|
|
Tri County High School marching band color guard members Zoey Zarna, left, and Isabella Krebs perform a dance routine at the start of their show Saturday at the Michigan Competing Band Association State Finals at Ford Field in Detroit. — DN Photo | Cory Smith
Only two area teams remain following Friday night’s opening round of the Michigan high school football playoffs.
In their respective divisions, the Belding, Tri County and Montabella football teams went against some of the best teams in the state, each of them wanting to keep their seasons alive for another week.
Belding and Montabella were the two to pick up considerable wins over their opponents to advance to this week’s championship contests.
No. 7 Belding (9-1) over Ovid-Elsie (7-3)
Earning the No. 1 seed in their bracket with the most playoff points, the Black Knights hosted Ovid-Elsie in their first meeting with the Marauders under the guidance of head coach Monty Price.
A shutout performance in the first half made it look as though it was going to be a traditional blowout win for the Black Knights, but a couple of key turnovers against the Knights turned the game on its head into a competitively thrilling game for players and spectators alike. Still, the Knights prevailed and ended the Marauders’ season with a 28-14 victory.
“It was a great win for the Black Knights,” Price said. “Our defense played very well, but our three turnovers put them in several bad situations.”
The Black Knights totaled 425 yards on the ground, 185 from the first half and the remaining 240 in the second. With 39 total carries, they averaged around 10.8 yards per carry.
Junior Ethan King led the run game with 14 carries for 214 yards and one touchdown. Junior Nick Wright had four carries for 58 yards and one touchdown, while senior Teegan VanDyken had 11 carries for 55 yards and a two-point conversion. Junior Tyler Simon had two carries for 73 yards and one touchdown, junior Noah Ritenburgh had four carries for 25 yards and a touchdown and senior quarterback Dawson Donovan had one two-point conversion.
Senior Jonah Hummel had an interception on defense. Simon also picked up an interception on defense and senior Joe Coles had one fumble recovery.
“We have to be better with that execution,” Price said. “However, we move on and will prepare hard for the district championship.”
The Black Knights advance to Friday’s district final against undefeated No. 4 Kent City (10-0) at home. Last week, the Eagles narrowly edged out No. 10 Olivet (8-2) in a one-score contest, 28-22. The winner will advance to the regional semifinal next week against the winner of No. 3 Montrose (10-0) and Durand (8-2).
PHOTO GALLERY
No. 2 Montabella (9-1) over Breckenridge (6-4)
In 8-player action in Division 1, the No. 2-ranked Mustangs drew a familiar face to them in their first-round matchup as they hosted Breckenridge for the second time this season. Previously, the Mustangs defeated the Huskies, 54-18, in week five of the regular season.
A star-powered performance from junior running back Austin Jensen, who had a game-high six touchdowns, led the Mustangs to their first-ever home playoff victory, 64-26.
“Our guys really played well from the opening kickoff in a total team win,” Mustang head coach Tim Webb said.
The Mustangs tallied 22 points before the Huskies got on the board, all of which were scored before the halfway point of the second quarter.
Despite some admirable offensive efforts from the Huskies in the second half, the Mustangs still had a 30-point advantage by the end of the third quarter, locking up the game for good.
Jensen finished the night with 12 carries for 74 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground. He also acquired a kick-return touchdown and a 30-yard pass reception for a touchdown to bring his total to six. Senior Brady Kieff also had 23 carries for 219 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, junior Mason Bogart had seven tackles and one interception.
“The offensive line blocked well,” Webb said. “Our running backs ran hard, our special teams were great and the defense made some big stops and got some turnovers.”
The Mustangs’ next opponent will be another second-time matchup this season as they’ll face Mid-State Activities Conference rival Merrill (8-2) in the regional final on Friday at home. The Mustangs defeated the Vandals in the conference championship game, 36-26, only three weeks prior.
Whitehall (6-4) over Tri County (5-5)
It was a battle of the Vikings on Friday night as the Tri County Vikings traveled west to take on the Whitehall Vikings in Division 5 action, their first meeting since 1996.
In what was a fairly even matchup throughout, it was Whitehall who came out on top and ended Tri County’s season, 38-22. The Vikings finish the season 5-5 for the second year in a row.
