Football Roundup: Tigers, Panthers Take Openers; Cloud, Pack Fall Short

Grant 38 Kelloggsville 22
The Tigers opened their season at home as they rolled to a 38-22 victory over Kelloggsville on Thursday night. Sophomore Jack Swanson started the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter with  Aiden Booth adding the 2-point conversion. Later, Swanson caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Rory Fish and Booth added the 2-point conversion and the Tigers led 16-0.
Booth added a 5-yard run into the end zone later in the second quarter, Swanson scored the 2-pointer and Grant took that 24-0 lead into the half. Brayden Jordan’s 8-yard run in the third quarter pushed the Tigers’ advantage to 30-0. Gavin Kiliszewski caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Fish and Booth ran in the 2-point conversion to cap the scoring for the home team.
Booth finished with 18 carries for 128 yards. Swanson added 11 for 98 plus two catches for 40 yards.Sincere Hatch had six solo tackles and five assists. Eddie Beight had five solo tackles, four assists and recovered a fumble. Rico Robinson had five solo tackles and three assists. Gitch Geneoux had 4 solo tackles, 1 sack, and 3 assists.
Coach Lowry: "Great effort by our kids tonight. We came out and ran the ball well and played tough gritty defense against a very athletic Kelloggsville team. I loved our hustle."r
Grant rushed the ball 52 times for 269 yards and gained another 78 through the air. 
The Tigers stay at home for next Friday’s matchup with Tri County The Vikings opened on the road with a 38-24 over the Panthers of Comstock Park.

Shelby 59 White Cloud 20
The last time the Tigers won an opener their seniors were first graders.
It was also the last (non Covid) time they qualified for the playoffs and ended up being their second trip to the state semis in a row. Since then the wins have been few and far between but the hosts sent their fans home happy with a convincing victory over White Cloud.
The Tigers built a 19-0 lead before the Indians could get on the board and held a 31-12 advantage at intermission.
Coach Trice: “We went down big and didn’t have enough gas to make a comeback.”
Jayden Robinson had a monster night despite the loss as he piled up 280 total yards and accounted for 2 passing scores and one on the ground. Dalton Crawford and Jayden Graves each caught a TD and Graves added an interception. Reece Johnson led the defense with 7 tackles.
White Cloud heads to Harrison Friday. The Hornets defeated Pine River 24-14 in their opener.

Hopkins 34 Fremont 20
The Vikings scored early and went up 7-0 but the Packers came back to notch a TD  and after a missed PAT the first quarter ended at 7-6   A penalty flag gave the hosts a lift and put them in position to score in the second. The failed conversion made it 13-6  and while the Packers were moving the ball well in their next possession they ran out of time and went to the locker room facing that 7 point deficit.
The second half saw the Packers  battle back and forge a 20-20 tie  but the Vikings put up another 7 early in the 4th then held off the Pack to secure the win. A  late TD was added by Hopkins in the closing minute.
Brayden Crosley  hit on 10 of14 passes for 158 yards while rushing for 28 yards and a td, Asa Barnhard led all rushers with 80 yards and a td and Khai Noordyk had 36 yards and a td.
Jacob Burns finished with 5 receptions for 67 yards and Karter Frens pulled in 3 for 47 yards.
The defense was led by Seth Zerlaut (5.5 tackles), Khai Noordyk (5), Noah Hansen (5), Jacob Burns (4) Michael Robinson (4). Noordyk added a sack and Tritan Corrigan collected a pick.
Fremont will play their home opener and first conference game Friday when Manistee comes to town. The Mariners defeated Kalkaska 47-12 in their opener.

Hesperia 13 Farwell 0
Hesperia put a W on the board but it didn’t come easy against a rugged Eagle squad. The visitors from Farwell were playing their first game since a return to the 11-player game, having spent 3 seasons competing in 8-player. 
After a scoreless first quarter the Panthers got on the board when Blake Sayer found an open Eli Edens who cradled the catch and ran it in for a 27 yard touchdown. Kicker Lacey Mey split the uprights and the hosts went up 7-0. From there the teams battled to a standstill with the turnovers and mistakes often a part of early season games. 
Midway through the 4th, Sayer put the Panthers back on the board with an end around run that found paydirt.
The defense posted a shutout with Skyler Stalbaum collecting 8 tackles and a 30 yard interception white Noah Walker and Thor Klaus  each tallied a half dozen tackles. Dom Rivera forced and recovered a fumble adding 4 tackles and Dominic Smith also notched 4 tackles. 
Stalbaum also excelled on the other side of the ball finishing the night with 13 rushes for 71 yards. Sayer rushed for 38 yards and hit on  9 of his 15 tosses for 114 yards . Ian Fox  caught 5 of those passes for a game high 51 yards and Thor Klaus pulled in 3 for 26 yards.
 Hesperia  will be looking to make it 3 in a row in the M120 rivalry game when they welcome in Holton Friday. The Red Devils fell to Morley Stanwood 59-0 in their opener.