Huron Daily Tribune Sports Blog

It's district championship night in the state of Michigan, including right here in the Thumb.
Ubly hosts Genesee for the Division 7 district title.
Champions also will be crowned in games between Reese and St. Charles, as well as Vassar and Millington.
Please post any comments/highlights/lowlights from area games.

Paul Adams is covering the Ubly-Genesee football game for the Tribune.
Mike Bogan is in Carsonville for the Class D volleyball district match between Deckerville and Kingston.

BAD AXE — With a dive to the floor, a wave of the wrist, and a poke of the arm, Ubly's volleyball team usually gets it done with defense.
But Thursday night in this Class C district final against Unionville-Sebewaing Area, the Bearcats had their all-around 'A' game on display.
"We played the best I've seen all season," said Ubly coach Andy Gusa, whose squad hung on for an exciting 25-19, 25-22, 24-26, 15-25, 15-12 title-clinching decision over the Patriots.
"In the five games, we only missed one serve. And our serve receive and ball control was on all night."
It took Ubly's best effort to get by the Patriots, last season's district champions who advanced all the way to the state semifinals.
After falling in the first two games, USA could have packed it in. Instead, the Patriots rallied in Game 3, flourished in Game 4, but ran out of gas in Game 5.
"You can't lose the first two, and then come back and expect to dig yourself out of that hole," said USA coach Teresa Rose. "We did a great job coming back, but..."
The Bearcats never trailed in the deciding game, jumping out to leads of 2-0, 5-1 and 9-5. USA actually came back to tie the game at 11, but Ubly's Caitlyn Holdwick finished off the Patriots with back-to-back kills on points 14 and 15.
That aggressive style of play was something Gusa kept preaching to his Bearcats, who struggled at the net in Games 3 and 4.
"We ended the third game with a spike into the net," Gusa said. "After that, I just told the girls, 'Keep swinging. Don't let that bother you.' I wanted them to swing their way out of it — and they did."
Holdwick paced the Ubly hitters with 22 kills. Chelsey Pionk chipped in 12 kills while Nicole Kubacki added 11 and Jessica Gracey four.
After grabbing Games 1 and 2, the Bearcats actually had a chance to make it a quick evening in Game 3. Ubly led most of the game, eventually grabbing a 24-22 lead on a combination block from Pionk and Holdwick.
But USA didn't go down without a fight. The Patriots managed to tie it, and eventually took a 25-24 lead on a Rachel Mowry kill. Ubly's hitting error on game point forced Game 4.
"It would have been nice to just do it in that third game and save all that aggravation," Gusa joked. "We just couldn't get those last two points. It's a game of streaks. It was up and down. I thought USA played really well.
"When we went into that fourth game I could have almost guaranteed that we were going to lose it. The momentum was all on their side. I was just hoping we could regroup (for the fifth game) and we did. Barely, but we did."
USA cruised in Game 4.
"I thought we played a little better in Games 3 and 4," Rose said. "We were going for everything. Nothing was hitting the ground. And we attacked more, instead of tipping."
The five-game marathon was reminiscent of the Oct. 27 match between the two squads. On that night, USA won the first two games before the Bearcats rallied to force Game 5. The Patriots eventually won the deciding game, 15-9.
"It was actually more lopsided than that," Gusa admitted. "They put in their second team in the third game and that was kind of how we got going. They beat us pretty good, I thought."
Added Rose: "We just played them last week, and I think the girls might have thought it was going to be a walk in the park. I tell them constantly, 'You just can't do that.'"
For USA, Jenny Williamson had four points, 19 receptions, five digs, 17 kills, and one block while Cali Valentine had 15 points, seven digs and 20 assists, Cami Valentine 12 points, 27 receptions, seven digs and two kills, Brittany Gruehn eight points, 14 receptions and five digs, Mowry nine points, six kills and three blocks, Sami Eisengruber 20 kills and two blocks, Chelsey Ewald four points, six digs, two kills and 21 assists, Maddy Payton five kills and three receptions, and Jessica Gremel six kills.
After the whirlwind that was the 2008 season, Rose is still satisfied with her young team's performance in 2009.
"I thought we had a heck of a season," Rose said. "We finished in the middle of the league, kind of where we thought we'd be. We made it to the finals of the districts... I am happy with what we did.
"We have a lot of young players. I think the future is bright for USA volleyball."
For Ubly, Holdwick added eight blocks while Pionk added five blocks and 13-of-13 serving, Kubacki 15 digs and four blocks, Gracey six blocks, Stephanie Baslock 15 digs and 13-of-13 serving, Nicole Franzel 25 digs and 14-of-14 serving, Jennifer White 40 assists, 11 digs and 16-of-16 serving, and Sam Sweeney 40 digs and 13-of-13 serving.
19-19-3 overall Ubly travels to Montrose on Tuesday for a regional semifinal showdown with Saginaw Nouvel.
The Panthers beat Sanford Meridian, 25-14, 25-18, 25-15, to win their district. The Panthers have had an up and down season, sporting a 19-27-8 overall record.
"We're not the tallest team out there," Gusa said. "But we have a great setter, a couple of great defenders, and our hitters have been getting better all the time."
The other regional semifinal match Tuesday features 36-18-5 Saginaw Valley Lutheran against Greater Thumb East runner-up Marlette.

Here are some photos from the match...

All-Greater Thumb Conference
2009 Boys Soccer

Greater Thumb West
First Team
EPBP
Charles Klinesmith, Keeper, Senior
Tyler Yoder, Midfield, Senior
Josh Winkel, Forward/MF, Senior
Brad Feger, Center/MF, Senior
Mike Nothelfer, Forward, Senior
Peter Mead, Midfield, Junior
Bad Axe
Jason Currie, Midfield/Sweeper, Senior
USA
Peter Gacik, Midfield, Senior
Arne Meyer, Striker, Senior
Kaz Kraynak, Midfield, Senior
Joey Southgate, Striker, Sophomore

Second Team
EPBP
Sam VanTifflin, Defender, Junior
Adam Mater, Defender, Senior
Bad Axe
Kevin Hunt, Midfield, Senior
Chad Tenbush, Defender, Senior
Noah Auger, Sweeper, Junior
David Fucinari, Sweeper/MF, Junior
Adam Sroka, Defender, Sophomore
USA
Clinton Krueger, Keeper, Senior
Jordan Fritz, Defender, Junior
Austin Gokey, Defender, Junior
Josh Lakie, Midfield, Senior
Cass City
Chris Vogelpohl, Defender, Senior
Jalen Ferris, Forward, Senior

Honorable Mention
EPBP
Chris Brown, Defender, Senior
Trevor Lewis, Defender, Sophomore
Bryan Beachy, Defender/MF, Sophomore
Timmy Wilson, Midfield, Junior
Bad Axe
Ryan Smukala, Keeper, Sophomore
Brett Turmell, Defender, Junior
Kyle Thrushman, Defender, Senior
USA
Chad Koch, Defender, Sophomore
Brad Little, Midfield, Junior
Shaun McBrayer, Striker, Freshman
Tyler Kuhl, Midfield, Senior
Cass City
Andy Knight, Midfield, Senior

Final GTW Standings
1. USA 6-0
2. EPBP 4-2
3. Bad Axe 2-4
4. Cass City 0-6

Greater Thumb East
First Team
Harbor Beach
Christopher Hagedon, Keeper, Senior
Scott Grekowicz, Center/MF, Junior
Tyler Guza, Left/MF, Senior
Dustin Mazure, Forward, Junior
Seth Guza, Forward, Sophomore
Marlette
Dillon Howe, Defender, Senior
Zach Walker, Stopper, Senior
Mike Boyne, Forward, Sophomore
Caseville
Charlie Karafa, Forward, Junior
Brown City
Andrew Bell, Midfield, Senior
Jordan Foster, Defender, Junior

Second Team
Harbor Beach
Doug Booms, Sweeper, Junior
Tyler Mausolf, Forward, Junior
Marlette
Brent Speer, Center/MF, Junior
Kody Wisniewski, Midfield, Senior
Caseville
Cody Sharpe, Keeper, Senior
Sergey Skripka, Forward, Senior
Brown City
Cory Halbert, Forward, Junior
Anthony Jakubowski, Midfield, Freshman
Sandusky
Michael Lowry, Forward/MF, Junior
Bradley Ball, Midfield, Junior
Xavier Peplinski, Defender, Junior

Honorable Mention
Harbor Beach
Alex Delpiere, Right/MF, Senior
Dillon Volmering, Stopper, Junior
Ethan Booms, Defender, Senior
Brandon Stephenson, Defender, Sophomore
Andrew Siemen, Forward, Freshman
Marlette
JL Mason, Keeper, Junior
Matt Gyomery, Midfield, Junior
Brandon Lucik, Defender, Junior
Casey Johnson, Defender, Freshman
Derek Platte, Defender, Sophomore
Alex Hayden, Forward, Freshman
Caseville
Sean Tighe, Midfield, Junior
Tyler Claydon, Sweeper, Junior
Chris Tighe, Forward, Sophomore
Brandon Sprague, Defender, Sophomore
Nathan Sell, Defender, Junior
Gavin Bowers, Midfield, Freshman
Brown City
Thomas Kriener, Defender, Junior
Sandusky
C.J. Cowley, Defender/Forward, Sophomore
Patrick Chappus, Midfield, Junior

Final GTE Standings
1. Harbor Beach 8-0
2. Marlette 6-2
3. Brown City 4-4
4. Sandusky 1-7
4. (tie) Caseville 1-7

OK, it's Week 11 and that means the final installment of the Tribune Sports Blog Football Contest...
Thanks to all who played this season.
This time, we have a special treat.
It will be $21 bucks to the winner. Yes, BIG BIG payout...

I will hopefully have last week's winner posted later...
To the games:

5 pointers
Genesee (10-0) at Ubly (10-0)
Vassar (7-3) at Millington (9-1)
Reese (8-2) at St. Charles (9-1)
Rudyard (9-1) at Traverse City St. Francis (10-0)
New Lothrop (7-3) at Waterford Lady Lakes (8-2)
Lions at Seahawks
Western Michigan at Michigan State
Connecticut at Cincinnati
Ferris State at Saginaw Valley State
Cowboys at Eagles

7 pointers
Marysville (7-3) at Marine City (10-0)
Mount Pleasant (10-0) at Linden (10-0)
Reading (10-0) at Hudson (10-0)
Midland (9-1) at Lapeer West (9-1)
Utica Eisenhower (7-3) at Macomb Dakota (9-1)
Purdue at Michigan
LSU at Alabama
Ohio State at Penn State
Oklahoma at Nebraska
Northwood at Michigan Tech


Tiebreak – Ubly vs. Genesee total points

A recap of this weekend's area action...

News: For the second time this season, Reese comes away with a win over Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port, this time 29-7 in the opening round of the Division 6 playoffs.

Views: What's so surprising about this game — and the Oct. 9 meeting between the teams, too — is the way Reese's defense basically manhandled EPBP's offense.
In eight quarters, the Lakers managed just one offensive touchdown against the Rockets. Throw out the two Reese games, and this is an offense which averaged 34.6 points. The Lakers averaged 6.5 against the Rockets.
Either I overestimated the EPBP offense, or underestimated the Reese defense.
Regardless, the Rockets dominated both games, especially in the second half.
Reese turned a 12-7 halftime lead in the first meeting into a 30-7 shelling.
Friday night, the Rockets led just 14-6 at the half before taking advantage of field position and three Laker turnovers en route to a 22-point win.
Both games showed off the Rockets’ speed and athletic ability. I don't think anyone will argue that Reese has a little bit more than the Lakers in those two areas.
And I have to admit, a sophomore who was the starting tailback on the junior varsity team at the beginning of the year did an admirable job for the Rockets in the slop at quarterback.
Jimmy Hahn threw a touchdown pass in the second quarter, and then “managed” the game in the second half for the Rockets.
Meanwhile, the Lakers didn't seem as bothered by the mud as much as the last time, but they still had costly mistakes and miscues.
With that said, this group of Laker seniors can hang their hats on the fact they captured a pair of Greater Thumb West championships, racking up a 13-7 record along the way the last two seasons.
Unfortunately, they just didn't have much success in the playoffs.

News: Ubly has an easy time with Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, rolling to a 52-0 victory in the opening round of the Division 7 playoffs.
Views: Did anyone NOT see this coming?
I doubt it.
The Bearcats chalked up 541 yards rushing while limiting the Crusaders to just 39 — yes, 39 — total yards.
Now, the 10-0 Bearcats host 10-0 Genesee this Friday for the district championship.
The Wolves advanced with a 43-8 pounding of Brown City on Saturday.
Don't be surprised to see Genesee give Ubly a game. Yes, the Wolves haven't been much of a problem for the Bearcats in their two previous playoff meetings in 2006 and 2008, but this might be a different Genesee squad.
Genesee quarterback Garret Cook looks like the real deal. He rushed for 112 yards and three TDs against Brown City. He also threw for 173 yards, and added an 85-yard kick return for a score.
Ubly's defense will get a much stiffer test against the Wolves.
I still see the Bearcats being more physical than Genesee and coming away with the district championship, but it's not going to be a blowout like it was against Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest.

News: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes boots a 20-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to grab a thrilling 30-28 win over Deckerville in the opening round of the Division 8 playoffs.
Views: This one was worth the two-hour drive to Waterford.
This game was sort of a microcosm of Deckerville's season. The Eagles were close, but couldn't make a big play when they needed it.
Two plays, actually, defined that.
The first came at the end of the second quarter when Deckerville faced fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line with just a few seconds to play. Quarterback Cody Hoff's pass was batted in the air and fell incomplete, just out of the reach of receiver Josh Fritch's hands.
Then, late in the game, with WLOL backed up and facing third-and-long, Laker quarterback Mike Sullivan scrambled around and floated a pass to a streaking Anthony Caiozzo, who hauled it in and raced down to the 3-yard line.
After a spike to stop the clock, freshman kicker Jake Doetsch's field goal squeezed through the left upright.
The Lakers started celebrating.
The Eagles were consoled.
I tip my hat to the Eagles, though. They weathered a long bus ride and a shaky start and played one of their better games of the season.
They came up just one play short.

News: OK, I would be remiss if a didn't mention that the administrators, Steve Budzynski and Don Schelke, finally got into the pockets — DEEP into the pockets — of myself and Jerry Kranz on Sunday morning at Verona Hills Golf Club.
Views: It hurt. Believe me, it hurt.
Now, they have the entire winter to gloat.
And that's going to hurt most of all.
Enjoy it now, boys. Because we're coming out blazing next spring!

Here are some photos from the WLOL vs. Deckerville game...

In an game eerily similar to the one a few weeks ago with these same two teams, Reese earned a 29-6 decision over Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port in the opening round of the Division 6 playoffs Friday night.
The Rockets led just 14-6 at the half, but took advantage of sloppy play from the Lakers, scoring once in the third quarter and then again early in the final period to put the game away.
EPBP's lone score came on a 20-yard fumble recovery from Chris Rowe midway through the second quarter.
That means the Lakers mustered just one offensive TD in 8 quarters vs. the Rockets this season.
In the first game between these teams in Week 7, the Rockets led just 12-7 at the half before breaking it open for a 33-7 win.

A complete recap of the contest will appear in Monday's Tribune.
Here are some photos from the game...

It's opening night of the high school football playoffs.
Post scores/comment/lowlights from tonight's games on this thread.

Adams is at Ubly vs. Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest.
Bogan is at Lakers vs. Reese.

Good luck to all...

DECKERVILLE — All through Deckerville's topsy-turvy season, coach Bill Brown never wavered.
And for all the ups and downs Brown and his Eagles have endured in 2009, they're right back where they're used to.
That place is the playoffs.
And, for the third straight season, they get a chance to battle one of the Detroit Catholic League's perennial powers — Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.
The 5-4 Eagles travel to 7-2 WLOL for an opening-round Division 8 playoff contest at 2 p.m. Saturday.
In 2007, WLOL earned a 36-20 win over the Eagles for the district championship. Last year, Deckerville returned the favor in a 55-34 shelling for the district crown.
"They're a very good program and they are very well-coached," Brown said earlier this week. "We know we have to play a heck of a game against these guys."
Deckerville and WLOL have taken different paths to get to this point of the season.
For the Eagles, they started 2-0, including an impressive 41-14 win over the No. 2 seed in this district, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, in the season opener. After that, though, the Eagles hit a midseason speed bump when they lost three straight games to playoff-bound Brown City, Sandusky and Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port.
From there, they recovered to win three of their last four games to be one of the eight Division 8 schools with five victories to sneak into the postseason.
Youth, injuries, bad bounces and a lack of intensity all contributed to Deckerville's midseason skid, its longest regular season losing streak since the final three games of 2004.
But to Brown and his Eagles, that's history.
"It's no secret we struggled a little bit," Brown said. "After the Laker game, we've done some things a little differently, and that's helped."
One of the things Deckerville has done is narrow its playbook just a tad.
"We've gone to more of a straight T," Brown said. "The kids have gotten more physical. Our intensity has picked up, and that's something we've needed. We've gotten into a little bit of a groove."
The Eagles were indeed in the groove in last week's 44-22 thumping of Lincoln Alcona. Deckerville rushed for 374 yards, including Scott Gobie's 198 yards and three touchdowns. Rex Thayer added 111 yards and two scores while Cody Ross notched 42 yards and one more TD.
WLOL, meanwhile, started the season with seven straight wins, but wound up losing its final two games to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (49-6) and Madison Heights Bishop Foley (13-10).
"Their offense is similar to what they've run the last few years," Brown said. "They run a version of the spread. They have a couple of big kids up front, and they have a couple of speedy backs, but they're small.
“Their quarterback throws pretty well. Passing the ball is a big part of their game. They might throw it 40-50 percent of the time, depending on the weather."
WLOL's regular season schedule had three playoff teams on it — Suttons Bay, Royal Oak Shrine and Notre Dame Prep. The six other teams WLOL played combined for a 15-37 record. Two of those teams played eight-game slates.
Deckerville, on the other hand, had one of the Thumb's toughest schedules. The Eagles' nine opponents combined for a 56.8 percent winning percentage.
"Five of our nine opponents made the playoffs," Brown said. "We played a heck of a schedule. I think the kids know that. I know they are going to give it all they have and leave it all on the field.
“And we have to make sure we're ready to go Saturday — and not Friday night."
The winner of this game takes on the winner of the New Lothrop vs. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian contest for the district championship.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
DECKERVILLE
WEEK 1: Deck. 41, SH Parkway 14*
WEEK 2: Deck. 50, Harbor Beach 6
WEEK 3: Brown City 35, Deck. 6*
WEEK 4: Sandusky 33, Deck. 12*
WEEK 5: EPBP 40, Deckerville 7*
WEEK 6: Deckerville 50, Mayville 6
WEEK 7: Deckerville 38, Marlette 0
WEEK 8: Ubly 56, Deckerville 36*
WEEK 9: Deckerville 44, L-Alcona 22
5-4; PF: 284 (31.5); PA 212 (23.5)
RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 1-4

HOW THEY GOT HERE
WLOL
WEEK 1: WLOL 18, Suttons Bay 13
WEEK 2: WLOL 35, Detroit Allen 8
WEEK 3: WLOL 39, MCCM 7
WEEK 4: WLOL 28, R. Gab. Rich. 12
WEEK 5: WLOL 20, A. Park Cab. 6
WEEK 6: WLOL 28, RO Shrine 20*
WEEK 7: WLOL 33, Det. U. Luth. 6
WEEK 8: ND Prep 49, WLOL 6*
WEEK 9: MH Foley 13, WLOL 10
7-2; PF: 217 (24.1); PA 134 (14.7)
*RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 2-1

UBLY — Ubly is back where it wants to be — at home and in the playoffs for a ninth straight season.
The Bearcats completed their second straight undefeated regular season, ensuring they will be at home for at least three games if they can continue to win. They will host Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (7-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the Division 7 playoffs.
“It’s huge, we’re very tired of going on the road,” said Ubly coach Bill Sweeney, whose team has played five road games this season. “It’s just really nice to be at home, get the home crowd here and play in a playoff-type atmosphere.
“It sure beats going on the road.”
The Crusaders are making their second straight postseason appearance. It’s the first time in school history the program has made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
Expectations are high for Ubly to make another lengthy playoff run, but Sweeney will not allow himself, his staff, or players get caught up in that.
“We’re glad to be in the playoffs where the games really mean something,” he said. “Now, it’s just prepare week to week. If you’re not good enough — you’re done.
“You get so caught in the moment, you don’t see ahead or behind.
“You’re coaching and playing for the here and now. These kids will have the rest of their lives to think about if they put Ubly football on the map.”
Much like last year’s playoff opener with Genesee, the Bearcats’ secondary will be tested as Rochester features a quarterback duo that is not afraid to go to the air.
In fact, Sweeney compared the Crusaders to the Wolves with the style of offense they prefer to run.
“They throw the ball a lot,” Sweeney said. “They played in a monsoon last Friday, and they threw it at least 20 times. They’ve been very successful throwing the ball. They have two quarterbacks that throw the ball well. They have guys that can catch it.
“We just have to play good, sound defense, cover their guys and put pressure on the quarterback. We’re just going to have to play disciplined.
“If they do catch it, we have to tackle them and leave them there. We can’t let them have a 60- or 70-yard play.”
In a 48-7 victory over Southfield Christian in Week 5, Alex Masell completed 8-of-15 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns. He hooked up with the Crusaders’ other quarterback, Kyle Novack, on an 89-yard TD.
Rochester also features a defense that has only allowed 110 points (12.2 per game) this season.
The Crusaders have two shutouts to their credit and have held three other opponents to single digits.
“Defensively, they run every defense under the sun,” Sweeney said. “They don’t run the same defense twice it seems.
“We’ll have to be very astute to that.”
The defense will be tested by an Ubly team that features an offense every bit as potent as the record-setting squad of 2008.
In fact, the Bearcats’ 410 points (45.5 ppg) scored during the regular season is just 16 points off the pace from 2008.
Although the points are similar, the way they were scored has looked a little different. This year, Ubly has been able to overwhelm its opponents with an experienced offensive line and a deep backfield.
“We’re just not that flashy of a team,” Sweeney said. “We’re not what you would call an extremely athletic team. We’re tough, and we play good defense.
“Nobody really stands out like last year, but as a collective group, we have team speed and they play really well together. It’s an offensive line’s offense. What we run is all dictated by the offensive line and getting some backs that will run hard.”
“A lot of success has been the kids feel confident and they run our stuff really good. It may be boring or bland to a lot of people, but to us, we love it.”
Ubly’s main trio of runners, Justin Cleary, Bryan Nash and Jordan Terrasi, have combined for 2,483 yards, 36 touchdowns and average 7.73 yards per carry.
Cleary leads the group with 1,112 yards and 10 scores while Nash and Terrasi each have 13 touchdowns.
Quarterback Adam Glaza and Keith Kramer have a combined 655 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The winner of this game will face the winner of the Brown City at Genesee contest.

HOW UBLY GOT HERE
WEEK 1: Ubly 38, USA 12
WEEK 2: Ubly 41, Sandusky 6*
WEEK 3: Ubly 50, Marlette 21
WEEK 4: Ubly 48, Mayville 21
WEEK 5: Ubly 42, Harbor Beach 22
WEEK 6: Ubly 40, Vassar 14*
WEEK 7: Ubly 44, Brown City 8*
WEEK 8: Ubly 56, Deckerville 36*
WEEK 9: Ubly 51, Bad Axe 12
9-0; PF: 410 (45.5); PA 152 (16.7)
RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 4-0

HOW RHLN GOT HERE
WEEK 1: RHLN 6, Detroit Urban Luth. 0
WEEK 2: Royal Oak Shrine 35, RHLN 0
WEEK 3: RHLN 46, AH Oakland Chr. 0
WEEK 4: RHLN 26, Westland Luth. 15
WEEK 5: RHLN 48, Southfield Chr. 7
WEEK 6: RHLN 20, GP-Univ. Liggett 2
WEEK 7: RHLN 30, SH Parkway Chr. 6*
WEEK 8: Detroit Loyola 24, RHLN 6*
WEEK 9: RHLN 41, MC Card. Moon. 21
7-2; PF: 223 (24.7); PA: 110 (12.2)
*RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 1-2

PIGEON — Moments after Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port's 33-7 loss to Reese in Week 7, plans were already in the works for the rematch.
"We knew right after that game that if we wanted to get a chance to redeem ourselves we had to win out and maybe we'd get another shot at them," said EPBP coach George Gardy.
"Well, now we have it."
Yes, the Lakers and Rockets will meet once again, this time in the opening round of the Division 6 playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Reese.
"We know they are a very good team," Gardy said. "They are very athletic and they are very fast. We know we have our hands full, just like last time. We have to play very well."
That's exactly what the 7-2 overall Lakers didn't do Oct. 9. Though they trailed just 12-7 at the half, the Lakers gave up too many big plays, and couldn't muster any themselves, in their worst loss since a 41-7 setback to these same Rockets in Week 7 of 2007.
"We just could never get anything going," Gardy said.
In fact, the Rockets have had EPBP's number of late, winning six of the teams' last seven meetings.
That Oct. 9 meeting was played in sloppy conditions, with the teams combining for numerous fumbles and 16 plays for minus yardage. The Lakers had negative yardage nine times while the Rockets returned the favor seven times, according to Gardy, mostly due to fumbles.
"It seemed like we'd turn a second-and-five into a third-and-11," Gardy said. "We shot ourselves in the foot way too many times in that game.
"We've played in just as bad, or even worse, conditions the last few weeks and we've been just fine."
The Lakers were more than fine last week, rolling to a 22-0 shutout over playoff-bound Sandusky in wet and windy conditions.
Luke Voelker, Josh Goins and Mike Wolschlager scored touchdowns for the Lakers in that game. Meanwhile, the EPBP defense limited the Redskins to just 78 yards rushing and 54 yards passing. Going into the contest, Sandusky had been averaging over 32 points per game.
"We played very well defensively," Gardy said. "Our linemen and linebackers were in the right spots and they all did a nice job.
"We needed to finish strong — and we did."
While the Lakers are pleased with their regular season finale performance, the Rockets aren't. They traveled to two-win Mt. Morris last Friday and dropped a 14-6 decision to the Panthers.
That loss not only stung in the win-loss column, but it also dropped the 7-2 overall Rockets to the No. 2 seed in the district.
Offensively, Cody Somerville has had a nice season for the Rockets, including a 215-yard, two-TD performance against the Lakers in Week 7. He had scoring runs of 61 and 77 yards. Overall, Somerville has over 400 yards and six scores on the season while backfield mate Travis VanAlst has around 340 yards.
Justin Heinlein, who had two touchdown receptions against the Lakers, has hauled in 12 catches for 350 yards and seven scores this season.
Sophomore quarterback Travis Menapace has started the last few games for the Rockets in place of senior Josh Pickell, who was lost for the season with a ruptured spleen. Menapace, though, sprained his ankle in last week's game against Mt. Morris, according to reports. His status for Friday is uncertain.
Defensively, Kevin Kinasz leads the Rockets from his linebacker spot.
The Rockets come in yielding just 13.3 points per game, giving up more than two touchdowns just twice this season.
The winner of this game between two of the three Greater Thumb West tri-champions will take on the winner of the No. 1 seed St. Charles vs. No. 4 seed Sandusky contest for the district championship.