Tiger Season Ends With Loss To Eagles

Oakridge 38 Grant 0
The offense just never got rolling.
Oakridge, the team that ousted Grant from the playoffs last season in the pre-district, shut down the Tiger running game and wore down the defense with a grinding offensive effort outgaining the boys from Grant 313-103. Jared Evans the Tiger workhorse had just 7 touches for 18 yards and Trent Throop averaged just a yard and a half per carry finishing with 23 yards. Throop also completed 10 passes but the Eagle defense kept the passing game limited to short gainers.
Five different Oakridge players found the endzone.
For Grant it was a signature season as they notched their first ever playoff win in their 5th trip to the postseason.
The Eagles advance to the regionals where they will face the Vikings of Saginaw Swan Valley.

Montague 37 Kent City 13
In a battle of unbeatens the Wildcats avenged last year’s playoff loss with a convincing win over the Eagles, amassing a 24-7 lead by halftime then scoring twice more in the third quarter to seal the deal.
Trailing 3-0 the Eagles had driven inside the Montague 30 but were stopped  on a 4th and short. The ‘Cats then set Bryce Stark loose for a 73 yarder to turn the tide against the visitors. A fumble on the next Eagle drive led to another score by Montague to make it 17-0.
It was an 87 yard touchdown return by Gio Weeks on the ensuing kickoff that kept the first half from being a shutout but the Wildcats answered again before intermission and kept Kent City out of the endzone in the second half until Weeks scored in the 4th.
Montague will host Mid Michigan powerhouse Ithaca next. The teams last played in 2011 when the Yellow Jackets prevailed in their regional battle. Two years before Montague defeated Ithaca enroute to their second consecutive state title.

Reed City 34 Clare 7
The Coyotes held a 14-7 lead at halftime but the defense shut down the Pionees after intermission and rolled to the win.
Reed City will host another game next weekend when the Maroons of Menominee travel down from the western reaches of the UP for their Regional matchup