256 Home

256 Stories

256 Scores

256 Gallery

   Final

  (10-1) Midland

  (9-2) Bay City W.

Western as mentioned earlier got off to a quick start.  QB Matt Grew, who hadn't started at QB in 2 weeks, wasn't going to miss this one and entered the contest as the signal caller with a cast on his non-throwing wrist and still recovering from damaged ligaments in his throwing arm.  The only thing he needed his arm for on the 2nd play of scrimmage was to tote the ball 83 yards for the game's first score, sending the home stands into a frenzy.  After Caleb Boileau’s point after, the Warriors were up 7-0.  Midland wasted no time in returning the favor with a drive down to the 2 yard line where SVL MVP Michael Albrecht punched it in from

Midland High received the ball in the 2nd half but it was not their offense that got things going, it was their defense.  After starting the half going 3 and out, they punted to Western.  On third and 15, Western coughed up the ball after the snap and it was recovered by the Chemics' Evan Kriz just outside of the Western 10.  Albrecht wasted no time taking the handoff immediately after the turnover, following his blockers, power right and then turned on the jets to get around the corner for the score, regaining the lead back for Midland with 8:59 to play in the quarter.  Gagnon's extra  point made it 17-14.  Western went three and out on offense, kicked the ball and the Chemics started their next drive in Warrior territory as well, at the 44.  After a couple penalties and shooting themselves in the foot, QB Andrew Maxwell tossed it to Gagnon on the left and up the sidelines for a big gain and more importantly a first down, to the Warrior 33.  A few plays later, Albrecht made what might have been the play of the game.  On 2nd and 15 from the 26, Maxwell fired the ball over the middle to Albrecht, who was laying on his back but somehow made the catch, 21 yards later, setting up first and goal from the 5.  With a 1:30 to go in the quarter, they went pitch right to Albrecht, who raced around the corner, seemed to have been taken down at the 2 but spun off of the tackler and into the endzone for the score.  For a game that featured some pretty quick scoring drives, it was surprising when it was all said and done, that this would be the last score of the game after Gagnon added his third extra point, making it 24-14. 

On Western's next drive, they managed to get it to the Chemic 41, where it was 4th and 2.  Grew hit Justyn Witzgall on a quick out to the right and was immediately stopped at the 39.  After the measurement, the official poined north, signaling turnover on downs, just inches short of the first down.  Gagnon's stop at the marker proved to be a big one.  MIdland got down to the Western 39 but were forced to punt.  After four straight incompletions, Midland High got the ball right back on downs at the Warrior 20 but failed to do anything with it as they too, turned it over on downs.  With under two minutes to go and a lot of real estate to cover, the Warriors put together one last good drive of their SVL championship season.  After getting the ball near midfield, Grew hit his RB Justin Gwizdala on a huge screen pass, getting it down to the Chemic 28.  A dead ball personal foul, however, put the ball back 15 yards, to the Chemic 43.  With less than 50 seconds to, 4th and 25, no timeouts and down 10, Grew pulled one last trick out of his pads.  With nobody open and defenders closing on him, he sprint right, then took off upfield for the tune of 30 yards and a first down, being pulled down partially by his facemask, adding another few yards to the end of the run, inside the 10.  With 22 seconds to go, Midland High intercepted the ball in the endzone but were flagged for pass interference.  With no timouts and all odds against them the Grew and the Warriors saw time run out on their season as Grew was sacked.  With no timeouts, the clocked ticked down to all zeroes.  With the game finally over, the Chemics celebrated with their fans.

It was another great game between the two teams that now make up the best rivalry in the conference.  In the past Flint Northern vs. Flint Central, Bay City Central vs. Midland High and Arthur Hill vs. Saginaw High have been the marquee games and what have made the conference as rich in history as it is today.  In the past decade, the Midland/Western rivalry has taken center state and for the 2nd time in the past 4 years has taken that stage in the playoffs.  I remember watching Andrew Maxwell play as a Freshman on the same field at Bay City Western where the Warriors were victorious and moved on to the Regional Finals in 2005.  As a Senior, it was Maxwell's turn to leave the field with the W and on their way to a 2nd straight Regional final.  The Chemics take on Davison next Saturday at 7PM at Midland Community Davison, the same matchup as last year's regional. 

As of note, while Grew played with several ailments, the Warriors were without thier Split End and Kicker Jacob Boileau but did have back, as they did late in the season, LB/RB Justin Gwizdala.  Another one of their talented skill players and the player who replaced Grew behind center over the last two weeks, Scott Osentoski, was knocked out of the game with a broken collarbone.  Midland High had their own dose of the walking wounded.  All-Conference, starting RB, Chalres Leffingwell was out with a foot injury, along with the absence of key receiver, Matt Alcott, who has been out the past month and will not return due to a torn ACL.  With injuries across the board, it says a lot about both teams, on how they continue to put key players in key positions to make plays and move forward. 

For Midland, Albrecht finished with 177 rushing/receiving yards and 3 scores.  Maxwell went for 171 through the air.  Grew led Western's offense with 202 yards on the ground and the two long scores. 

   Final

  (9-2) Carrollton

  (11-0) Nouvel CC

Carrollton, after stopping Nouvel 3 and out, powered the ball down the field behind their strong running game and a few timely passes, including a key fourth down pass from QB Zach Palmreuter to Andy Miller.  WIth 4:44 to go, 4th and 6, the Cavaliers went for 20 yards, down to the Nouvel 6 yard line.  After 4 plays, the Cavs could only reach the 1 however and settled for an 18 yard field goal from Justin Elliot.  

After stopping Carrollton on defense, Nouvel put together a drive that was a heartbreaker for the Cavs in several instances.  The first big play of the drive, was a 26 yard run by Robinson that got the ball down to the Carrollton 20.  With 3 and a half minutes remaining, 4th and 11, Nouvel game up with one of those plays that Championship teams just seem to make when the game hangs in the balance.  Henris dropped back and looked right, only to see half the Cavalier defense in hot pursuit.  With Henris in Cody Volway's grasp and Serel Bracey coming in to finish him off, Henris somehow managed to pitch the ball ahead to Robinson, who turned it upfield made a defender miss and got pushed out at the 10, just past the first down marker.  Huge credit goes to Henris and Robinson who came back to the ball and helped out his QB.  On the very next play, Jr. RB Ryan Miller took the handoff and seemed to be stopped for a 2 yard loss but broke the tackle, carried a few defenders along the way and then dove past the goaline for 6 and the 10 yard score, finishing an improbable scoring drive and seizing momentum with 3:21 to go.  Bo Themm added the point after to make it 13-3, which is where it stood at halftime. 

The 2nd half is where Carrollton's dream season came to an end.  The Cavaliers were their own worst enemy, where two interceptions by Nouvel's Michael O'Connor and Zach Garner led to two easy scores.  The first came on a Henris to Murphy Wilson 7 yard hookup and another scoring run by Miller, this time from 4 yards out, making it 28-3 in the third quarter.  Whatever doubt there might have been was turned aside on the 2nd play of the fourth quarter, where Miller took the handoff and broke off a 79 yard jaunt to paydirt, scoring the game's final points, resulting in the 35-3 outcome. 

Two years ago, an electrifying offense and a sturdy defense led Nouvel to the title, last year it was an efficient offense but a dominating defense.  This year, it's a good mixture of both, but defense ruled the evening and set up the offense perfectly on several of the scoring drives.  Not only the inteceptions but the fact that they held Carrollton's star RB, Robert Essex to less than 40 yards was huge.  Jay-Jay Perry led the Cavs with 56 yards in the first game all season where the Cavs were held under 100 yards by the tandem.  While the defense did set the tone, the offense for Nouvel, made sure the job was completed.  Henris finished with 105 yards through the air with the 1 TD pass to Wilson.  Miller reached the century mark in rushing yards to go along with his 3 scores, while Robinson had 64 yards and a score.

While Nouvel's story will continue next week at home against St. Charles, Carrollton's chapter ends for 2008.  They had a great season, a defining season, their first playoff appearance, playoff win and Tri-Valley Championship in school history.  While the season may have ended for the Cavs, they have a lot to be pround of and the season to look back on and now, a program to look forward to.

   Final

  (10-1) Montague

  (9-2) Clare

Both teams struggled to find running room and passing lanes througout the game and especially in the first half.  It wasn't until Tyler Beatty's interception in the 2nd quarter that a team found themselves inside of the other's 20 yard line.  The INT set Clare up first and goal at the three.  Two plays later, Ty Thayer powered his way through and under a pile of players into the endzone for the game's first score and only score of the half.  Kris English added the PAT to make it 7-0 Pioneers.  The interception was a tremdous play.  Montague QB Cody Kater scanned the field and saw what he thought was an open receiver in the right flats but Beatty jumped the route and batted the ball into the air and came   

As both teams slugged it out and went back and forth with punts and hard hits, Montague finally started to gain some rthym and open spaces with their running game.  As Kater along with AJ LaRue and Dustin DeHoff gashed their way towards paydirt the momentum started to shift.  Finally for the Wildcats, Kater took it himself from six yards out to tie the game.  The defenses went back to taking charge after that but they were bending just a bit more than they were in the first half. 

With a few minutes left in the game, Clare got one final crack at the winning score as they moved the ball inside of the redzone.  The Pioneers reached the 14, where they were faced with fourth down.  Clare Coach, Kelly Luplow sent in his field goal unit to try and put the game away with less than 30 seconds remaining.  The snap was good, the hold was good and the distance was there but English's kick was just wide right and the game remained tied at 7.  Montague ran out the final seconds to force overtime.

In Overtime Clare started on offense and could only get to the 5, which brought the field goal team back in.  This time, with the winds still howling and the field wet and muddy from a day's worth of action, English naied the field goal right down the center.  With Clare up 3, it was Montague's turn to go on offense.  They reached the 5 on two carries and didn't appear as if they were going to be able to plow their way towards a score, up the middle anyhow.  On third down and goal, the Wildcats took advantage of their gifted QB and rolled him out to the right.  With the ball perfectly tucked behind his back and selling the fake to the running back, Kater awaited his blockers and then followed them around right end for the game winning score, 13-10.

The Pioneers season ends but not without a Conference title and a valiant effort in the playoffs, which saw them just a few feet away from a District championship as well.  Montague moves on to face Iron Mountain, the undefeated juggernaught from the Upper Peninsula.  The game is 2PM on Saturday at Gaylord.

   Final

  (8-3) Marshall

  (10-1) Goodrich

Marshall's Jamar Wimbley scored late in the first quarter to cut the lead in half on a 2 yard run.  Then, after a Goodrich fumble from their own 11, the Redhawks cashed in again, this time a 1 yards scoring run by Wimbley with just a minute and a half gone by in the 2nd quarter.  Neither team scored again in the half.  Though it was a tie game, the momentum was clearly on the side of the Red and Black.

Goodrich's season is done but they must hold their heads high as they brought the program back to the top, a 10- season and a conference championship.  Marshall on the other hand, has to start planning for their game at Country Day next Saturday at 1PM. 

Marshall vs. Goodrich gallery images are courtesy of Kurt Schulte.