Saints take 26-6 as Hurons fall to 3-1
by Richard Lamb– Advance Editor
Costly turnovers and a few big plays were the keys to a 26-6 win for St. Ignace (4-0) over the Hurons (3-1) Friday at Gilpin Field. A slippery field and a tenacious Saint defense contributed to the Saints? cause. This Friday, the Hurons host the Inland Lakes Bulldogs (2-2). The Bulldogs started their season with losses to Forest Area (2-2) 41-27, and Gaylord St. Mary (2-2) 36-30, and then won its next two games over Johannesburg (1-3) 54-14 and Central Lake (3-1) 32-8.
Huron coach Mike Kosiara is optimistic heading into Friday?s contest. ?I?m looking for us to do what good teams do?put the loss behind us and bounce back,? he said. Inland Lakes and Rogers City have played twice before with Rogers City winning last season, 26-8, after the Bulldogs won in their playoff season of 2005 at Gilpin, 20-13.
LAST FRIDAY, IN the 51st meeting since 1952 between Rogers City and St. Ignace LaSalle, the Saints scored first, using a big play to set up a two-yard TD run with 6:13 left in the first quarter. The Hurons mounted a drive on the ensuing possession, picking up two first downs, but the drive stalled at the Saint 18 when the Saints recovered a Huron fumble. The first quarter ended with the Saints up 6-0. Rogers City threatened again midway through the second quarter getting all the way to the Saint eight-yard line before losing possession on downs. With first and goal on the Saint 10, two running plays netted two yards. On third down, Huron quarterback Chase McLennan threw an incomplete pass as the Saint defense rushed him from all sides. His fourth-down pass just missed connecting with split end T. J. Sobeck on a slant at the goal line, giving the ball back to the Saints.
Rogers City had a chance to tie the score after a short punt put the ball at the Saint 43. Seven plays later the Hurons had the ball at the Saint two with first and goal. Sparked by a 16-yard run by Kevin Fairbanks, the Hurons seemed poised to tie the score. But a fumbled exchange on the next play rolled into the end zone and the Saints had the ball back with 2:42 left in the half, dodging a bullet in the process.
SENIOR CORNERBACK Bret Karsten?s interception gave the Hurons another chance before the half ended. Now, starting on their own 30, the Hurons struck quickly. McLennan and Karsten hooked up for a 10-yard pass play, then McLennan scrambled 30 yards. Two plays later McLennan hit Karsten on a sideline route for a 26-yard score with 50 seconds left in the half. Karsten got by his defender along the left sideline, got open around the five-yard line and McLennan?s pass floated into his arms as he crossed the goal line. The Hurons had another chance late in the first half. A Saint fumble gave the Hurons another chance at the Saint 40. But Rogers City couldn?t capitalize as the first half ended with the score tied at 6-6. The missed opportunities in the first half loomed large at halftime, said Coach Kosiara.
?Instead of us being up by a couple of touchdowns at halftime, St. Ignace felt good about themselves going in with a tie,? he said.
Momentum stayed with the Saints in the second half. St. Ignace scored on its first drive to go up 12-6. Their 11-play drive covered 56 yards. AFTER A HURON punt, the Saints scored again. This time using five plays to cover 66 yards in three minutes to make the score 20-6 with 2:28 left in the third quarter. Saint Ignace tacked on a TD, set up after a 45-yard interception return. There were a few bright spots in the loss, Kosiara said. ?We moved the ball well against a very good defense. We were able to employ all of our offensive sets. The defense played
Statistics: Offense, RC 165 rushing, 111 passing, 276 total. St. Ignace 243 rushing, 16 passing, 259 total. Passing: McLennan 10-of-23, 111 yards, 1TD, 1INT. Receiving: Karsten 4/33/1; Devon Ferris 2/32/0; Sobeck 2/30/0; Dustin Hein 1/8/0; Fairbanks 1/2/0. Rushing: McLennan 22/73/0; Fairbanks 12/63/0; Chris Cornett 5/26/0; Hein 1/3/0.
Defensive leaders: Jerome Gapczynski 11 primary, 2 assisted tackles; Derek Schleben 6 primary, 2 assisted tackles, Hein 5 primary, 3 assisted tackles. Interception by: Karsten.