Lions & Tigers & Flags, Oh My!

9/24/2022

Logan Klomp comes up big for the Lions on defense, smacking the well-placed ball out of play

Photos by Alexis Mercer
Story by Ken DeLaat

Newaygo 25 Grant 12
It was homecoming at Newaygo so the evening was awash in bright colors from the pageantry of the floats to the sparkling garb worn by the young men and women representing the Homecoming Court.
But on this evening the predominantly conspicuous color was yellow.
As in the absolute ocean of penalty flags that found themselves on the field time and time again.
The number of yards penalized were perhaps only outnumbered by the amount of yardage negated by the actions.
In the end the game went to the hosts.
Most of the first half was dominated by the Lions. After Remy Wells took the opening kick to the Grant 45, the Lions marched down the field using their running game before capping off the drive when Grant Harkness found Dyllan Bazzett open and delivered the ball for a 15 yard TD.

Josiah Long, who possesses a thunderous foot, stuck the conversion and it was 7-0 home team.
The Tiger offense was up next but penalties and a sack by Chad Saucier preceded a bad snap that Bazzett recovered in the endzone and after the automatic by Long the score was 14-0 before the halfway point of the quarter.
The Tigers continued to struggle moving the ball relying heavily on the arm of Oakley Obenauf, but the Lions were winning in the trenches and 3 plays (plus a couple of penalties) later Newaygo took over on downs.
The Lions pushed into scoring position but the Tigers held firm and Long was called on and delivered 3 more points to the scoreboard with a 30 yard boot.
Newaygo wasn’t done though. In the second quarter a Lion drive ended with Ethan Reyburn taking it in from 2 yards out and after Harkness followed with a 2 point conversion run the Lions were up 25-0.
Late in the quarter Grant got a drive going and pushed deep into Lion territory with Obenauf sticking a pass to Cohen Garrod for 6. An unsuccessful conversion made it 25-6 and following 2 minutes of endless flags the half ended.

The second half saw the Tiger defense stiffen and an interception by Obenauf got the offense back on the field. Once again penalties combined with dropped passes led to the drive stalling. For much of the third the teams battled between the 30 yard lines with several big gainers called back for holding penalties.
Obenauf got off a long one for a 68 yard score and after another failed conversion the Lions lead was 25-12.
It would remain there as the teams continued to pile up the penalties and exchange possession.
Harkness led the Lions in rushing with 77 yards while tossing for 76 yards and a TD.
Wells and Bazzett led the receiving corps with 33 and 32 yards respectively.
On defense Chad Saucier posted 3 sacks with Bazzett and Jordan Cook collecting 2 apiece.
Josiah Long picked off 3 Tiger passes and Isaiah Lopez also snared one.
Newaygo (1-2, 2-3) will head to Coyote country next week to face Reed City while Grant (1-2, 1-4) also takes a drive north to face the Cardinals of Big Rapids.