have lost 8 regular season games since 2011 and have won 4 of their 7 state championships the past four years. Last season MCC beat a playoff bound Panther team 48-7 to continue their undefeated season. This year they face a Hesperia team without a win. Hesperia is playing at home but their best shot at avoiding a winless season might be on the road next week when they face a Shelby team that has thus far also remained winless. Morley Stanwood at Beal City. The Mohawks are already in the postseason which is a good thing because their next two opponents look to be pretty tough matchups. The Aggies have not missed the playoffs in this century and will need to win out to make it 18 years in a row. By the time the season ends the boys from Morley Stanwood will have played 3 teams from the Highland Conference. They posted an earlier win against Pine River (0-7) and now finish off the year with matchups against BC (4-3) and Lake City (7-0). These last two might make the Mohawks happy to be residing in the CSAA Silver. Holton at Evart The Red Devils have won every other game this season and lost last week. Of course that means absolutely nothing but they are on the road against a team that has beaten three teams with a combine 2-19 record.. But then Holton’s victories came against schools with a combined 3-18 mark. Central Montcalm at Reed City Not an even matchup. The Hornets will find the going tough on offense and they don’t possess the kind of defense to rein in the Coyotes. Big Rapids at Chippewa Hills The Cardinals can score and will put up some points against the Warriors, but Chip Hills is a pretty good team with a potent offense. The Warriors need this one to make it into the playoff picture and they’re playing at home a tough venue for visiting squads. Lakeview at Ludington The Wildcats still have a playoff shot if they defeat the Orioles on the road and Central Montcalm at home. If they succeed there will be a trio of Silver teams playing on after the regular season. The Orioles have lost every conference game and won every non-conference tilt. This one is non-conference. Kent City at Maple Valley The Eagles will be looking to stay undefeated while the Lions need a win to get into the dance.Tigers One Win Away With Two To PlayBy Christi Evans Photos By Chris Lesley Grant edged one game closer to a 2nd consecutive playoff berth with an impressive 55-18 win over Fremont on Friday putting a bit of a damper on the Packer Homecoming. It was a total team effort as Offense, Defense, and Special Teams all got in on the scoring action for the visiting Tigers and the defense came up with some big stops and key interceptions that led to Grant touchdowns. Senior RB Jared Evans was experiencing left quad tightness following his first carry during the Tigers’ opening drive and left the game after securing a first down. Grant continued to drive the ball downfield with a combination of passes and runs, and Quarterback Trent Throop completed the drive with a quick run-in for the Tigers’ first score of the night. It would not be their last. The Packers’ opening drive came to an abrupt halt when Grant’s Josh Wright intercepted a Fremont pass for a Pick 6. With just under 2 minutes left in the first quarter, Throop called his own number and ran the ball in from 11 yards out for his second touchdown. At the end of the first, Grant was leading Fremont, 21-0. Throop started the second quarter in the same way he had the first, with a running touchdown, his third of the night. Fremont took the ensuing kick and put together a strong offensive drive, culminating in a long pass reception from Caleb Koomen to Riley Krim for the score. The 2-point conversion failed. The Tigers quickly answered back as freshman Bret Long returned the Packers kick 60+ yards for another Tiger score. The Grant defense continued to give the Packers fits as on the next Fremont possession, a pass was again picked off by a Grant defender, this time Jagarr Jenerou, who returned the ball into Packer territory. This set up the next Tiger touchdown, a 43-yard run by Jared Evans, who had returned to the game. With just a minute left in the half, Jenerou recorded his second interception of the night, and was tackled at the Grant 20 yard line. With the Tigers back in control, Throop handed the ball to Evans, who took it 79 yards for his second touchdown of the game. The Tigers went into the locker room at the half with a comfortable lead, 49-6 over their hosts. Packer Parker Dalson began the second half scoring when he took the Tiger kickoff 80 yards for the second Fremont TD of the night. The 2-point conversion attempt failed and the remainder of the third quarter was a defensive battle with neither team scoring. Neither team was done yet, though. Early in the fourth quarter, Zack Powell took a handoff from Throop and ran the ball in from 14 yards out, to cap the Tigers’ scoring. The PAT was Naffziger’s only miss on the night. Fremont quickly answered back on their next possession with a 53 yard touchdown run by Adrian Zerlaut but the Tiger defense held firm and for the third time, denied the 2-point conversion. The score was now Grant 55, Fremont 18 and for the remainder of the game the two teams traded the ball back and forth as the clock ran down to a Tiger victory and the presentation of the new traveling trophy for the annual Grant vs. Fremont game, a metal water bucket, to Grant Head Coach Darren Geraghty. The Tigers combined for 380 total yards of offense, 50 in the air and the rest on the ground. Jared Evans had a big night, accounting for 210 of the team’s 330 rushing yards, on limited carries due to a quad strain. Kicker Tyler Naffziger was near perfect, connecting on 7 of 8 point after attempts. Fremont’s Koomen passed for 105 yards with Krim accounting for 70 of those yards and a quintet of Packers combined to rush for 124 yards led by the 53 put up by Zerlaut on his lone carry. Fremont will finish the conference season with Tri-County Friday, as both teams look to pick up that elusive first win. Grant will host rival Newaygo in the classic Battle of M-37. The winner will take home the coveted “M-37 Battle” Plaque which is currently in Grant’s possession, a third place finish in the CSAA Gold Conference, and their sixth win to gain an automatic entry into the postseason. And it’s Grant’s Homecoming. Football Roundup Week 7 Newaygo 38 Tri County 0 The Lions defense pitched their second shutout of the season and sent their Homecoming crowd home happy with a dominating performance over the Vikings (0-6, 0-7).Newaygo (4-2, 5-2) has now peeled off 4 straight wins and can punch their postseason ticket with a win Friday in Grant. Morley Stanwood 47 White Cloud 0 The Mohawks (6-1, 4-1) bounced back from their drubbing by Kent City to clinch a tournament spot with a shutout win over visiting White Cloud. Kent City 54 Hesperia 19 Neither team had their streak broken Friday as the Eagles (5-0, 7-0) remained undefeated in capturing the Silver crown while the Panthers (0-5, 0-7) fell short of notching their first ‘W’ of the season. Lakeview 42 Holton 21 The Wildcats(3-2, 4-3) doubled up the Red Devils (2-3,3-4) to secure a third place finish in the Silver. The win keeps the Lakeviews hopes for a playoff bid alive as they finish the season with Ludington (2-5) and Central Montcalm (2-5). Reed City 48 Big Rapids 14 The Coyotes (6-0, 6-1) clinched a tie for top spot in the Gold with a solid win over the Cardinals Chippewa Hills 35 Central Montcalm 6 The Warriors (5-1, 5-2 moved a step closer to a playoff berth with a convincing win over the Hornets (2-4, 2-5) Tri County (0-5, 0-6) at Newaygo (3-2, 4-2) The Lions have won three straight while developing a potent offense that has averaged over 40 points a game during the streak.When Connor Swinehart hands it off to Zach Rodriguez or Cooper Heinzman they are gaining yardage in chunks behind an inspired O-line and the running game allows Swinehart to find Anthony Hudson or one of his other receivers when necessary. The Viking defense has not been able to keep them in contention the last two games and they are spending a lot of time on the field when the offense is forced to play catch-up early on. It’s homecoming for the Lions and most coaches will tell you this can be more of a distraction than a benefit to a team. But not this team. From what we’re hearing these guys seem to have their eyes on the prize. Few could honestly say they’re not aware of where the schedule takes them next week, but Coach Van Essen and his staff has kept this team focused all season and that doesn’t look to change Friday night. Grant (3-2, 4-2) at Fremont (0-5, 0-6) The Tigers also have a huge game on their plate next week and face a winless team. But it’s not homecoming (It’s next week) and they are on the road playing in Packer territory. The Grant offense can grind down a defense with workhorse Jared Evans able to pound through the line while qb Trent Throop can put some deceptive moves on the ground to compliment his passing ability and the soft hands of receiver Josh Wright make for a nice target. Credit the o-line for providing big play opportunities, The Fremont D has struggled this season against teams with far fewer weapons than the Tigers who came back with a vengeance last week after losing two in a row to the two teams everyone else in the conference has lost to as well. The Pack might score some points from their passing game but a whole lot of things would have to go their way to have a shot at beating Friday’s visitors. Like their cousins to the north the Tigers are undoubtedly aware of who’s coming to town for homecoming next week but the way Coach Geraghty and his staff roll it will be all about the Packers Friday night. White Cloud (1-3, 1-5) at Morley Stanwood (3-1, 5-1) The ‘Hawks got stuffed in the Silver Showdown with Kent City last week, as the Eagles shut them out and scored 4 times in clinching their playoff berth. Practice at MSHS was not likely pleasant this week. The Cloud got taken out early by Holton at last week’s homecoming game as the Red Devils swarmed past the defense time and again and now the Indians are on the road facing a team they haven’t beaten since 2004. And to make things a little more uphill for the Cloud the Mohawks can secure an admission to the postseason with a win. Other Games: Holton (2-2, 3-3) at Lakeview (2-2, 3-3) The winner still has a mathematical chance at extending play this season, the loser does not. Holton’s wins came against teams with a cumulative record of 2-16 The three teams Lakeview has beaten are all winless. Hesperia ( 0-4, 0-6) at Kent City (4-0, 6-0) The Eagles are a really good team. They are talented on both sides of the ball, know how to win and go about their business fully expecting to succeed. Hesperia’s season has been a deep disappointment from a W-L standpoint. This team was touted in pre season as having the potential to not merely make the playoffs but hopefully advance past the first round knockouts of the past two years. The overtime loss to the Norsemen was a tough start and Godwin is one of the elite teams of the ever rugged OK Silver and they showed it on the Panther home field. That loss might have been expected. Then it began to tumble with a loss to Morley in overtime at home followed by the stunning comeback win by Holton. Losses to White Cloud and Lakeview have followed and now they face the undefeated and playoff bound Eagles before hosting the team that has won the last game of the season in their state division the past 4 years. The Panthers have become accustomed to winning and this year has been rough on them. They may not have a great shot at capturing the win that has thus far eluded them these next two weeks but this is still a good team and a proud one as well. And we’ve no doubt that they will indeed go the distance. Chippewa Hills (4-1, 4-2) at Central Montcalm (2-3, 2-4) My friend Tim (who says he’s not my friend but really is) scored a hole in one early in his golfing career. He shot a 10 in the previous hole and a 10 in the one after the ace. The Hornets reminded me of his feat when they slapped a 66 on the Fremont scoreboard two weeks ago, an effort that was sandwiched between a pair of shutouts. The Warriors are still smarting from having the Coyotes spending so much time in their endzone that they started getting mail there. The defense will be out to prove a point and the offense shouldn’t have too much trouble scoring enough Reed City (5-0, 5-1) at Big Rapids (3-2, 3-3) The Cardinals host the Coyotes who need a win to secure what looks to be a certain trip to the playoffs. Big Rapids has some playmakers but the question is whether they will they get the time to show what they have under the pressure of the highly respected Reed City D defense. By Alexis Mercer
Contribution by Cliff Somers The CSAA cross country teams lined up at Branstrom Park to run in the third of four jamborees for the season. The Fremont and Newaygo teams ran at the Allendale Invitational on Saturday, September 30. Coming off the flattest course they will see all season to one of the hilliest courses would be a definite change in pace, both literally and figuratively. Fremont recap by Coach Somers: The girls placed 2nd with 59 points and the boys placed 1st with 20 points. While the team placing were where we wanted to be, we had some athletes run great races, and some that were not what we were hoping for. The girls put 4 in the top 15 for the first time all season while the boys placed 5 in the top 7. Coming off a great day on Saturday both groups let their 1-5 split get a little too big again. Ben Schmidt (SR) became the 4th fastest athlete on the home course, while Nathan Walker tied the Freshman Course Record at Branstrom Park yesterday with his time of 17:42. Ben Paige (Fr) and Josh Zerfas (Fr) both ran about a minute faster than at the alumni race to shake up our top 5. Erin Norton (Fr) improve by over a minute while Claire Whittle (Jr), Grace Jacobs (Jr), and Emily Curtis (Fr) improved by over 2 minutes. Newaygo recap by Coach Mercer: The girls placed 3rd overall. Sophomore Sophia Frisbie led the Lions with a 10th place finish, followed closely by senior Ellie Nausadis in 11th. Samantha Dosch, Jaylee Long and Liza Nausadis completed the top five. The boys team was led by junior Ryan Brummel. Rounding out the top five were David Grodus, Nolan Brockway, Brandon Badgero and Brey Bays. Both Fremont and Newaygo are heading to the Portage Invite on Saturday, October 7 to compete in one of the largest meets in the midwest. Tigers, Lions Triumph; Cloud Falls To Red Devils
Grant 42, Tri County 6 Story by Christi Evans Photos by Chris Lesley Grant improved to 4-2 as they handed the Tri-County Vikings their 6th straight loss and spoiling the Vikings’ Homecoming. The Tigers spread the scoring out with four different players getting into the end zone, scoring once in the first quarter, twice in the second, twice in the third, and once in the fourth. Kicker Tyler Naffziger was 6-6 on PAT’s. Halfway through the first quarter the Tiger defense forced a Viking fumble, which was recovered by Grant’s Chase Lowry, who ran the ball into Viking territory. The change of possession set the Tigers up to score. Trent Throop called his own number, running down to the 1 yard line. On the next snap, Throop once again kept the ball and finished what he had started, scoring the Tigers’ first touchdown. Second quarter scoring came from Jared Evans on a 17 yard run with 4 minutes left in the half, and then after Tri County turned the ball back over on downs, the Tiger’s next drive ended in a 68 yard touchdown reception from Throop to Josh Wright. The Vikings were unable to convert and turned the ball over again. But they quickly got it back as a punt return was mishandled and the ball recovered by the Vikings. As the second quarter ran out, Tri County put together a quick drive, culminating in a 30 yard pass for a touchdown. The PAT missed, wide left. The Tigers headed into the locker room at the half, leading the Vikings 21-6. Grant continued to play a dominant game as they came out in the third quarter, scoring on an 8 yard run from Evans and a Jaggar Jenerou interception which set up a 16 yard scoring pass from Throop to Alex Longcore. Three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Tigers added one more touchdown to their scoring for the night, with a Throop pass to Josh Wright for 26 yards, and a successful PAT by Naffziger. The Tigers combined for 424 total yards of offense, with 196 passing and 228 rushing. The Vikings combined for 226 total yards of offense, with 53 yards passing and 173 yards rushing. Grant will travel to Fremont next week with their sights set on improving to 5-2 and getting one game closer to punching their ticket for the post-season. Tri County will travel to Newaygo. Newaygo 48 Fremont 12 Connor Swinehart hit Anthony Hudson with a pass halfway through the first quarter to open the scoring then in the second quarter Zachary Rodriguez broke loose for a 48 yard TD. By halftime the Lions had run off 27 points as Swinehart ran one in from 6 and Cooper Heinzman followed with a 10 yard run before intermission. The Packers got on the board after the break when Caleb Koomen hit Riley Krim but Newaygo responded with two more scores in the quarter as Heinzman and Swinehart each found the endzone. Koomen ran one in for the second Fremont tally in the 4th and Lion Kade Bhuyan ended the scoring when he broke loose for a 40 yard scoring run in the final minutes. The Lions will look to keep their 3 game winning streak going when they host Tri County Friday. Holton 41 White Cloud 8 Holton began the game with a successful onside kick and marched to the end zone for the game’s first score on the way to a Red Devil win as White Cloud could not mount a successful drive until the 4th quarter. Kevin Arnold was 5-11 for 56 yards with one interception. Arnold scored the lone Indian score on a 2 yard run. Alex Doke was the Indian's leading rusher gaining 58 yards on 8 attempts. Eric Plotts was the leading receiver for the Indians with 3 catches for 48 yards. White Cloud travels to Morley Stanwood to face the Mohawks Friday. Other Games Reed City 58 Chippewa Hills 29 The Coyotes took charge of the Gold with a convincing victory over the Warriors Kent City 28 Morley Stanwood 0 The Eagles made a statement in the Silver by shutting out the Mohawks while becoming the first team in the CSAA to secure a playoff spot. Lakeview 21 Hesperia 20 The Panthers season continues to run down a bumpy road as they fell by a single point for the second time this season. Still looking for win number one they will find the going rough with upcoming matchups against Kent City and Muskegon Catholic Central. Photos by Alexis Mercer: |
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