Huron Daily Tribune Sports Blog

Ubly, Hudson bring same style to Saturdays semifinal

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:52 -0600

UBLY Hudson and Ubly have never faced each other, but they feel like they have a lot in common.
When the Tigers (12-0) and Bearcats (12-0) take the field at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ortonville-Brandon High School in the Division 7 semifinals, it will be a familiar feeling for both teams.
Despite being over 200 miles apart, Hudson and Ubly bring similar smashmouth styles of football to the table.
Both teams rely on physicality on both sides of the ball. And, maybe more importantly, they run the Wing T offense.
Theyre not a smoke-and-mirrors team, were not a smoke-and-mirrors team, said Ubly coach Bill Sweeney. Im excited about the game because its just two old-school smashmouth football teams.
Its really a game of first downs. If either team is getting five yards on first down, theyre really in good shape because theyll stay in rhythm.
We have to limit them because they will just wear you down with the methodical way they go about things. They do things basically the exact same way we do.
In the playoffs, its rare for a team not to have to be out of its element this late in the season while preparing defensively.
Normally, the scout team has to learn the offense of the opponent in order to allow the defense to properly prepare.
In this case, Ublys junior varsity, which was 9-0, is simply running its offense.
I think it helps both teams because its easier for us to mimic the offense, Sweeney said. We just have our JV kids out there running their offense, and they run it pretty effectively.
Defensive practices are so much quicker because youre not running a foreign offense. Theyre in the same boat, theyre playing a team thats a mirror image of themselves, so they have the same luxury.
Hudson and Ubly took different paths to get to this point.
The Bearcats have been barely tested so far in the playoffs, outscoring their opponents 146-26, including last weeks 42-20 victory over Petersburg-Summerfield.
Meanwhile, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 138-53, but most of the points allowed came in last weeks thrilling 42-41 double overtime decision over Mendon.
It was kind of built up as they (Mendon) have this great defense and we have a good offense and whats going to give, said Hudson coach Chris Luma on the win over Mendon.
With 7:47 left to play, Hudson found itself trailing, 28-14. Drew Milligan capped off a 10-play, 58-yard drive with his second touchdown of the night, a 4-yard scamper to bring the Tigers within 28-20 with less than four minutes remaining.
All 10 plays were runs as Hudson refused to deviate from its game plan.
If they stopped us doing what we do best, I can live with that, Luma said. But I didnt want to throw it up doing something were not very good at and give up our opportunity to score, so we stuck to the ground.
My coach up top kept yelling, You have to hurry up a little bit, youre down two scores. I just didnt want to make any mistakes, so we tried not to rush it.
After a fumble, Hudson took over on its own 33-yard line with 2:45 remaining. Again, the Tigers stayed on the ground as John Nealy finished another 10-play drive with a 2-yard plunge.
The Tigers won the game in unexpected fashion, though, as they went to the air for only the third time in the game on a second-and-goal from the 26 in the second overtime. Nathan Smith found a streaking Grant Benschoter for the touchdown. Smith then snuck in for the game-winning 2-point conversion.
In that situation, we needed to go a long way, and with only two plays to do it... Luma said. We pretty much had to put it in the air, so Im surprised they were caught off guard.
Being a running team, and to win the game with a pass, (was) sweet.
Sweeney knows Hudson will attempt to control the clock as it did against Mendon.
The Tigers first drive against the Hornets failed to produce points, but it took nearly 10 minutes off the clock.
When its ball control, first down is a very important down because it allows you to set up what you do, Sweeney said. Theyre happy winning the ball game and have the ball three quarters of the game. Its very successful football, if you can do it well.
Like Ubly, Hudson features a fine backfield. Milligan (5-foot-6-inches, 145 pounds) leads the way with 1,248 yards and 19 touchdowns while Chris Robbins (5-11, 190) has racked up 1,089 yards and 18 scores, including two against Mendon.
They have three capable backs, they have a capable quarterback, and any one of their guys can have a big night at any given time, Sweeney said. Theyre going to try and find the weakness in the defense and exploit it.
With that offense, you cant really rely on anybody, you just have to read your keys and control your gaps.
Hudson also features a massive offensive tackle, Big John Libby, who is listed at 6-7, 335.
Ubly counters with a pair of 1,000 yard rushers of its own with Justin Cleary (1,586 yards, 17 touchdowns) and Bryan Nash (1,069 yards, 18 scores). Jordan Terrasi also has 828 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a 188-yard effort last week.
In the playoffs, Cleary has stepped up with 474 yards in three games and seven TDs. He is averaging 8.77 yards per carry during the postseason.
He just runs hard, Sweeney said. Hes played that position for two years, he understands where the holes are going to be. Hes tough to bring down. But hes not overly fast, hes not overly big, hes not overly strong, but what he does have is an overly big heart.
Hes smart, hes a gamer. The bigger the stakes, the harder he runs.
Sweeney doesnt expect either team to change much from what brought them to this point.
You get this far... I hear one-dimensional this and that, he said. Youre 12-0 for a reason. You do things well. What kind of message would you be sending the kids to go away from that?
Ubly does have a fine quarterback in Adam Glaza, though.
Adam does a nice job, and we have guys that can catch the ball, he said. Its just a matter of execution. When we throw it, sometimes we dont execute that well.
Usually, our throws are big plays. We use it when people are sleeping.
The winner of the this game will face the winner of Saturdays other semifinal Traverse City St. Francis (12-0) vs Ravenna (10-20) at 10 a.m. next Saturday for the Division 7 championship game at Ford Field.
Although Ubly would love another shot at the state title, Sweeney insisits his players are not looking ahead.
Its never been a problem with these guys, he said. They realize Hudson is a great team.
Hudsons our opponent this week. Whatever happens, happens.

NOTES: If Ubly is able to score 44 points, it will become the first team in Michigan High School Athletic Association history to score 600 points in two different seasons. The Bearcats set a Thumb record with their 625 points in 2008... At 486 points, Hudson has scored the second most points in school history. The record is 506 in 2001.

UBLY - HOW THEY GOY 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
WEEK 10: Ubly 52, R. Hills LN 0*
WEEK 11: Ubly 52, Genesee 6*
WEEK 12: Ubly 42, P-Summerfield 20*
12-0; PF: 556 (46.3); PA 178 (14.7)
RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 7-0

----------------------------------------------------------------
HUDSON - HOW THEY GOT HERE
WEEK 1: Hudson 40, Hillsdale 26
WEEK 2: Hudson 40, Morenci 0
WEEK 3: Hudson 30, Onsted 26*
WEEK 4: Hudson 35, Blissfield 30*
WEEK 5: Hudson 39, Dundee 18
WEEK 6: Hudson 52, Erie Mason 6
WEEK 7: Hudson 44, Ida 0
WEEK 8: Hudson 28, Stockbridge 25*
WEEK 9: Hudson 40, Addison 0*
WEEK 10: Hudson 56, Concord 12*
WEEK 11: Hudson 40, Reading 0*
WEEK 12: Hudson 42, Mendon 41 OT*
12-0; PF: 486 (40.5); PA 184 (15.3)
*RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 8-0

Clancy won't let ankle injury keep her down...

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:40:39 -0600

BIG RAPIDS When Andrea Clancy heard the eerie 'pop' near her ankle, she knew right away disaster was looming.
Clancy, a 2006 North Huron graduate entering her senior year with the Ferris State University women's basketball team, was going for a steal just a few minutes into the Bulldogs' first exhibition game earlier this month.
It was a defensive move she's made thousands of times before.
This time....
"I was in help-side in the paint, and then I saw the perimeter player with the ball passing it, and I was going for the steal," Clancy said. "I was in the air catching the ball, but then two or three other girls collided with me and it felt like they took my legs out from under me."
Moments later, Clancy knew the grim diagnosis.

Andrea Clancy

"From what they could see from the film, they think I landed on my tippy toes and then my ankle gave out and broke," she said. "It was a very awkward fall. I thought I heard the velcro on my ankle braces, but it was probably the bone. As soon as it happened, I knew it was broke."
Just like that, a promising senior year with the Bulldogs taken away in a matter of seconds.
"Ive never been seriously hurt, broken a bone, or sat out of anything the three years Ive been at Ferris and even high school," Clancy said. "When I finally got the X-rays back and knew I had broken my fibula, it really hit me because our trainer was with me at the hospital and said I probably wouldnt be able to play this season.
"I met with our team doctor the next day and she said they same thing. So after that, I was very upset and disappointed. I was very ready and excited for this upcoming season. I worked hard throughout the summer and preseason and it was just taken away like that."
Like Clancy, Ferris State coach Tracey Dorow was saddened by the season-ending injury.
"She was going to be a dominant starter this season and had really blossomed into a force in the paint," Dorow said. "She was owning her space and finishing very well around the basket, as well as knocking down the mid-range jump shot.
"She started to play more consistently about two-thirds of the way into last season and had a strong finish. The team voted her a co-captain last spring. This summer, she just gained so much confidence and was playing like an (all-league) candidate."
Clancy, a 6-foot-2 forward/center, averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds last season for the Bulldogs, who finished 13-15 overall in 2008-09. She shot 49 percent (67-for-138) from the floor and 84 percent (16-of-19) from the foul line.
Clancy had her ups and downs adjusting to college basketball, even after an all-state career at North Huron.
"The past three years at Ferris have been great it has been a wonderful experience," she said. "My freshman year was hard making the transition from Class D to Division 2 college basketball, but it has gotten easier as each year passes.
"Ive learned so much about the game and things I use in everyday life, like hard work, commitment, sacrifice and dedication."
Her coach definitely agrees.
"Of all the things to say about (Andrea), I believe the one thing that everyone should know about her is how hard she has worked and how persistent she has been in becoming the player that she is today," Dorow said. "So many days she could have just quit or settled, especially with an All-American post playing the majority of the minutes and throwing her around in practice, as well as three other upperclassmen that she lost out on a lot of playing time to... She could've just said it wasn't worth it to put so much on the line and get nothing for it. Instead, she battled every single day, kept her head up, and just kept getting better.
"That All-American (Rachel Folcik) is now helping coach here and said that she was having a hard time guarding her in practice and she couldn't believe how far she had come."
Clancy's on-court play will be missed, though she's planning on being there for her team, starting tonight in the season-opener against Gannon University.
"Im still their captain and leader, and they need my support and encouragement," she said. "We have a very young team that still needs to learn a lot, but we are getting there."
Dorow wouldn't have it any other way.
"Not only is (Andrea) a really good basketball player, but she is a nurturing leader," she said. "She is always willing to step in and help any way she can, including carrying equipment or picking up trash in the locker room. She is very sensitive to what her peers need and does an outstanding job serving them, rather than dictating to them what should be done."
Clancy had surgery on her ankle two weeks ago, and will start physical therapy after the first of the year.
"They put a plate and six screws in my ankle," Clancy said. "The doctor said I will be on crutches for six weeks, putting no weight on it, then four weeks in a walking boot. After that, Im sure I will be doing physical therapy for a while."
In the meantime, Ferris State has learned the NCAA has granted Clancy, who is majoring in public relations, a medical redshirt, meaning she'll come back for a fifth year and be able to play during the 2010-11 season.
"Its all working out because I will be at Ferris for a fifth year of school anyways," she said.
"My teammates and coaches have made this an experience Ill never forget. We are like a family. We spend a lot of time with each other and manage to still love each other. We get along great and have great chemistry.
Dorow is looking forward to seeing Clancy on the floor in 2010-11.
"Hopefully, she'll return to action next year ready to dominate," she said.
"To put it simply, if you looked up 'classy' in the dictionary, you would find a picture of Andrea Clancy. And we are so thankful she's wearing a Bulldog uniform."
Clancy is the daughter of Doug and Lori Clancy of Port Austin.

Coach Herp has passed away

nospam@example.com (Paul Adams) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:40:44 -0600

Ubly coaching legend Gerry Herp has passed away today. Here is a message from the family posted on www.coachherp.com.

Title: The HERP FAMILY

Name: THE HERP FAMILY

Message: WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE AND WILL
RESPOND TO THIS WEB SITE. MY DAD, COACH HERP, LOVED THE MESSAGES AND
LOOKED FORWARD TO HEARING THEM RIGHT UP UNTIL THE LAST FEW HOURS. HE
PASSED AWAY ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, AT 11:22 A.M. MORE DETAILS WILL
FOLLOW AS WE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH ZINGER SMIGIELSKI FUNERAL HOME IN
UBLY, MICHIGAN.

The Tribune will have much more on this loss in the coming days. For now, let our thoughts and prayers be with the family, friends and Ubly community during this time.

The End For Deckerville

nospam@example.com (Paul Adams) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:15:37 -0600

Auburn Hills-Oakland Christian ended Deckerville's magical season in the Class D quarterfinals at Fenton High School on Tuesday night. The Lancers swept the Eagles (25-14, 25-22, 26-24). Deckerville ends the season 33-9-3, but went unbeaten through the Greater Thumb East, won its third straight district and first-ever regional. The Tribune will have more on this match in Wednesday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

Semifinal Pre-Sale Tickets

nospam@example.com (Paul Adams) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:38:25 -0600

Ubly will be selling tickets for Saturday's Division 7 semifinal contest with Hudson at Ortonville-Brandon High School beginning on Wednesday and continuing through Friday at the high school office. The Tribune Blog will have more information on this game as we get it.

Bearcats roll back to semifinals

nospam@example.com (Paul Adams) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:42:04 -0600

For the second straight year, and the third time in four seasons, Ubly will be one step from playing for a Division 7 state championship. The Bearcats defeated a tough Petersburg-Summerfield squad, 42-20 to capture the regional title on Saturday night.

Ubly built a 36-6 lead in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs battled back to make it 36-20 with 3:49 to play in the game. Jordan Terrasi capped off his big game with a 27-yard scoring run with 2:38 to ice the game. Terrasi went for 188 yards on just 10 carries.

Overall, the Bearcats racked up 472 yards rushing. Justin Cleary continued his impressive postseason with 167 yards on 20 carries, including scoring runs of 3 and 9 yards. In three playoff games, Cleary has run for 474 yards on 54 carries and seven touchdowns.

Bryan Nash added 64 yards rushing and scores of 2 and 22-yards while Adam Glaza gained 36 yards and scampered for a 3-yard score.

Petersburg-Summerfield was held to just 34 yards rushing on 27 carries, but quarterback Mike Hewitt had a huge night, tossing for 258 yards and three touchdowns. All three scores went to Eric Cogan on plays of 20, 45 and 60 yards.

Ubly advances to play Hudson at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Ortonville-Brandon. The Tribune will have much more on this game in Monday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

Regional Weekend...

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:59:22 -0600

Regional championships are on the line this weekend for high school football.
Talk about those games, including Saturday's Petersburg-Summerfield at Ubly contest, on this thread.
Paul Adams will be covering that game for the Tribune...

All-GTE football team

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:58:28 -0600

ALL-GREATER THUMB EAST
Football Team
First Team
Offense
Quarterback
Adam Glaza, Ubly
Running Backs
Clint Northrop, Sandusky
Rex Thayer, Deckerville
Justin Cleary, Ubly
Center
Brandon Lemke, Ubly
Ends
Josh Moffitt, Brown City
Steven Weber, Ubly
Tackles
Dalton OConnor, Ubly
Keith Whitaker, Mayville
Keith Perry, Sandusky
Nick Willing, Sandusky
Guards
Matt Orchard, Sandusky
Steven Gilbert, Ubly
John Walker, Ubly
Kicker
Brent Speer, Marlette

Second Team
Offense
Quarterbacks
Jordan Katt, Sandusky
Cody Hoff, Deckerville
Running Backs
Andrew Fetting, Sandusky
Cory Soucie, Brown City
Shane Ginther, Harbor Beach
Center
Patrick Dischinger, Marlette
Ends
William Henderson, Mayville
Josh Fritch, Deckerville
Tackles
Josh White, Ubly
Justin Rienthaler Brown City
Guards
Nick Taylor, Deckerville
Tom Combest, Harbor Beach

Honorable Mention
Running Backs
Stewart Peterson, Brown City
Dee Sanchez, Marlette
Bryan Nash, Ubly
Cody Ross, Deckerville
Kyle Perkins, Mayville
End
Eric Booms, Ubly
Guards
Michael Wells, Marlette
Clayton Wehner, Harbor Beach

ALL-GREATER THUMB EAST
Football Team
First Team
Defense
Linemen
Keith Whitaker, Mayville
Keith Perry, Sandusky
Steven Weber, Ubly
John Walker, Ubly
Linebackers
Brandon King, Marlette
Eric Booms, Ubly
Dalton OConnor, Ubly
Backs
Shane Ginther, Harbor Beach
Justin Cleary, Ubly
Kevin Kalbfleisch, Brown City
Punter
Brent Speer, Marlette
Specialist
Cody Leander, Sandusky

Second Team
Defense
Linemen
Josh Moffitt, Brown City
Danny Rybarczyk, Sandusky
Bryant Messing, Ubly
Linebackers
Nathan Primeau, Brown City
Cody Anderson, Brown City
Paul Chappus, Sandusky
Keith Kramer, Ubly
Backs
Andrew Fetting, Sandusky
Rex Thayer, Deckerville
Cory Soucie, Brown City
Punter
Shane Ginther, Harbor Beach
Specialist
Donnie Thomas, Marlette

Honorable Mention
Linebackers
Joey Volz, Marlette
Tyler Foster, Brown City
Backs
Bryan Nash, Ubly
Adam Glaza, Ubly
Josh Fritch, Deckerville
Trenton Wood, Brown City
Justin Mills, Sandusky
Specialist
Scott Gobie, Deckerville

Deckerville wins first ever regional

nospam@example.com (Paul Adams) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:35:59 -0600

History was going to be made regardless of who won the Class D regional volleyball championship at North Huron on Thursday. Both Caseville and Deckerville were playing for the first regional title in school history. In the end, Deckerville held off a scrappy Caseville squad for a three-game sweep (25-10, 25-19, 25-19). Deckerville advances to Tuesday's quarterfinal at Fenton. The Tribune will have much more on this match in Friday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

All-GTW football team

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:21:19 -0600

ALL-GREATER THUMB WEST
Football Team
First Team
Offense
Quarterbacks
Luke Voelker, EPBP
Drew Janer, BCAS
Running Backs
Keif Vickers, Vassar
Chris Rowe, EPBP
Cody Somerville, Reese
Center
Joe Harper, Vassar
Ends
Justin Heinlein, Reese
Troy Hecht, Vassar
Tackles
Randy Spiekerman, Reese
Alex Jobes, EPBP
Guards
Kevin Kinasz, Reese
Rueben Renn, EPBP
Kicker
Chris Bauer, Reese

Second Team
Offense
Quarterback
Josh Pickell, Reese
Running Backs
Travis VanAlst, Reese
Tyler Masse, USA
Austin Osentoski, Cass City
Centers
Anthony Jobes, EPBP
Nate Sobczak, BCAS
Ends
Josh Goins, EPBP
Tim Canfield, USA
Cameron Dunnuck, Cass City
Tackles
Dan Deering, Cass City
Zach Roth, Bad Axe
Guards
Derek Kundinger, USA
Eric Reif, Cass City
Kyle Smukala, Bad Axe
Matt LaBrenz, BCAS
Kicker
Jalen Ferris, Cass City

Honorable Mention
Running Backs
Dillon Newell, Bad Axe
Kevin Swiercz, BCAS
Madison Harper, Vassar
Center
Drake Sarka, Bad Axe
End
Caleb Gnatkowski, Reese
Tackle
Nick Shantz, Cass City
Guard
John Eile, EPBP

ALL-GREATER THUMB WEST
Football Team
First Team
Defense
Linemen
Andrew Mendyk, Reese
Keith Harris, USA
Joe Harper, Vassar
Alex Jobes, EPBP
Linebackers
Josh Jensen, Cass City
Dillon Newell, Bad Axe
Michael Weiss, Vassar
Chris Rowe, EPBP
Backs
Alex Varney, Cass City
Troy Hecht, Vassar
Luke Voelker, EPBP
Punter
Troy Hecht, Vassar

Second Team
Defense
Linemen
Travis VanAlst, Reese
Zach Roth, Bad Axe
Jeremy Schiefer, Vassar
Jay Richmond, EPBP
Jacob Lesniak, BCAS
Linebackers
Tyler Masse, USA
Derek Kundinger, USA
Mike Wolschlager, EPBP
Kevin Kinasz, Reese
Matt Dietrich, Reese
Backs
Drew Janer, BCAS
Trevor Gruber, Reese
Cody Somerville, Reese
Punter
Drew Janer, BCAS
Tyler Masse, USA

Honorable Mention
Linemen
Joe Ruiz, USA
Jim Kosinski, EPBP
Brad Sinicki, BCAS
Dakota Gangler, USA
Linebackers
Tyler Best, Vassar
Jimmy Jasman, BCAS
Backs
Derek Susalla, Bad Axe
Cody Reif, Reese
Jon Slack, USA

Bearcats prep for Petersburg-Summerfield

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:45:16 -0600

UBLY Two teams, one goal, two entirely different paths to get to this point.
For the third time in four seasons, Ubly (11-0) finds itself playing for a Division 7 regional championship as it hosts Petersburg-Summerfield (10-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Bearcats picked up where they left off last year with large margins of victories. The closest a team has finished to Ubly this season has been 20 points.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have been tested all season. They have played in five games decided by a touchdown or less, winning four of them, including last weeks 28-22 comeback win over Detroit Loyola.
Theyre the type of team that if theyre in a tight ball game, they have the upper hand because theyve won a lot of (close) games and they dont quit, said Ubly coach Bill Sweeney.
One of the things that makes us nervous is that we havent had a lot of close games. A lot of that has had to do with how the kids have played.
It does concern me a little bit that we havent been in a tight ball game. Not from a physical standpoint, but a mental standpoint. What happens if its close in the third or fourth quarter and things arent going our way? How are we going to respond?
The Bearcats will not only have to contend with not having been truly tested this season, but they will have to deal with a community as crazy for football as Ubly.
Petersburg-Summerfield was just 1-8 two seasons ago, but has transformed into a team that has make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in school history.
It has been a tremendous season, said Petersburg-Summerfield coach Erik Johnson. Im extremely proud of our team and the coaching staff. It has been a great two years here at Summerfield, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in school history last year and now bringing home a district championship to the town of Petersburg.
Our players have put in all the hard work and time that I have asked of them and this season shows what hard work can accomplish.
In last weeks game, Genesee filled the visitors side of the stands at Ubly.
Sweeney expects the same on Saturday.
They are coming up here and they are excited, he said. That town has never been through this. They have that whole town on their backs and this is a magical season for them.
Theyre going to come up here excited with nothing to lose and just try to keep it going. I think the pressure is a little more on us to get back to the semis, and not so much on them.
Having the fans in the stands will help Petersburg-Summerfield, but Johnson still knows his team has its work cut out for it.
The Bulldogs will have to find a way to slow down a team that hasnt scored less than 38 points all season en route to 514 points.
Ublys offense, quite frankly, has been unstoppable all season, Johnson said. Scoring over 40 points in all games except one, and scoring over 50 five times, is very impressive.
Obviously, we must try to contain their offense. We must take care of the football and not commit costly mental errors.
Against Genesee, the Bearcats racked up 333 rushing yards, led by Justin Cleary, who is having a postseason to remember. Cleary had 151 yards and four touchdowns. In two playoff games, he has rushed for 307 yards and five scores.
For the season, Cleary is at 1,419 yards and 15 touchdowns while teammate Bryan Nash is at 1,005 yards and a team-leading 16 scores. Jordan Terrasi also has 14 TDs.
Its an offensive line offense thats what it is, Sweeney said. Its an offense geared to not having one stellar athlete.
This offense is geared toward trying to get kids to block and be tough. The only time that our offense struggles is if it gets overpowered. If it gets overpowered, were going to have to go into the bag of tricks some place.
This offense is geared to having 11 guys involved, not one or two.
The Bulldogs will throw a number of different looks at the Bearcats in an attempt to slow down the offense.
It took me a long time to figure out what they were doing defensively, Sweeney said. They could confuse us. Theyre not bigger than us. They do things defensively that we havent see all year. Theyre very good at what they do.
Petersburg-Summerfield features some nice offensive weapons of its own.
Chase Blake has been the workhorse this season, gaining 1,184 yards on 197 carries while Mike Hewitt has put up huge numbers at quarterback. Hewitt has tossed for 1,630 yards and 20 touchdowns.
His favorite target is Eric Cogan, who has made 53 grabs for 1,011 yards and 16 total touchdowns.
Our (pregame) packet for defense has to have 25 pages in it, Sweeney said. They run so many sets and formations. Theyre athletic and theyre well coached.
They make you cover a lot of ground. They run some I, some spread, and they spread the ball around.
The edge for experience is with Ubly, which is making its Thumb-best ninth straight playoff appearance.
Johnson doesnt expect the lack of playoff experience to be a factor, though.
I know that we have been a loose group all year, so I dont think that pressure on us should be a factor, he said. To be quite honest, we havent been in this situation enough for it to effect us either way.
The distance between Ubly and Petersburg-Summerfield is around 175 miles, which is part of the reason for the 7 p.m. start.
By playing on Saturday night, it will allow the Bulldogs players, coaches and fans to not have to pack up early for the lengthy road trip.
Well be coming up the day of, Johnson said. We are leaving Petersburg around 1 p.m. The community has chipped in and rented our team a charter bus, so the ride should be much more comfortable than a regular school bus.
The winner of this game will play the winner of Fridays Mendon (11-0) at Hudson (11-0) contest next Saturday at a neutral location to be determined.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
UBLY
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
WEEK 10: Ubly 52, R. Hills LN 0*
WEEK 11: Ubly 52, Genesee 6*

11-0; PF: 514 (46.7); PA 158 (14.3)
RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 6-0

PETERSBURG-SUMMERFIELD
WEEK 1: P-S 66, Romulus Summit 0
WEEK 2: P-S 20, Allen Park Cabrini 7
WEEK 3: P-S 14, Whitmore Lake 13
WEEK 4: P-S 32, Adrian Madison 12
WEEK 5: P-S 40, Sand Creek 35
WEEK 6: P-S 18, Morenci 8
WEEK 7: P-S 18, Ottawa L. Whiteford 13*
WEEK 8: P-S 47, Britton-Macon 6
WEEK 9: Clinton 13, P-S 6*
WEEK 10: P-S 28, Warren M. Coll. 8*
WEEK 11: P-S 28, Detroit Loyola 22*

10-1; PF: 317 (28.8); PA 138 (12.5)
*RECORD VS. PLAYOFF TEAMS: 4-1

Nouvel ousts Bearcats

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:17:41 -0600

MONTROSE What Ubly's volleyball team lacked in size this season was made up for with heart and gritty play.
Unfortunately for the Bearcats, they needed all three and maybe even a little more here Tuesday night in this Class C regional semifinal showdown with nemesis Saginaw Nouvel.
After a sluggish start, the Panthers used their size at the net to control play, eventually coming away with a 22-25, 25-19, 25-11, 25-21 victory over the Bearcats.
Nouvel (21-28-7) advances to Thursday's regional title match against another Greater Thumb East team, Marlette, which knocked off Saginaw Valley Lutheran in an exciting five-game slugfest in the opening semifinal.
"Our ball control was a little bit off tonight, and I think we got outplayed at the net," said Ubly coach Andy Gusa. "After the first game, their hitters got going. And we just weren't able to block them."
Nouvel's front line of Chelsea Hughes, Jessi Franz and Taylor Boyd didn't do much in the opening game, but came out firing the rest of the night, putting the Bearcats on the defensive.
"I think in Game 1 we were a little hesitant and we played back a little bit," said Nouvel coach Jen Comer. "In Game 2, we came out swinging when we got the lead and we capitalized on it. I think that was definitely the difference."
As quickly as the Bearcats took control in the opening game, they lost it in Games 2 and 3. Ubly actually led 9-5 in Game 2, but the Panthers came back to tie it at 11 and 17, eventually rattling off eight of the game's final 10 points.
From there, the Hughes-Franz-Boyd trio took over.
"We weren't tall this year, so we were challenged at the net because of that," Gusa said. "And that kind of hurt us tonight."
Franz led the Panthers with 10 kills while Boyd added nine kills. Both players are juniors who have come on late in the season, including in the playoffs.
"We've had our juniors play pretty well all year, but in the postseason they have really stepped up their game," Comer said. "Taylor has been on her game and has played very well.
"We sort of base a lot of our offense around (Hughes), but if she's having an off night we have some others who are playing really well right now."
Nouvel took control early in Game 3, sprinting out to leads of 9-5, 13-7 and 23-9. An Ubly hitting error, combined with an ace from Boyd, gave the Panthers the victory and a 2-1 edge.
The Bearcats rallied a bit in Game 4. After falling behind 8-14, they managed to take a 19-18 edge. But Franz and Hughes came up big at the net over the final few points. Franz had four kills over her team's last seven points, including a big spike on match point.
It's the third time in the last five seasons Nouvel has put an end to Ubly's year.
"We gave everything we had, but it just wasn't enough tonight," Gusa said.
For the Bearcats, Jen White had 35 assists and was 19-of-19 serving while Sam Sweeney added 32 digs and was 15-of-15 serving, Stephanie Baslock 10 digs and 8-of-8 serving, Nicole Franzel 26 digs and 9-of-9 serving, Chelsey Pionk nine kills, Nicole Kubacki nine kills and 13 digs, Caitlyn Holdwick 14 kills and Jessica Gracey eight kills.
The Bearcats finish 19-20-4 overall.
"The girls worked hard all season," Gusa said. "You can't teach heart, and all the girls had a lot of heart out there. I'm proud of the way they played all season. Winning or losing, they played hard all the time."

Here are some photos from the match...

Eagles will collide for regional championship

nospam@example.com (Paul Adams) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:01:58 -0600

It will be a history making event at 7 p.m. on Thursday when Caseville takes on Deckerville for the Class D regional championship. Both teams advanced after sweeps on Tuesday, ensuring one team will earn its first ever regional trophy. Caseville defeated Burton Faith (25-19, 25-19, 25-20) while Deckerville knocked out Bay City All Saints (25-15, 25- 23, 25-15). The Tribune will have much more on these matches in Wednesday's paper. Until then, here are some photos.

And the winners are...

nospam@example.com (Mike Bogan) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:02:25 -0600

OK,
We have the Week 10 winner of the Blog Contest.
OldTymer 75 squeezed out a couple of entrants by 2 points to win Week 10.
OldTymer 75 had a couple of nice picks, including Kent State over Western Michigan and Minnesota over Michigan State.
Please email me at mbogan@hearstnp.com with your address and we will get the prize out to you.

The Week 11 winner is Kellen Bickel.
Kellen edged out a couple of entrants for the win.
He had some fine picks, including Ohio State over Penn State, Nebraska over Oklahoma and the Cowboys over the Eagles.
Please email me at mbogan@hearstnp.com with your address and we will get the prize out to you.

ONCE AGAIN, THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PLAYED... AND THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE FOR THESE PAST 2 WEEKS AND THE ENTIRE CONTEST.
WE HOPE TO HAVE IT AGAIN COME NEXT FALL.

Honoring Coach Herp

nospam@example.com (Paul Adams) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:03:27 -0600

I received this from Betsy Herp the daughter of former Ubly football coach Gerry Herp. Please take a few seconds and check it out.

Coach Bill Sweeney has the opportunity to knock off one of my dad's records. They are still talking quite frequently and my dad told him to "Go for it!" He'd like nothing better than to see Ubly at the Finals again.

I will have a website up honoring my dad and asking input from past players, friends and coaches. If you could pass the word I would really appreciate it. My dad is putting up a good fight and I know any stories and well wishes people could send his way would really brighten up his days. The website will be www.coachherp.com