Tuesday, November 18. 2008Comeback Kids: USA rallies to stun Cabrini!!!
Hey all,
Just got back from Burton Bendle. In one of the better volleyball matches you'll see, Unionville-Sebewaing Area rallied for a thrilling 20-25, 15-25, 25-21, 25-12, 15-11 win over Allen Park Cabrini in the Class C quarterfinals on Tuesday night. The Patriots were flat and tentative in the opening two games, but somehow, someway managed to come all the way back for the improbable win. USA moves on to Thursday's state semifinal in Battle Creek against Schoolcraft, which also rallied to beat top-ranked Morley-Stanwood in 5 games. We'll have more on this match Wednesday, as well as in Wednesday's paper. Here are some photos from tonight... I will post more photos on Wednesday, too... ![]() The celebration begins. ![]() The celebration continues. ![]() And it keeps going... ![]() Dani Gremel goes up against Cabrini's Kayla Kostich . ![]() Jillian Williamson returns a serve for USA. ![]() Jillian Williamson records a kill for USA over Cabrini's Emily Bonder (1) and Ashley Vernier (11). ![]() USA's Brittany Gruehn talks with teammate Carly Treiber before Game 3. ![]() Minda Martinez set Dani Gremel. ![]() Minda Martinez sets Jillian Williamson. ![]() Jillian Williamson puts a kill away for USA. Monday, November 17. 2008Aggies run by Eagles for regional title...
BEAL CITY — Worried about chasing Beal City all over the field, Deckerville had to do some chasing on the scoreboard, too.
Faced with an early deficit Saturday afternoon in this Division 8 regional championship against the Aggies, the Eagles were never able to get into any rhythm on either side of the ball. A couple of defensive miscues and four turnovers later, Beal City captured its second straight regional title with a 45-13 victory. The 11-1 Aggies advance to the state semifinals next weekend to take on 12-0 Muskegon Catholic Central, a 33-0 winner over defending Division 7 state champion Mendon. "We were chasing them — they are a quick team and they got to the outside on us," said Deckerville coach Bill Brown. "We had a couple of breakdowns defensively and they got two easy scores early. You just can't do that. We did that last week and were able to overcome it. We couldn't do it again. "We got down and we had to try to pass. And that's just not our game." Beal City quarterback Jared Theisen threw for 196 yards and four touchdowns, two each to Kegan Rojas and Kevin Lucka. Rojas added 113 yards rushing and scored four touchdowns, including a key 50-yard burst just 1:41 before halftime. From there, the Eagles went into catch-up mode, but were never able to establish their potent ground game. Deckerville did rush for 202 yards, including 121 from Marcus Kemp, but two fumbles and two interceptions were costly. The biggest turnover came early in the second half. Trailing just 18-7, the Eagles fumbled on their first possession of the third quarter, giving Beal City good field position. It took less than a minute for Rojas to haul in a screen pass and race 40 yards for a touchdown. A manageable 11-point deficit turned into a hard-to-overcome 18-point margin. "We actually went into halftime a little disappointed because we felt they had some momentum," said Beal City coach Lou Rau. "We needed to get it back, and we were able to after we got that fumble and went in and scored." After the Eagles were stopped on fourth-and-10 near midfield on their next series, Rojas once again broke free, scampering 18 yards to make it 32-7. Beal City put on the final touches on the first play of the fourth quarter when Theisen hit Lucka on a 36-yard scoring strike. The Aggies' final score came on a 25-yard interception return from Jordan Rau. "I really thought we were sitting good the whole first half," Brown said. "I still thought we were OK at halftime. But we can't afford to miss plays. And that's what we did." After yielding the two early scores, the Eagles managed to slice the gap to 12-7 on a 13-yard reverse pass from Josh Fritch to Ethyan Kramer. Tae Chuasaard added the PAT with 4:14 left in the second quarter. Deckerville had a punt blocked later in the quarter, but a Beal City penalty on the play negated the miscue. Instead, the Eagles went for it on fourth-and-four from midfield, but were stopped. A play later, Rojas rambled in to give the Aggies an 18-7 halftime cushion. "They're a good team — a good program," Brown said. "They made plays on us. That's the way it is. "I wish a few things would not have happened, but they had some quick kids and we had some problems with them." Kemp added Deckerville's last TD in the fourth quarter. "(Kemp) is a great running back and he was in my nightmares the last week," Rau said. "The stress level was pretty high for our defense, but I thought we did a nice job." The Eagles were outgained overall, 450-267. The Eagles finish 10-2. NOTEBOOK BEAL CITY — Despite dropping a 45-13 decision to Beal City here Saturday afternoon in the Division 8 regional championship, Deckerville coach Bill Brown wasn't unhappy with his Eagles. "Our kids left it out here," Brown said. "I am happy with our kids. They worked their tails off this year. That's all that matters. If we left everything on the field, I am happy with that." Deckerville captured its second district title in three years last weekend with a win over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, but couldn't secure their first regional crown since 2000. The Eagles will lose a host of senior starters, including several on the offensive line. "The seniors were the difference in our success," Brown said. "The offensive line — there was a lot of leadership there. They did a heck of a job this year." Deckerville's departing seniors include: Marcus Kemp, Brett Ross, Jim Nichol, Cam O'Mara, John Loomis, Nathan Peters, David Richards, Corey Surman and Ethyan Kramer. Offensively, the Eagles scored 464 points — the most in school history. Kemp added to his impressive senior season Saturday, rushing for 121 yards and one touchdown. Kemp finishes the 2008 campaign with over 1,700 yards and 37 touchdowns. "We put up some great numbers this season," Brown said. The Eagles will have several returning players with plenty of experience. Quarterback Cody Hoff will return for his third season under center. Also, the backfield once again should be solid with returnees Cody Ross, Rex Thayer and Scott Gobie. Receiver Josh Fritch also will be back. ---------- Beal City did its damage via the pass against the Eagles. Quarterback Jared Theisen completed just four passes — but they all were for touchdowns. He hit Kegan Rojas for scoring strikes of 40 and 65 yards, as well as Kevin Lucka on passes of 36 and 56 yards. Overall, Theisen was 4-of-10 for 196 yards. "We didn't know exactly what they were going to do when we went into a different formation, or a passing formation," said Beal City coach Lou Rau. “From what we could see on film, they didn't change a whole lot. "We thought we would be able to take advantage of that." The Aggies did, getting two early scores on wide open third-down plays. In fact, three of their four TD passes came on third-and-long situations. "We had some communication problems, and we had some blown coverages," Brown said. Another factor was Beal City's quickness. Once Rojas broke free, Deckerville defenders didn't have much of a chance of chasing him down. Rau said his team picked up the pace in the second half. "In the first half, it didn't look like we had any speed, but I think to some extent it was a key for us, especially in the second half," he said. --------- Beal City now gets to face powerhouse Muskegon Catholic Central in Saturday's state semifinals. Undefeated MCC advanced with a 33-0 blanking of Mendon — the defending Division 7 state champion. Rau knows it will be Beal City's toughest challenge to date. "It's going to be a heck of a test," he said. "I told the kids that nobody is going to believe in us except us. We just have to go and prepare, execute like we can, and see what happens. If we deserve to win, we'll win. If we don't, we won't." MCC is the heavy favorite to win the Division 8 title. The Crusaders have outscored opponents, 403-83, this season. Among their 12 wins is a 35-6 win over Detroit Country Day, which is still alive in the Division 4 semifinals. The other semifinal will pit 11-1 Frankfort vs. 12-0 Crystal Falls Forest Park. CFFP is the defending Division 8 state champion. ![]() Deckerville quarterback Cody Hoff throws a pass over Beal City’s Kevin Lucka (44). ![]() Deckerville’s Marcus Kemp carries the ball against Beal City’s Kegan Rojas (8). ![]() Marcus Kemp breaks loose on a long run for the Eagles. ![]() Deckerville’s Ethyan Kramer (82) hauls down Beal City’s Ryan Faber (85). Bearcats win regional battle, 32-14
UBLY — It’s been a rare occasion for Ubly to face any adversity this season.
The Bearcats haven’t trailed much, but they found themselves in a fight with Royal Oak Shrine here Saturday in the Division 7 regional championship. Answering the question of if they could compete and win a big game, they earned a 32-14 decision to move on to face Reading at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Howell High School. “They’ve put themselves in a position and have an opportunity. If they win next week, they go to Ford Field,” said Ubly coach Bill Sweeney. “That’s the most you can ask for.” Shrine couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game, though. The Knights won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving Ubly the ball first. The Bearcats’ first-team offense was held to a three-and-out. “Defensively, I think their speed caught up to us a little bit at the start, and they pinned us deep,” Sweeney said. Shrine took advantage of the early stop, taking a 7-0 lead after Anthony Cade capped off a 9-play, 60-yard drive with 5:14 left in the first. It’s the first time in the playoffs Ubly has trailed in a game. It would also be the last time in this contest. “Our team is very level-headed,” said Ubly quarterback Jordan Kaufman. “We don’t get up, we don’t get down. We just go” Ubly’s ensuing possession was a smashmouth 13-play, 70-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock. Alex Peruski finished it with a 4-yard run with 10:51 to play in the second quarter, but it was highlighted by a fourth-and-8 conversion by Kaufman. “They were sitting on our trapping game, and I said all year that we had other things that we can do,” Sweeney said. “I thought we were pretty successful after that initial drive. “We did a lot of different things that we’ve worked on all year. We knew that we would have to use it at some point, and it worked pretty well. “Basically, we just ran what we call our ‘Team 40 Series,’ which looks just like our trapping game with our faking, but we block straight ahead. They had a tough time with that because they weren’t prepared for (it).” On the ensuing kickoff, Ubly caught the break it was looking for as Kaufman forced a fumble, allowing a teammate to recover. With a short field, the Bearcats eventually scored on a fourth-and-11 play from Kaufman to Mitchel Cleary on a 27-yard slant out of the backfield to make it 14-7 with 9:12 to play in the half. “That pass is something we work on every day,” Sweeney said. “They were manning us up, worried so much about our run, that they didn’t want to cover guys out of the backfield. Mitch was just wide open.” Shrine responded with a lengthy drive to tie the game on a 2-yard quarterback sneak from Jamal Townsel with 4:33 to play. Ubly received the ball on its own 30-yard line, with the intentions of taking care of the ball going into the half. Taking care of the ball led to picking up some nice yardage, producing a scoring opportunity. “I was just thinking, ‘Let’s get to halftime tied,’” Sweeney said. “Then we moved the ball with the ‘Team 40’ and some bootleg passes with Jordan out of different formations. Before you know it, were down at the 20-yard line and ready to punch it in.” Punch it in is exactly what happened as Kaufman rolled out to his right, avoiding a rush. Cleary kept working and Kaufman found him for a 5-yard strike between a pair of Shrine defenders. The extra point failed, but the score gave the Bearcats a 20-14 halftime lead. “Jordan was patient and just threw a ‘BB’ there, and Mitch has got the best hands of any kid I’ve ever coached,” Sweeney said. Added Cleary: “Jordan’s a great quarterback, he’s got good vision. He’ll find you if you’re open. I had to jump up and protect my body so I made sure I held on to it.” Kaufman was looking for Cleary the whole time. “On the run, I was looking for an open man. I knew they were coming across, so Mitchel’s my go-to guy,” Kaufman said. In the pivotal first possession of the second half, Ubly forced Shrine into a fourth-and-12 situation. The attempt failed, resulting in a turnover on the Bearcats’ 24-yard line with 8:21 to play in the third. It was just what Ubly was looking for as Kaufman finally broke one of the long scoring runs he’s been know for this season. He shook off a number of tackles and ran 66 yards to break the game open, giving his team a 26-14 edge with 7:08 remaining. “He’s done it in games where the outcome was not in doubt, but tonight he was just a prime-time player,” Sweeney said. Added Cleary: “We needed momentum. The past two games, we came out in the second half kind of slow to start off, and that was a big jump for us right there.” Ubly’s defense came up big again, forcing Shrine three-and-out. The Bearcats’ ensuing possession didn’t produce points, but it may have been the most important of the game. They took over pinned deep after a penalty with 5:58 left to play in the third. As the drive neared midfield, Ubly was forced to punt. Cleary, the punter, called an audible and saw room to run on the left side. He picked up the seven yards needed to get the first down, but he paid for his decision with a vicious hit from Cade. “Mitch just had the presence of mind, and he didn’t mess around with it either,” Sweeney said. “He ran hard and got the first down. “He just got lit up by Cade and the first thing he asked was, ‘Did I get the first down?’ That’s what he was concerned about. “It was just a great play by a great football player.” Cleary said he intended to throw the ball to Kaufman, but saw enough room to run for the first down. “It wasn’t even a fake punt — it was actually supposed to be a punt,” Cleary said. “One of the coaches on the sideline yelled that they had nobody out on Kaufman. “I got my bell rung, I was seeing white, but I’ll be fine.” Ubly held the ball long enough to run the third quarter out and got the bitter north wind at its back for the fourth quarter. A punt came with 11:07 to play in the game, but to stage a comeback, Shrine would have to do into the teeth of the wind. “We were able to move the ball all the way to the 40 and run the clock out and spin the field and the wind into our favor,” Sweeney said. Shrine attempted a fake punt of its own with Cade on a fourth-and-13, but he came up two yards short, virtually ending any hopes of a comeback. The Knights did get the ball back one more time, but Steven Weber came up with an interception, allowing Peruski to cap off the game with a 12-yard score with 11 seconds remaining. “We have some great, great players on this football team, and guys to go with them,” Sweeney said. NOTEBOOK UBLY — The last time Royal Oak Shrine and Ubly met in a Division 7 regional championship, the outcome was in doubt until the final minutes. Early on Saturday, a repeat looked likely as the teams exchanged scores as they were tied at 14 late in the first half. Ubly punched in a go-ahead score with less than a minute remaining in the second quarter and never looked back. The Bearcats tacked on two more scores en route to a 32-14 victory. Two things led to Ubly’s win, experience and physicality, according to coach Bill Sweeney. “I think we were a little shell-shocked by their ability,” said Sweeney. “We have not played a team that had close to their athletic ability and size. “Then we decided to play Ubly football, which is Thumb football, which is hitting. That made a world of difference.” ------- The result of Thumb football took its toll on the Shrine players as the second half wore on. Star running back Anthony Cade, who had his way in the first half, couldn’t get it going in the second half. For the game, he was held to 104 yards on 21 carries after racking up over 200 in last week’s win over Rochester Hills Lutheran North West. Meanwhile, fullback Phil Galloway, who rushed for over 100 yards and three scores in last week’s win, was kept out of the end zone and under 40 yards. “We adjusted defensively, and the kids started to square up and hit (Cade),” Sweeney said. “We hit him real well in the second half.” As a team, Shrine was held to less than 200 offensive yards. -------- Shrine brought in the toughest defense Ubly had seen all season, and for a while it was effective. Eventually, the Bearcats wore down the Knights with a steady diet of quarterback Jordan Kaufman, who gained 142 yards on 20 carries, including a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The backfield trio of Justin Cleary, Mitchel Cleary and Alex Peruski combined to gain 144 yards on 25 totes with a couple of touchdowns from Peruski. Justin Cleary led the way with 88 yards on 15 carries. Mitchel Cleary also added a pair of touchdown catches while Peruski scored on runs of 4 and 12 yards. “The kids did a great job of exploiting what they were doing defensively,” Sweeney said. “We made plays. We had to mix it up, and the kids executed very well.” The 32 points for Ubly was a season-low, but it was also a season-worst allowed for the Shrine defense. -------- Ubly was faced with the unfamiliar position of trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. It took the Bearcats out of their game, but they didn’t panic. They tied it up to begin the second quarter and took a 14-7 lead. From that point on, Sweeney felt good about what his team was able to do. “We are a ball-control team, especially against a team that has athletes like they have,” he said. “It was very important for us to dictate the tempo of the game.” --------- In 2006, when Ubly defeated Shrine 22-21, the likes of Kaufman, Cleary and a few others were just sophomores. The experience of that game has helped shape their careers, and lead to performances like the ones on Saturday. “Mitchel and Jordan were sophomores and we depended on them a lot,” Sweeney said. “Now they’re seniors and it just showed how much experience those guys have.” ----------- As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Ubly student section made its way to the track behind the home bench. Following the post-game hand shake, the students stormed the field to celebrate with their team. “It’s pretty big... The last home game, we got a big win, senior year, it feels pretty good,” said Mitchel Cleary. “I think it’s huge for the town.” Win or lose, the seniors knew it would be their final game on a home field that has seen many big moments during their careers. “That’s about the only thing that makes this bigger is that it’s our senior year,” said Kaufman. ---------- The conditions were less than ideal as there was a chilling north wind and a steady rain throughout the game. Both teams adjusted and the field held up for the most part. “It was terrible out. This was as bad of conditions that I can think of that we’ve played in probably in five years,” Sweeney said. “For the number of people to show up and as rowdy as they were, it’s just exciting.” ----------- Ubly moves on to play in its third Division 7 semifinal since 2003. The Bearcats will face Reading (12-0), which was a 28-20 winner over Decatur on Saturday in its regional final. Like Ubly, the Rangers have set school records for wins and points in a season. In fact, this will be a rare meeting of two teams that have scored over 500 points in a season. Ubly is the second-highest scoring team in Thumb history at 569 (47.4 ppg) while Reading has scored 527 (43.9 ppg). Sweeney said his players can’t get caught up thinking about playing at Ford Field for the Division 7 state championship. “The way we approach it is there’s never a bigger game than this one,” he said. “You’ve never played in a bigger game in your life than the one that’s before you. “That’s how we have to look at this. We can’t think about Ford Field.” ![]() The Ubly team and coaches pose with their Division 7 regional championship trophy after defeating Royal Oak Shrine 32-14 on Saturday. ![]() Fans and players celebrate. ![]() Fans prepare to rush the field. ![]() Ubly players Jordan Kaufman (5), Branden Sorenson (20) and Eric LaBuhn (78) celebrate. ![]() Adam Glaza (11) and Dalton O'Connor (52) bump chests as the final seconds tick off the clock. ![]() Jordan Kaufman (5) looks for room to run as Shrine's Jamal Townsel (7) attempts to bring him down. ![]() Ubly linebacker Eric Booms (32) wraps up Shrine's Billy Konczal (20). ![]() Mitchel Cleary picks up yardage for the Bearcats. ![]() Shrine quarterback Jamal Townsel (7) is brought down by Ubly's John Walker (55). ![]() Ubly quarterback Jordan Kaufman picks up a first down in the third quarter. ![]() Shrine running back Anthony Cade fumbles at the goal line. He recovered the ball. ![]() Ubly running back Justin Cleary (28) is brought down by Shrine's Billy Konczal (20). ![]() Ubly quarterback Jordan Kaufman breaks a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. ![]() Ubly's Mitchel Cleary hauls in a 5-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter in front of Shrine defender Ryan Copus (34). Patriots get their wish — Cabrini
SEBEWAING — Even before Unionville-Sebewaing Area started its current post-season volleyball journey, the Patriots knew they had a chance to meet up with an arch-rival in another sport.
Allen Park Cabrini. "When we first started (in the tournament) we knew that if we did well we could matchup with Cabrini (in the quarterfinals)," said USA senior Carly Treiber. "It was in the back of our minds..." The Patriots get their wish Tuesday night when they take on Cabrini in the Class C state quarterfinals at Burton-Bendle. Match time is 6 p.m. Over the past few years, USA and Cabrini have become rivals on the softball diamond. After both schools captured state softball championships in 2006 and 2007 (USA in Division 3 and Cabrini in Division 4), the two met this past spring in the Division 3 semifinals. In that game, Cabrini plated the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to a 2-1 victory, halting USA's dream of a three-peat. The Monarchs were so emotionally drained after that victory, they dropped a 5-0 decision to Galesburg Augusta in the finals the next day. Most of the players from the schools play both softball and volleyball. In fact, USA's entire starting lineup, as well as many of its reserves, are also softball players. That's what makes Tuesday's showdown so intriguing. Even first-year USA coach Teresa Rose knows what the rivalry is all about. "I don't think it's any secret that they want to go up against Cabrini," she said. USA has taken care of business to gets its shot at the Monarchs, capped by Thursday's 22-25, 25-8, 25-13, 25-15 decision over Marlette in the regional finals. After shaking off some early jitters in Game 1, the Patriots went on the attack to control the rest of the match. It's the same recipe the Patriots have used this entire tournament. In fact, they can go back to the regular season finale as a real turning point for their inspired play. On that final Thursday, the Patriots picked up a hard-fought 28-26, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21 decision over Bad Axe, helping them earn a share of the Greater Thumb West title. Two weeks later, USA has captured its first district title in 25 years, as well as its first-ever regional crown, setting up Tuesday's match with the Monarchs. "These girls are just natural athletes," said Rose, whose team is 32-7-7 overall in her first year as coach of the Patriots. "Anyone could have come in here and coached. I was just lucky enough to get the job. I give all the credit to the girls. They are the ones on the floor, working hard and working together." Cabrini comes in 31-16-6 overall, capped by its first-ever regional crown, a 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23 win over Royal Oak Shrine. Shrine had beaten Cabrini three times prior to last week's regional finale. Cabrini's big hitter is Kayla Kostich, who just happens to play first base for the Monarchs in softball. The winner of Tuesday's match moves on to Thursday's state semifinals at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. The winner will play the winner of the Morley-Stanwood vs. Schoolcraft match at 2 p.m. Morley-Stanwood was ranked No. 1 and Schoolcraft No. 3 in the final state poll a week ago. USA was No. 8 while Cabrini was not rated. Friday, November 14. 2008Regional playoffs...
Just a quick note to tell everyone Paul Adams will be covering the Ubly vs. Royal Oak Shrine Division 7 regional title game Saturday. He will be back after the contest with photos and a recap.
I will be heading to Beal City where the Aggies host Deckerville for the D8 regional crown, also on Saturday. When I get back, I will post some photos and a quick recap of the contest... Feel free to post any comments/highlights/picks/or whatever from the games. Or just post your well wishes to the teams on this thread... Good luck to both teams... Here are our picks for the weekend... BOGAN DIVISION 6 St. Charles at Saginaw Nouvel Friday, 7 p.m. SCORE: 33-14 DIVISION 7 Royal Oak Shrine at Ubly Saturday, 1 p.m. WLEW-102.1 FM SCORE: 40-18 DIVISION 8 Deckerville at Beal City Saturday, 2 p.m. WMIC-660 AM SCORE: 34-26 BCAS at Frankfort 1 p.m. Saturday SCORE: 31-27 OTHER GAMES Northwestern at Michigan SCORE: 35-28 Ohio State at Illinois SCORES: 28-17 Lions at Panthers SCORE: 41-21 ADAMS DIVISION 6 St. Charles at Saginaw Nouvel Friday, 7 p.m. SCORE: 42-12 DIVISION 7 Royal Oak Shrine at Ubly Saturday, 1 p.m. WLEW-102.1 FM SCORE: 36-16 DIVISION 8 Deckerville at Beal City Saturday, 2 p.m. WMIC-660 AM SCORE: 28-27 BCAS at Frankfort 1 p.m. Saturday SCORE: 34-30 OTHER GAMES Northwestern at Michigan SCORE: 26-20 Ohio State at Illinois SCORES: 41-23 Lions at Panthers SCORE: 37-10 WEHNER DIVISION 6 St. Charles at Saginaw Nouvel Friday, 7 p.m. SCORE: 28-7 DIVISION 7 Royal Oak Shrine at Ubly Saturday, 1 p.m. WLEW-102.1 FM SCORE: 28-13 DIVISION 8 Deckerville at Beal City Saturday, 2 p.m. WMIC-660 AM SCORE: 30-29 BCAS at Frankfort 1 p.m. Saturday SCORE: 28-6 OTHER GAMES Northwestern at Michigan SCORE: 19-10 Ohio State at Illinois SCORES: 23-17 Lions at Panthers SCORE: 27-3 History Makers: USA wins first-ever regional...
Congrats to the USA volleyball team, which earned its first-ever regional title Thursday night.
Now, the Patriots get Allen Park Cabrini in the quarterfinals on Tuesday — the same Cabrini which knocked them out in the semis in softball this past spring... CASS CITY — Marlette made Unionville-Sebewaing Area work to make history. At least for a little while. The Patriots, who hadn't been pushed much during their current post-season trek, found themselves in unfamiliar territory early on here Thursday night in the Class C regional finals against pesky Marlette. But after dropping the opening game to the Red Raiders — and shaking off the early jitters — the Patriots took control, capturing their first-ever regional championship with a 22-25, 25-8, 25-13, 25-15 victory. 32-7-7 USA advances to Tuesday's state quarterfinals at Burton-Bendle. The Patriots will take on 31-16-6 Allen Park Cabrini, winner of the Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest regional. Match time is set for 6 p.m. While USA did lose its opening game to Cass City in the district finals, there was more of an uncertain feeling here Thursday night after dropping Game 1 to the Red Raiders. Marlette played well. USA didn't. "I just think they thought it was going to be a lot easier than it was," said USA coach Teresa Rose. "I give Marlette credit. They came out tough. "Our hitting wasn't on in that first game. We didn't serve well and we didn't have many good passes. I think they might have had the first-game jitters. "But they got rid of them awfully quick." Indeed. USA never trailed in Games 2 and 3, once again using its superior size advantage at the net to set up easy points. Marlette wound up closing the gap in Game 4, but could never gain the momentum it had after winning the opener. "I think two things happened, really," said Marlette coach Fred McDowell. "I think they may have taken us a bit lightly, and we played our game in that first game. Then, I think (USA) woke up. "I think when you look at it, when we passed well, we got a point. But they took us out of our game a little bit later on. We did not pass as well later as we did in the first game." USA's combination of Carly Treiber, Dani Gremel and Jillian Williamson continued to spark the Patriots' offensive attack. After a lackluster opening game, the trio rallied to combine for 49 kills, reversing the trend in the Game 2 blowout. "I just think we were nervous," Treiber said. "I think we might have wanted it too much. "We played them at the start of the season and they are way better than they were then, that's for sure. "After losing (Game 1), coach just said, 'OK, all the nerves are out. Let's just go play our game.'" The Patriots certainly responded. "We just had to keep pounding," Rose said. "We might miss one here and there, but we had to keep pounding. "They know that if they want to get the job done they are going to have to attack." The Red Raiders made a valiant attempt in Game 4, closing an early gap to 10-15. But USA's size made the difference. After an ace from Minda Martinez made it 22-13, Jillian Williamson and Jennifer Williamson delivered kills to get the Patriots to within one point of the title. Jillian Williamson then clinched it with a kill off the top of the net. For USA, Treiber led the way with 20 kills, one block and one ace. Gremel notched 15 kills, two blocks and three aces while Jillian Williamson added 14 kills and two blocks. Martinez was her usual steady self, dishing out 38 assists while adding six kills of her own. Rose was really happy with the performance of Gremel, who picked up her play in Games 2 and 3. "I thought Dani really stepped up and played well," she said. "She had a great match. A couple of her kills went straight down. She played great." Marlette finishes 30-15-7 overall. The Red Raiders placed third in the Greater Thumb East, but beat league champion Brown City in the districts, as well as Saginaw Nouvel in the regional semifinals. "I'm certainly not ashamed of our performance," McDowell said. "Nobody expected us to be anywhere this year. The girls did really well." Here are some photos from Thursday night... ![]() Unionville-Sebewaing Area players and coaches celebrate Thursday night with the school’s first-ever regional volleyball championship trophy. ![]() More celebrating ![]() More celebrating. ![]() More celebrating. ![]() USA players celebrate match point against Marlette on Thursday night, giving them the regional crown. ![]() USA’s Minda Martinez sets teammate Jillian Williamson (12) for a kill Thursday night. ![]() Marlette’s Angela Odoerfer (5) goes up for a kill while USA’s Kiersten McBrayer (6) and Jennifer Williamson (9) try for the block. ![]() Marlette's Jenna Thompson is helped up after trying for a dig. ![]() USA’s Dani Gremel (5) and Carly Treiber (7) go up for a block against Marlette’s Amber Wood (6). Ubly’s ‘O’ prepares for Shrine challengeUBLY — A record-setting offense vs. a strong defense. That’s what Saturday’s Division 7 regional final between Royal Oak Shrine (11-0) and Ubly (11-0) will feature. In a season which has seen the Bearcats easily defeat every team standing in their way, while imposing their will offensively, this will be by far the biggest test. But it’s also a familiar test. In 2006, Ubly had to travel to Royal Oak, and came away with one of its most exciting playoff victories, a 22-21 decision in the game’s final minute. Shrine brings in the toughest defense the Bearcats have seen all season, allowing just 6.3 points per game while pitching five shutouts, including last week’s 35-0 victory over previously unbeaten Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest. “Eventually, we’re going to run into somebody, and it’s probably going to be this week, that’s going to be toe-to-toe with us,” said Ubly coach Bill Sweeney. “We have a very mature group of kids. They’re itching for a ball game, too. “We’ll find out what we’re made of when we get that challenge. “In the back of your mind, you think about what’s going to happen, but I think we’re definitely going to be prepared for that type of challenge.” Sweeney acknowledged moving the ball on this defense is going to be a challenge. “Numberswise, they’re very, very strong. They look tough on tape defensively,” he said. “They have some big down linemen and some very active linebackers.” In last week’s 46-8 win over Dryden, the Bearcats faced their first bit of adversity in the playoffs as they fumbled on their opening possession, giving the Cardinals a short field. Ubly survived two fourth-down attempts and came out of it without allowing a score. “Our problem defensively has been lulls and we really didn’t have that last week,” Sweeney said. “That’s probably why they looked so good (defensively).” The main weapon the Bearcats will be preparing for will be running back Anthony Cade. Cade gained 224 yards on 21 carries in the win over Lutheran Northwest while fullback Phil Galloway contributed 128 yards on 13 totes and three touchdowns. As a team, Shrine rushed for 407 yards. Cade and Galloway are much different runners, according to Sweeney. Galloway is a thundering back who runs downhill while Cade is shifty with very good speed. “Our biggest thing is we have to make the tackle where it’s at. If he gets in the open field he’s going to be gone,” Sweeney said of Cade. “Basically, it comes down to playing solid technique football and tackling.” Shrine will be faced with its own difficult test of trying to do what no team has been able to do thus far — shut down Ubly’s offense. The Bearcats became the second-highest scoring team in Thumb history with their performance last week. At 537 points, they trail only the 2004 Unionville-Sebewaing Area team that scored 581 points. Led by quarterback Jordan Kaufman, Ubly doesn’t do anything fancy, other than run the Wing-T to near perfection. Kaufman has run for 1,349 yards and 21 touchdowns and is averaging nearly 13.6 yards per carry. It’s not just a one-man show, though, as Justin Cleary, Alex Peruski and Mitchel Cleary have combined for 2,147 yards and 33 scores. That trio averages 8.6 yards per carry. “We don’t try to out-scheme people, we just try to do things better than them,” Sweeney said. “That’s the way that offense is supposed to run. “You kind of hope that they pick their poison. “If you run into somebody that’s good enough to stop (us), then you have to pull something out of your hat, I guess.” Last week, Dryden picked its poison by attempting to contain Kaufman. For the most part, the Cardinals did as he gained 75 yards on seven carries and no scores. They forgot about Peruski, though, as he got off for 92 yards and three scores. “The offense is not geared for one player,” Sweeney said. “It’s geared for four players and a solid offensive line.” The line has been steady all season, protecting Kaufman and allowing the backs to pick their spots. “I think I would do a disservice to the kids if we did try do too much of that out-formationing people because that would take the fun out of it,” Sweeney said. “Our offensive linemen do it for the fun of it. “I think they get the biggest kick out of being able to pound on somebody for 48 minutes. That’s what we try to take pride in, out-hitting and out-blocking. These kids take it to the top degree.” Defensively last week Ubly had its way with Dryden, holding the team to a season-low for points and under 200 total yards. For the season, the Bearcats are giving up under 10 points per game and have one shutout. “They just get so overshadowed by the offense, and we’ve been so far ahead of teams, that you’re going to have a natural letdown mentally,” Sweeney said. “I think that’s been our downfall defensively. “I hope we haven’t seen their best effort because they’re totally capable of playing defense.” Thursday, November 13. 2008Eagles eager for regional run...DECKERVILLE — A little revenge last week. A big regional championship game this week. Both Deckerville and Beal City avenged prior losses last week en route to district titles. Now, the Eagles and Aggies battle at 2 p.m. Saturday at Beal City for the Division 8 regional crown. Deckerville comes in off a 55-34 trouncing of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes — a team which beat the Eagles in last season's district title game. Meanwhile, Beal City earned a 24-0 decision over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart — a team which beat the Aggies, 40-20, in the season opener. "Last week was a huge game for them, and it was kind of the same thing for us," said Deckerville coach Bill Brown. "We both had something to prove." The Aggies are shooting for their second straight regional trophy, and fourth since 2003. "They have a great program with a great tradition," Brown said. "They are quick off the ball offensively. They have three nice running backs, and they run sort of a variation of the Wing-T and a split backfield. They like to run dive plays and power plays." Leading the Beal City backfield is 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior Kegan Rojas. The fleet-footed tailback had 191 yards and three touchdown on 21 carries last week for the Aggies. In the playoff opener against Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, he rushed for 131 yards on 18 totes. "He's a pretty good back," Brown said. "He's not going to run you over, but he's athletic and he's quick. Stopping him is going to be a key for us." Last week, Beal City quarterback Jared Theisen threw just two passes, but against MLS he was 5-of-11 for 74 yards and two scores. "Really, they are just a consistent, efficient team on offense," Brown said. "In that aspect, they're like a Thumb team. They come at you." Defensively, the Aggies have pitched three consecutive shutouts, including a 34-0 win over MLS in Round 1 and a 48-0 blanking of Manton in the regular season finale. Overall, they've yielded 91 points, good for an 8.2 ppg average. Last week against MPSH, the Aggies gave up 106 total yards, including just 15 yards on the ground. They didn't yield a first down to MPSH until the second half. Justin Sharrar, Nate Bellinger and Tyler McDonald are three of Beal City's top defenders. No doubt, Deckerville's offense has been rolling, sparked by red-hot senior tailback Marcus Kemp, who rewrote the Eagle record book last week with 365 yards and six touchdowns. He broke both the single-game rushing and touchdown records. The previous rushing record was 329 yards set back in the 1970s. "What can you say about Marcus this year," Brown said. "The thing about Marcus is that he's a great kid and everyone likes him. "Right now, I'm not sure if we really appreciate what he's accomplished. When we're done (with the season), we'll sit back and reflect back on it, and then it will hit us. When Marcus gets his carries, he gets yards. It's that simple." Kemp wouldn't be able to do it without the solid line play from seniors Nathan Peters, Jim Nichol, John Loomis, David Richards and Ethyan Kramer, junior Josh Stanley, and sophomore Nick Taylor. "Offensively, we're starting to get rolling," Brown said. "We're almost there. We're not there yet, but... "We're finally putting helmet on helmet. It's that time of the year. You have to do that to succeed." Sophomore Cody Ross also had a big game last week, rushing for 170 yards on 15 carries. Defensively, the Eagles yielded a couple of late TDs against WLOL to make the score closer than the game really was. They also gave up a touchdown on a kick return. "That's something we can't do," Brown said. "We can't give up TDs on special teams, and we can't turn the ball over," Brown said. "And we have to make them chase us. We can't be chasing them." Deckerville is slated to leave for Beal City early Saturday. They will stop for lunch, and then arrive at the field in plenty of time before kick off. Deckerville's last road playoff game came in 2006 when the Eagles suffered a tough 36-28 setback to eventual state champion New Lothrop. That game came down to the final play when a Deckerville pass was batted down in the end zone as time expired. Brown expects the same kind of game against the Aggies. "Hey, at this point everybody is good," he said. "We just have to go over there, be physical and execute. We have a good group of kids, especially our returning seniors. They stick together. They know what's at stake." Saturday’s game can be heard on WMIC-660 AM. The winner of this game advances to the state semifinals next weekend to play the winner of Mendon vs. Muskegon Catholic Central. Wednesday, November 12. 2008USA rolls into regional finals...
CASS CITY — Even a prematch scouting report didn't help Byron Tuesday night in its Class C regional semifinal showdown with red-hot Unionville-Sebewaing Area.
"One of my fellow teachers has a niece (Carly Treiber) who plays for USA," said Byron coach Autumn McGuire. "We knew they were going to be a very good team, and we knew they were hard hitters." Once again, the Patriots' strong front line play was all it needed to wear down another post-season opponent. Fueled by Treiber, Jillian Williamson and Dani Gremel, USA cruised to a 25-15, 25-22, 25-12 win over the Eagles, setting up an all-Greater Thumb Conference regional championship match. 31-7-7 USA will take on 30-14-7 Marlette at 7 p.m. Thursday for the title. The Raiders advanced with a 25-20, 25-27, 25-16, 25-21 decision over Saginaw Nouvel in Tuesday's other semifinal. Like they've done all post-season, USA controlled play at the net, getting a combined 33 kills from the "Big 3." "They were basically the best hitting team we’ve seen all season as far as putting the ball down on the 10-foot line," McGuire said. "They are just a great hitting team. "We're scrappy, but we're pretty small. It was tough at the net against them." Making life easier for the USA trio was the solid play of setter Minda Martinez, who recorded 27 assists and added six kills of her own. "We went down and watched (Byron) play (in Friday's district championship match), so we knew what we were up against," said USA coach Teresa Rose. "We did get a little lax in the second game, but (Byron) did a good job of digging in that game." After breezing through Game 1, the Patriots ran into a little bit of trouble in Game 2. After falling behind 8-17, the Eagles managed to come all the way back to tie it at 22. But the Patriots rallied. They got a block for a point from Gremel, a kill from Williamson, and then Martinez found a hole in the middle of the Byron defense and tipped it perfectly over the net for game point. "They'd get a solid hit, and then we'd make a mistake and it kind of went from there," McGuire said. "You can't make many mistakes against a good team like USA. "They weren't defending that well, so we needed to make passes so we could get it to our stronger hitters... I thought maybe we had some momentum after playing that well in Game 2." Any momentum Byron had was quickly squelched in Game 3. USA built leads of 4-0, 7-1, 12-3 and 18-5. A Treiber kill later delivered point 24, and a Gremel kill polished it off on match point. "I think in the second game once again we went to tipping a little too much," Rose said. "I tell them constantly, 'We can't tip.' "We needed to attack the ball, and we did a good job getting back to that in Game 3. The hitters know we have to hit. If we're going to move on, our hitters have to be on." Besides her 17 kills, Treiber added 10 serve receptions, seven points, three digs, two aces and one block. Williamson chipped in 10 kills, 13 points, 13 serve receptions and four aces while Gremel netted six kills, seven serve receptions, four blocks and three digs. USA will be shooting for its first-ever regional volleyball crown. After snapping a 25-year district title drought last week, the Patriots are prepared for a long post-season journey. "Our district was so hard," Rose said. "Bad Axe and Cass City... they're such good teams. They could have been here just as easily as us. But I am glad it's us, that's for sure. "The girls know that we've never won a regional — so they want it. They want to go even further." The winner of Thursday's regional championship will head to the state quarterfinals next Tuesday at Burton-Bendle to take on the winner of the Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest regional. Royal Oak Shrine and Allen Park Cabrini are playing in that final, also on Thursday. Here are some photos from the match... ![]() USA's Carly Treiber and Byron's Samantha Crist battle at the net. ![]() USA's Dani Gremel makes a block at the net. ![]() USA's Carly Treiber blasts the ball over Byron's Josalyn Skinner (23) and Samantha Crist. ![]() USA's Minda Martinez and Dani Gremel go for the block. ![]() USA's Jennifer Williamson (9) battles with Josalyn Skinner of Byron at the net. ![]() USA's Kiersten McBrayer (6) and Jennifer Williamson (9) block Byron's Kristina Sugar (1). ![]() Dani Gremel hits the ball back over the net for the Patriots. ![]() Minda Martinez and Dani Gremel make a big block. ![]() Kiersten McBrayer volleys over Byron's Kristina Sugar. Tuesday, November 11. 2008The end of the line...
It was a regional double dip for our coverage area as Deckerville and Owendale-Gagetown were in action tonight.
Unfortunately, both teams saw their seasons come to an end in the Class D regional semifinals. The Eagles fell to Bay City All Saints (25-23, 21-25, 16-25, 22-25). Meanwhile, the Bulldogs lost to Genesee Christian (19-25, 16-25, 14-25). The Tribune will have a full report for Wednesday’s paper. Until then, here are some photos. ![]() Deckerville's Stephanie Oswald (14) and Kelsey McConnachie (24) team up for a block. ![]() Deckerville coach Carl Krumenacker talks to his team during a timeout. ![]() Deckerville's Jessie Guza (5) and BCAS' Molly Neymeiyer (3) play a ball at the net. ![]() Trica Nichol (22) and Mandy Nichol (25), of Deckerville attempt a block on BCAS' Jeanie Heintskill (5). ![]() Amanda Faist blocks the ball for the Bulldogs. ![]() Owen-Gage's Alisha Kovach bumps the ball. ![]() Owen-Gage's Christy Schmidt (6) works the net against Genesee Christian's Emily Gordon (15). ![]() Owen-Gage's Samantha Radabaugh sets the ball for a teammate. Prepositions – On the Blog...
Sports editor Mike Bogan and sports writer Paul P. Adams discuss what’s going on in the world of Thumb sports.
DET: Well, we see you've both made it to the end of another fine fall sports season here in the Thumb. And by the looks of things, you guys might not be done with the fall season for a couple more weeks. Let's get right to it... DET: OK, Adams. You saw Ubly dismantle Dryden, 46-8, on Friday night for the Division 7 district championship. How dominant were the Bearcats? ADAMS: How dominant? The Bearcats impressed Dryden coach Brian Tresnak so much, he gave one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard a coach say about an opposing team. “I’m not going to make any excuses. We’re a good football team, they’re a great football team,” said Tresnak. He went on to say: “I have to say you don’t get a gauge on how good they are until you see them live. We had lots of film on them. We actually came in feeling confident.” Dryden had reason to be confident. The team matched a school record for wins with 10, set a school record for points, and was averaging over 40 ppg. Despite all of that, the Cardinals were held to less than 200 total yards and a season low in points. Meanwhile, Ubly’s offense had its way with Dryden en route to a 40-0 halftime lead. I was talking with a reporter from another paper who hadn’t seen the Bearcats until Friday. He told me he couldn’t believe how big and fast they were and that they lived up to the hype he had heard. DET: Bogan, Deckerville got some revenge against Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, rolling to a 55-34 decision for the Division 8 district title. How did the Eagles do it? BOGAN: Deckerville was much more physical than the Lakers. And it didn't hurt that the Eagles rushed for a whopping 569 total yards, led by senior Marcus Kemp, who racked up 365 yards and a school-record six touchdowns. The score is a lot closer than the game really was. WLOL did manage to grab a 13-7 in the first quarter — on a 90-yard kick return and a short scoring drive after a Deckerville fumble — but the Eagles rattled off the next 34 points to take command. Coach Bill Brown is convinced his team hasn't played its best game yet. He feels the Eagles can still improve heading into Saturday's regional championship game. DET: Up next for Ubly is a very good Royal Oak Shrine team. What's your take on the Division 7 regional championship game? ADAMS: This is a rematch of the 2006 regional championship that Ubly won, 21-20, in the final moments on a touchdown and a 2-point conversion. Shrine will be the toughest opponent Ubly has faced all season. The Knights have pitched five shutouts this season, including last week’s 35-0 decision over Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest. For the season, they are giving up just 7.0 ppg, but I’m guessing they haven’t seen an offense like Ubly’s. The Bearcats continue to extend their school record for most points in a season, with 537 and counting. They also became the second-highest scoring team in Thumb history. Shrine is battle-tested, posting a 5-0 record against teams which made the playoffs this season. The Knights also feature a stellar running back in Anthony Cade, who, in a Week 6 victory over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, rushed for a season-best 319 yards. This game will be a true classic of a great defense vs. a potent offense. In this case, I’m going with the offense. Ubly 36, Shrine 16. DET: Deckerville, meanwhile, travels to Beal City to take on the Aggies for the Division 8 regional championship. What's the skinny on that game. BOGAN: I think both the Eagles and Aggies will want to run the ball, sustain drives and be physical. In that sense, they are very similar. I get the feeling this game is going to be close. I also feel Deckerville might have a slight edge in the trenches — where games like these are won and lost. I like the way the Deckerville offense is clicking right now. Besides Kemp, sophomore tailback Cody Ross, who missed a big chunk of the season with a leg injury, is back. He rushed for 170 yards against WLOL, including an 80-yard burst in the second half. Deckerville's defense is steady, but not spectacular. And I'd like to see the Eagles shore up their special teams just a tad. With that said, though, I still feel the Eagles will go over there and beat the Aggies. I'm going with 34-26. DET: Bay City All Saints also won over the weekend, giving the Greater Thumb Conference three district champions. Your reaction? ADAMS: And the critics said the GTC was down this year. Well, three teams playing for regional championships, all with decent shots at moving on, doesn’t sound like a down year to me. The GTC has a long-standing tradition of sending teams to the state semifinals. This year, I see at least two, perhaps all three, of the remaining GTC teams keeping that streak alive. BOGAN: I think BCAS got a great draw. The Cougars do have to go to Frankfort this weekend, and heading north is never easy. But I like the Cougars' chances this weekend. DET: Let's switch gears to volleyball. In Class C, Unionville-Sebewaing Area captured its first district title since 1983. The Patriots now tangle with Byron tonight in the regional semifinals at Cass City. What's up? BOGAN: I think USA has a great chance. If the Patriots win tonight, they'll get the winner of the Marlette-Saginaw Nouvel match in Thursday's final. The Patriots have so many weapons at the net, they're very difficult to defend. If they play solid defense, and serve well... And after that, who knows. To me, USA is just as good, if not better, than Ubly was last season. I don't think many would disagree with that assessment. DET: Adams, you watched Owendale-Gagetown knock off North Huron for the Class D district crown. How did the Bulldogs beat the North Central Thumb League North Division champs? And what's your prediction on the regional at Deckerville which starts this evening? ADAMS: Owen-Gage was able to knock off North Huron in a thrilling championship match by staying on the attack throughout. After falling behind by two games to Port Hope the previous night, something clicked for the Bulldogs as they played like a different squad in the finals. Seniors Amanda Faist and Samantha Radabaugh took over for Owen-Gage and refused to let the team go down on its home court. It was an inspiring effort from a team that was a clear underdog before the match began. As for tonight, I don’t know much about Burton-Genesee Christian, but I think it’s a match the Bulldogs can win if they stay aggressive. DET: Any last thoughts? ADAMS: The Thumb Sportswriters Association will be meeting on Wednesday to select the All-Thumb teams for football and volleyball. Our coverage area should be well-represented in both sports, with a few of the major awards staying right here in the Upper Thumb. More on this in the weeks to come. BOGAN: And for those who need their basketball fix, the Tribune's Boys and Girls Basketball Preview is scheduled to hit the streets Dec. 4. Mike Bogan is the Daily Tribune's news/sports editor. Paul Adams is a Daily Tribune sports writer. Monday, November 10. 2008Week 1 Playoff Picks Winner...
Sorry about the delay on the blog picks contest...
For the first week of the playoffs, we had Fan 77 as the winner... They missed just one game – the Texas vs. Texas Tech contest... Fan 77 email me at mbogan@hearstnp.com and we'll hook you up with 20 BIG ONES... Bearcats run over Dryden
UBLY — Something had to give.
Ubly and Dryden headed into their Division 7 district championship on Friday unbeaten, with each team averaging over 40 points per game. In the end, only one team broke into double digits as the Bearcats breezed to a 46-8 victory. “I’m not going to make any excuses. We’re a good football team — they’re a great football team,” said Dryden coach Brian Tresnak. “There’s no shame in anything that happened here tonight. The better team won tonight — and that’s all there is to it.” During Ubly’s first possession, the Cardinals were given a glimmer of hope as they forced a fumble. They took over on Ubly’s 36-yard line, but were unable to move the ball until a pass interference call on fourth down. With the new life after the penalty, Dryden was able to take the ball to the 17-yard line, where it was again forced into a fourth-down situation. This time, the Bearcats stood firm and took the ball over. Nine plays and 83 yards later, Mitchel Cleary capped off the drive with a 4-yard run. Justin Cleary added the 2-pointer to make it 8-0 with 4:27 to play in the first. “We didn’t start out real good, but we regrouped really well,” said Ubly coach Billy Sweeney. “That stuff is going to happen, but you don’t want it to happen in big games. “They’re a focused group, they play through a lot. They’ve just grown competitively. They have real good maturity. They don’t get too high, they don’t get too low — and that showed on that drive.” The Bearcats settled for just the one touchdown after exploding for 30 points in the first quarter last week against Genesee. They made up for it in the second quarter, though, as Alex Peruski became the featured back in the offense. Peruski scored on three straight possessions on runs of 6, 7 and 29 yards. He added a pair of 2-pointers while Mitchel Cleary had the other. His first touchdown capped off a 9-play, 76-yard drive to make it 16-0 while the second score came on the first play of a drive for 29 yards. The Bearcats made it 32-0 after Cleary completed a 7-play, 64-yard drive with a 6-yard score with 4:53 remaining in the half. Ubly’s final score of the half came when quarterback Jordan Kaufman hooked up with Mitchel Cleary on a wheel pattern for 64 yards with 1:44 to play. Again, it was the first play of the drive and made it 40-0. “It started with the guys on that left side of that line,” Sweeney said of the first-half effort. “They destroyed anything Dryden tried to accomplish. “In this offense, you have to cover all eight gaps, and the off-tackle gap was wide open all night. Both Mitchel and Alex had great games behind very good blocking.” Tresnak didn’t dwell on not capitalizing on the early turnover. “If we would have punched it in, it would have been a little bit of a different score, maybe. But there wouldn’t have been any difference in the outcome,” he said. With 3:08 left in the third quarter, Bret Cleary finished the scoring for the Bearcats on a 10-yard run. Dryden’s ensuing possession lasted just two plays as quarterback Cody Paupert found an open Chad Butler for a 60-yard pass play. Al Clark took the next play 16 yards for the score as Paupert found Matt Lynch in the back of the end zone for the 2-pointer with 1:34 left in the third. “I have to say you don’t get a gauge on how good they are until you see them live,” Tresnak said. “We had lots of film on them. We actually came in feeling confident. “We weren’t intimidated by coming up here by any means. Our game plan was to just keep doing what we’ve been doing all year.” Ubly will remain home to host Royal Oak Shrine at 1 p.m. on Saturday for the regional title. NOTEBOOK: Ubly offense makes history UBLY — Not even an early mistake could stop Ubly from becoming the second-highest scoring team in Thumb history. The Bearcats received the ball first in their Division 7 district final championship tilt with Dryden, but coughed it up a few plays into the drive. It was one of the few mistakes they made on their way to a decisive 46-8 victory. In the process, Ubly surpassed the 500-point mark, and now stands at 537 on the season (48.8 points per game). That trails only the 2004 Division 7 state championship Unionville-Sebewaing Area team for most points in Thumb history. The Patriots scored 581 (41.5 ppg) that season. Ubly showed its versatility on offense as it racked up 339 yards on the ground and 64 through the air. Last week, quarterback Jordan Kaufman led the offense with 151 yards and five scores. Kaufman still put up good numbers, with 75 yards on seven carries, but it was Alex Peruski who was called upon to carry the load with 92 yards on 10 totes and three touchdowns on runs of 6, 7 and 29 yards. “That’s what so nice about the ‘T’ offense. Really, you can’t key on one guy,” Sweeney said. “Having Jordan sometimes works in our favor with him not even carrying the ball. “It just opens up so much for us offensively. In this offense, you have four guys capable of hurting you at any time.” -------------------- The loss is the only blemish on what was otherwise a very memorable season for Dryden. This was the first time since 1996 the team reached the post-season as it matched a school record for wins in a season with 10 and set a school record for points with 454. “The 10-0 start and finishing 10-1, that’s big for these guys down in Dryden,” said Dryden coach Brian Tresnak. “I got one of my guys that graduated and he didn’t win 10 games in four years, so he wanted to talk to the guys and tell them how proud he was. “It’s been a dream season that I won’t ever forget, and I hope my guys hold their heads high whenever someone mentions this season.” --------------------- Tresnak knew this was going to be a big season with many experienced players returning, including 12 seniors. Despite the loss of the seniors, he hopes this season will help establish a tradition at Dryden. “Half of the team graduates, but the nice thing about leading all the time until this game is a lot of the younger guys got to play big minutes,” he said. “Sometimes (they played) more than the starters. I think that’s going to be a big building block for us next year.” --------------------- The third quarter featured a unique and special moment for three brothers. Bret Cleary, a freshman, Justin Cleary, a junior, and Mitchel Cleary, a senior, were all in the backfield for a few plays. Bret capped off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown. “Those three boys talked about that last week a little bit,” Sweeney said. “One of them said something to me on the sideline and I said, ‘OK, we’ll do it for a couple of plays.' “I’ve known them through Little League, and they’re just very, very good respectful kids. It is kind of special to get those guys in the game to do that and have fun with it.” ------------------ Ubly will face a familiar opponent as it will host the regional championship for the first time. It will face Royal Oak Shrine, which was a 35-0 winner over Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest on Friday. Because of distance, the game will be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday, much like it was two years ago. During that 2006 meeting, the Bearcats pulled out a thrilling 21-20 decision on a last-minute touchdown and 2-point conversion from Grant Pichla. Sweeney said staying at home will make a difference for his players. “It’s huge, and the kids earned it,” he said. “It’s always been us taking the long bus rides when it gets deeper in the playoffs. “This is our third district in the last six years, so we’ve been on some serious bus rides those other two years.” ------------------- If Lutheran Northwest would have won the game, the regional championship would have been played at 7 p.m. Friday, but Sweeney said his players are ready for a Saturday game. “Saturday, the benefit is you get an extra day of practice,” he said. Saturday also marks the first day of deer hunting in Michigan. Sweeney, an avid hunter, put it into perspective. “People make a big deal about deer hunting. If it comes down between a football game and deer hunting I think I’ll stay at the football game,” he said. Eagles romp WLOL; Kemp sets school record
DECKERVILLE — Marcus Kemp went left. He went right.
Marcus Kemp went to the outside. He went in between the tackles. Better yet, Marcus Kemp went into the end zone, setting a single-game school record for touchdowns and helping Deckerville capture the Division 8 district championship. The do-it-all tailback continued his sensational senior season Saturday night. Kemp rushed 30 times for 365 yards and a school-record six touchdowns, lifting the Eagles to a not-as-close-as-it-sounds 55-34 romp over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, giving them their second district crown in three years. Deckerville, now 10-1 overall, travels to 10-1 Beal City at 2 p.m. Saturday for the regional championship. Kemp was the offensive catalyst for the Eagles, who earned revenge for a 36-20 setback to WLOL in the 2007 district title game. Deckerville rushed for 569 total yards on 56 carries, good for a whopping 10.1 per carry average. "We thought we were going to be able to be physical with them, and be able to run off tackle," said Deckerville coach Bill Brown. "We kept their offense off the field. We were able to run the clock and sustain drives." Kemp scored on runs 1, 10, 36, 50 and 69 yards in the first half, helping the Eagles open up a 35-13 edge at the break. From there, he added a 35-yard score 1:13 into the third quarter, good for a 41-13 advantage. "Marcus runs pretty hard — he does a heck of a job for us," Brown said. "When you have (fullback Brett Ross) and a couple of our other guards coming at you in the hole, it's a pretty tough place to operate." When asked about the game, WLOL coach Mike Boyd replied, "No comment." When pressed, he added: "We wanted to stop their run. We didn't." Cody Ross chipped in 170 yards on 15 carries, including a nifty 80-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter, putting on the finishing touches. Deckerville's other score came from Scott Gobie on a 1-yard dive late in the third quarter. WLOL actually led 13-7 midway through the opening quarter, answering Kemp's first score with a 90-yard kick return from Anthony Caiozzo and an 8-yard TD run from L.J. Stolarski. The second score was set up by an Eagle fumble deep in their own territory. "Their first two scores we pretty much handed them to them," Brown said. "We can't fumble the ball in that position on the field, that's the bottom line." After WLOL took the lead, Kemp and the Eagles decided to take over. On the ensuing possession, it took Deckerville two plays to tie it at 13 when Kemp found a hole up the middle for his second score. The Eagles took the lead for good early in the second quarter when Kemp capped a 79-yard drive with his 50-yard TD dash. Cody Hoff hit Josh Fritch for the 2-pointer. The Eagles made it 29-13 a few minutes later on Kemp's 36-yard TD run. He also added the 2-pointer. After WLOL failed on a fourth-and-11 near midfield late in the half, the Eagles took charge. Hoff hit Ethyan Kramer for a big gainer down to the 9-yard line before Kemp went in from there with 29 seconds left before intermission. Stolarski was WLOL's main weapon, spending time at tailback and quarterback. In the second half, he scored on a pair of 1-yard runs, as well as on a 35-yard pass from Mike Sullivan. Despite Stolarski's big game, Brown was relatively happy with his team's defensive play. "They spread the field, they use motion," Brown said. "The coach has been over there for a lot of years. He's a Hall of Fame coach. They know what they're doing. "They have some talent over there. I didn't think we'd shut them out, but I thought we'd do well against them." WLOL finishes 6-5. NOTEBOOK... Up next for Eagles: Beal City DECKERVILLE — After hosting its first two playoff games, Deckerville hits the road next weekend. The Eagles, fresh off a 55-34 beating of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes here Saturday night in the Division 8 district title game, will travel to 10-1 Beal City for the regional championship. Game time is 2 p.m. Saturday. Beal City advanced with a 24-0 blanking of Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart on Friday, avenging a 40-20 setback to MPSH in Week 1. In the opening round of the playoffs, the Aggies earned a 34-0 win over Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary. That means the Aggies have outscored their two playoff opponents, 58-0. In fact, they've pitched three consecutive shutouts, earning a 48-0 win over Manton in the regular-season finale. "We know it's going to get tougher," said Deckerville coach Bill Brown. "Each week, it gets to be heavier sledding, that's for sure." Beal City has been a small-school football power for many years. The Aggies have made the post-season 18 of the last 19 years, including nine straight seasons, missing in 1999. The Aggies won the 1994 state title with a 35-14 win over Litchfield. They advanced to the title game in 2001 and 2003, losing both years. In 2001, they dropped a 20-0 decision to Mendon. In 2003, they lost, 20-9, to Detroit DePorres. The Aggies are coming off a 10-3 2007 season in which they advanced to the Division 8 semifinals, losing to eventual state champion Crystal Falls-Forest Park, 22-7. Deckerville's last trip to the regionals came in 2006. After beating Peck and North Huron to capture the district title, the Eagles dropped a memorable 36-28 decision to eventual state champion New Lothrop. Deckerville's last regional title came in 2000. The Eagles beat McBain, 38-7, for the regional crown before dropping a hard-fought 24-18 decision to eventual state champion Iron Mountain in the Division 7 semifinals. Brown and the Eagles are looking forward to next weekend's challenge. "I still don't think we are as good as we can be," Brown said. "I still think we can get better. We're going to keep working hard, getting quicker, getting tougher, and adjust to the things teams do to us." ----------- Deckerville senior Marcus Kemp not only set a school record Saturday night, he broke into the state record book, as well. While his six touchdowns against WLOL set a single-game school record, his 35 total TDs for the season gain him entry into the Michigan High School Athletic Association's record book. He will now be in the single-season touchdown listing, which has a minimum of 35 scores. The 35 TDs rank 26th all-time, tying Erie-Mason's Shane Smith. The state record is 52 TDs, held by Kirk Elsworth of Goodrich during the 2004 season. While Kemp's six touchdown performance was mighty impressive, it's nowhere near the state single-game record. That mark is held by Flint Central's Cecil Hardy, who scored an unbelievable 11 TDs in a 106-0 win over Lapeer in 1914. It's easy to see why that record has been around for nearly 100 years. ------------- As a team, Deckerville also set a record Saturday. The Eagles' 451 total points is now an all-time school single-season record, eclipsing the 419 points scored in 2006. The only other time Deckerville's scored more than 400 points came in 2000 when it went for 416 points in 13 games. Regional draws set...
Here are the regional final pairings for the 2008 Michigan High School Athletic Association Football Playoffs. Times and days are given where known.
Regional final games will take place Friday and Saturday at the school with the higher playoff point average unless the two schools are 200 or more miles apart and another site will be used. Semifinal games will take place Nov. 22 at prearranged sites. Final games will be played Nov. 28-29 at Ford Field in Detroit according to the following schedule: Nov. 28 — Division 8, 10 a.m.; Division 2, 1 p.m.; Division 6, 4:30 p.m.; and Division 4, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 — Division 7, 10 a.m.; Division 1, 1 p.m.; Division 5, 4:30 p.m.; and Division 3, 7:30 p.m. ——— DIVISION 1 Region 1—Hartland (9-2) 81.222 at Rockford (10-1) 104.000 Region 2—Livonia Stevenson (9-2) 84.111 at Canton (10-1) 100.778 Region 3—Lake Orion (10-1) 102.111 at Sterling Heights Stevenson (10-1) 103.000 Region 4—Detroit Southeastern (10-1) 101.833 at Dearborn Fordson (11-0) 112.889 ——— DIVISION 2 Region 1—Davison (8-3) 77.778 at Midland (10-1) 91.444 Region 2—Lowell (11-0) 112.000 at Muskegon (11-0) 114.667, Saturday 1 p.m. Region 3—White Lake Lakeland (9-2) 89.556 at Warren DeLaSalle (11-0) 106.889 Region 4—Wyandotte Roosevelt (10-1) 92.333 at Southfield (10-1) 99.444 ——— DIVISION 3 Region 1—Bangor John Glenn (9-2) 80.000 at East Grand Rapids (10-1) 99.556 Region 2—East Lansing (8-3) 71.000 at Stevensville Lakeshore (10-1) 94.222, Saturday 1 p.m. Region 3—Chelsea (9-2) 89.667 at Inkster (10-1) 100.000 Region 4—Warren Fitzgerald (10-1) 84.111 at Bloomfield Hills Lahser (10-1) 98.111 ——— DIVISION 4 Region 1—Grand Rapids Catholic Central (8-3) 63.556 at Kingsford (8-3) 72.556 Region 2—South Haven (8-3) 62.222 at Holland Christian (11-0) 92.444 Region 3—Marshall (8-3) 67.222 at Bloomfield Township Detroit Country Day (9-2) 78.889 Region 4—Croswell-Lexington (8-3) 67.000 at Clinton Township Clintondale (10-1) 87.111 ——— DIVISION 5 Region 1—Gladstone (9-2) 76.000 at Standish-Sterling (11-0) 91.810 Region 2—Ovid-Elsie (10-1) 85.222 at Freeland (10-1) 88.778 Region 3—Hopkins (9-2) 74.556 at Muskegon Oakridge (11-0) 91.556, Friday 7 p.m. Region 4—Almont (9-2) 72.778 at Jackson Lumen Christi (9-2) 77.111 ——— DIVISION 6 Region 1—Montague (10-1) 80.000 at Iron Mountain (11-0) 90.667 Region 2—St. Charles (9-2) 61.000 at Saginaw Nouvel (11-0) 94.222 Region 3—Leslie (10-1) 71.889 at Kalamazoo Christian (11-0) 85.333, Friday 7 p.m. Region 4—Manchester (9-2) 63.667 at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (9-2) 68.667, Friday 7 p.m. ——— DIVISION 7 Region 1—Iron River West Iron County (10-1) 69.333 at Traverse City St. Francis (10-1) 77.333 Region 2—Grass Lake (10-1) 64.667 at Ravenna (9-2) 68.333 Region 3—Decatur (10-1) 67.556 at Reading (11-0) 73.778 Region 4—Royal Oak Shrine (11-0) 77.889 at Ubly (11-0) 78.222, Saturday 1 p.m. ——— DIVISION 8 Region 1—St. Ignace (9-2) 59.889 at Crystal Falls Forest Park (11-0) 66.667 Region 2—Bay City All Saints (8-3) 59.556 at Frankfort (10-1) 70.889 Region 3—Mendon (11-0) 74.032 at Muskegon Catholic Central (11-0) 100.444, Saturday 1 p.m. Region 4—Deckerville (10-1) 64.000 at Beal City (10-1) 69.778, Saturday, 2 p.m. VOLLEYBALL CLASS C REGIONALS at Cass City Tuesday’s Matches USA vs. Byron, 6 p.m. Marlette vs. Saginaw Nouvel, 7:30 p.m. Thursday’s Matches Championship, 7 p.m. CLASS D REGIONALS at Deckerville Tuesday’s Matches Deckerville vs. BCAS, 5:30 p.m. Owen-Gage vs. Genesee Christian, 7 p.m. Thursday’s Matches Championship, 7 p.m.
(Page 1 of 24, totaling 357 entries)
» next page
|
Calendar
| |||||||||||||||||||||