Week 7 is here

Week 7 has arrived.
Post any scores/highlights from games on this thread.
We will be updating scores from around the area as soon as we get them this evening.

As of 10:40 p.m.
EPBP 50, Bad Axe 12
Ubly 46, Brown City 14
Arenac Eastern 22, Peck 14
Harbor Beach 26, Sandusky 12
Reese 45, USA 14
Vassar 48, Cass City 24
Kingston 50, Saginaw BV 6
Marlette 52, Deckerville 30
Memphis 55, North Huron 28
BCAS 51, Mayville 25
CPS 91, Owen-Gage 42 – This is NOT a typo!

Tribune Blog Contest Week 7

Here are the Games for Week 7 of the Tribune Sports Blog Football Contest.
We will have updates later this week... 20 once again to the winner.

2 pointers

North Huron at Memphis

Vassar at Cass City

USA at Reese

Kingston at Saginaw BV

CPS at Owen-Gage

Ohio State at Nebraska

5 pointers

EPBP at Bad Axe

Harbor Beach at Sandusky

Brown City at Ubly

Deckerville at Marlette

Arenac Eastern at Peck

SVSU at Michigan Tech

Auburn at Arkansas

Oklahoma vs. Texas

10 pointers

Mayville at BCAS

Michigan at Northwestern

Bears at Lions

Tiebreak – Bears at Lions, total points

Alone at the Top: Pirates beat Red Raiders

HARBOR BEACH — For at least one game, Harbor Beach returned to its roots.

The Pirates have been built around ball control and the Wing-T offense for the better part of the last 25 years. 

Lately, they have utilized the popular spread offense. Friday night, though, the conditions called for a return to tradition. It worked just fine as Harbor Beach took control of the Greater Thumb East by defeating Marlette, 12-8.

Bruising running back Sloan Klaski finally got his chance to shine and he didn’t disappoint. The junior gained 139 tough yards on a season-high 27 carries. He scored both touchdowns and came through with the play of the game.

In the first half, Harbor Beach failed to score after having two shots at the end zone from the 1-yard line. Coach Troy Schelke elected to try back-to-back quarterback sneaks with Eli Kraft. He was stuffed on both attempts.

“Sloan was mad at me at halftime, I didn’t give him the ball on the goal line,” said Schelke. “He said, ‘Coach, give me the ball.’ And we did. We rode him in the second half.

“He wanted the ball and he stepped up. I couldn’t be more proud of that young man.”

Added Klaski: “That fourth-and-1 down there, they didn’t give me the ball — and I was mad.”

Marlette took advantage of the sloppy conditions for the only score of the first half. Harbor Beach fumbled a punt attempt, giving the Red Raiders a short field.

It didn’t take long for quarterback Kolby Lange to find the end zone. He rumbled in from 20 yards and converted the 2-pointer to make it 8-0 with 4:22 to play in the first quarter.

The Pirates finally put a drive together to begin the second half. Klaski capped it off with a 2-yard plunge, but the 2-pointer was no good with 9:26 to play in the third.

After getting the ball back, Harbor Beach’s ensuing drive stalled, but on a fourth-and-6, Schelke called a play he just put in day before. 

Klaski, who is the upback in the punt formation, got the ball and picked up a 25-yard gain on the fake.

“We practiced with the JV, I figured we would do a fake,” Klaski said. “We just ran it in practice, coach must have liked it. We just did what we had to do.”

Added Schelke: “That’s the first time I think I’ve actually called a fake punt. Sloan put that in yesterday in practice, so we ran it today.

“It seemed like that took a little wind out of their sails and kept our momentum going.”

A few plays later, Klaski put the game away with a dazzling 16-yard run on a fourth-and-1. Again, the 2-pointer failed, but the Pirates had their first lead of the game with 9:56 to play.

“We had a kid right there, he slipped and fell, that was the tough part,” said Marlette coach Denny Lester about the fake punt. “We had it defended, but it was just a tough break.

“That was the play of the game. It was the fake punt that killed us.”

Lester was concerned with Harbor Beach’s ability to switch offenses from the spread to the Wing-T. 

For the game, the Pirates gained 232 yards, with most coming on the ground.

“We talked about him all week, he’s a good power runner and they were able to get him going,” Lester said about Klaski. “That was a tough part because we knew it was coming. Their offensive line did a great job.”

Marlette’s offense, which came in averaging over 39 points per game, was stymied by the Harbor Beach defense and the weather.

Lange was held to just 86 yards on 17 carries and completed only one pass for nine yards. Justin Carello gained 20 yards on nine totes. 

“I think the defense and special teams stepped up tonight,” Schelke said. 

“Our defense gave us a chance all night and the offense got it going in the second half. They have been tearing everybody up, but they didn’t get the numbers they were used to getting.”

Schelke said the second-half adjustments for his offense were simple.

“The second half, we went right at them and the offensive line stepped up,” he said. “(Sloan) ran angry. When he runs that way, he’s really awesome.

“That second half was Harbor Beach football, just the way Mr. Dillon coached it.”

Marlette hosts Deckerville for a non-conference game next week. It will have to hope for help from Sandusky to beat Harbor Beach to have any shot at a share of the GTE crown.

“We can’t sit and pout feeling sorry for ourselves, we have to go back out and play,” Lester said. “Our kids will do that, they’re a tough bunch of kids.

“We’re not done playing, we’re going to come out next week and play. We’re definitely not done.”

For Harbor Beach, the win assures the team of its first playoff berth since 2007. The Pirates travel to Sandusky for the start of three straight road games to end the regular season. 

“I’m really happy for these seniors. They were 1-8 when they came up as sophomores, they’ve worked really hard,” Schelke said. 

“Now, we have to put that on the back burner and focus on Sandusky.”

A few photos...

Football Friday: Vulcans run over Patriots

SEBEWAING — The weather was miserable.

And so was the outcome here Friday night for Jason Beagle and his Unionville-Sebewaing Area Patriots.

After a shaky opening half, Vassar erased its two-point deficit and handed the Patriots their first league loss, this one a 28-8 Greater Thumb West decision.

With the loss, USA falls to 4-1 in the GTW, 4-2 overall. Vassar is now 3-1 GTW, 5-1 overall.

Reese is now the lone unbeaten in GTW play at 4-0. The Rockets host USA next Friday in the annual Sugar Bowl. 

The Vulcans scored three second-half touchdowns to rally from an 8-6 halftime deficit in a game played in a soaking rain with winds whipping up to 40 mph.

USA’s lone score came in the second quarter on a 1-yard dive from Brandon Harper. Jake Beachy hit Ryan Nitz for the 2-pointer. The score was set up by a 53-yard run from Harper, as well as a pair of fourth-down conversions.

Harper led USA with 117 yards on 19 carries.

Defensively, Mike Bednarski and Tim Zube led USA with eight tackles while John Bauer notched seven stops.

Next week’s game between the Rockets and Patriots will determine a lot toward the GTW championship. A Reese win gives it at least a piece of the title. If the Patriots win, they will gain at least a share of the crown. Vassar also has a chance at a piece of the title with a win next Friday and a Reese loss. The Vulcans would then have to beat Bad Axe the following week. Reese travels to Bay City All Saints in Week 8 to close out its portion of the GTW slate.

“The good thing is that we still control things,” Beagle said. “We can do it on the field. Reese is our biggest rival, so next week’s game has even more meaning.”

Roundup - Ubly 44, Bad Axe 0

BAD AXE — Ubly’s Jimmy Shaw scored six touchdowns in lifting the Bearcats over Bad Axe.

Shaw scored on runs of 5, 15, 32, 45, 57 and 65 yards for the Bearcats. In all, Shaw rushed 13 times for 270 yards.

 For the Hatchets, Spencer Kelly had 55 yards on 14 carries while Brett Metzger added 32 yards on 11 totes.

Reese 36, EPBP 0

PIGEON – Reese spoiled Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port’s Homecoming.

Seth Kosinski led the Lakers with 56 yards on 21 carries while Evan Gascho added 44 yards on 20 totes. Nick Post added 32 yards.

Defensively, Post had eight tackles while Jeff Diebel had five tackles and Austin Jobes four stops.

Cass City 52, BCAS 0

CASS CITY – Nick Kappen rushed for 147 yards and two scores while Brenden Ricker added 125 yards and two more touchdowns, lifting Cass City to the big win over Bay City All Saints on Homecoming.

The Red Hawks led 22-0 after one quarter and 46-0 at the half.

Josh Jensen, Ethan Nicol and Bobby Beyette all chipped in one TD for the Red Hawks.

Cass City chalked up 361 yards on 38 carries.

The Cougars were limited to 44 yards on 32 carries.

Morgan Erla led the Red Hawks with nine tackles.

Deckerville 56, Memphis 6

DECKERVILLE — Deckerville secured its second straight North Central Thumb League championship with an easy win over Memphis.

The Eagles led 20-0 after one quarter and 48-6 at the half.

Andrew Estrada rushed for just 56 yards but scored five touchdowns, including two TD receptions from quarterback Tyler Pattullo. Teammate Patrick Franzel added 194 yards on the ground, including a 65-yard TD in the opening quarter.

Chris Wolfe added the Eagles’ other score.

Deckerville rushed for 355 yards while holding Memphis to 48 on the ground.

Sandusky 36, Brown City 14

SANDUSKY — Sandusky’s Brandon Tucker scored on a kick return and punt return, sparking the Redskins to the win over Brown City.

The Redskins led 22-14 at the break, and then added two second-half scores.

“Sandusky came ready to play and made the big plays when they had to,” said Brown City coach Scott Banks. “We gave up a kick off return and punt return to Brandon Tucker, and we can’t expect to beat a good football team when that happens. 

“Give them credit, they played hard and were able to make adjustments in the second half to stop our run game. We need to regroup on Monday. It doesn’t get any easier the next two weeks with Ubly and Marlette...”

Nate Primeau had 122 yards and Cody Laroque 76 yards for the Green Devils.

A couple of photos from USA vs. Vassar