Win over UP foe puts Hurons in the playoffs for third time in six years

by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor

For the third time in his six years as head coach, Mike Kosiara will lead his team into the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs. Rogers City (6-2) clinched a berth with a 42-28 win over Newberry last Friday. The Hurons? opponent will be known Sunday (see separate story). Before that, Rogers City faces the task of finishing on a high note with a team fighting for a possible playoff berth. Oscoda (4-4) has a shot at the playoffs if they defeat the Hurons in Oscoda Friday. The Owls have turned around a program which suffered 28 losses in a row. Where and who was the team defeated to end that string is not lost on the Huron coach or team. Oscoda came to Gilpin Field last year and defeated Rogers City 40-12 to end the streak.

ROGERS CITY started off with a bang in the cold of Newberry last Friday, scoring on the first play. Quarterback Pat Quaine lofted a pass down the right sideline to Brandon Haneckow who turned it into a 52-yard touchdown play as game-time temperature was 30 degrees. Newberry marched 55 yards in 10 plays to tie the score 6-6 with 7:29 left in the first quarter.

Using 10 plays to cover 60 yards, the Hurons scored TD number two. Quaine connected on the second of his four TD passes on a juggling catch by tight end Ben Tulgestke, good for 15 yards and a 12-6 Huron lead with 2:52 to go in the first quarter. A 10-play Newberry drive ended with a punt to the Huron 18 and the ensuing Huron drive ended after eight plays in a punt.

Quaine and Tulgestke connected again on the next possession. Strong runs by David Lewandowski and Justin Wilbert brought first downs. Then on fourth-and-eight, a 26-yard pass from Quaine to Tulgestke brought the ball to the 12. Then the pair of seniors hooked up for a 12-yard TD pass to make it 20-6 with 5:03 left in the half. TAKING OVER at their own 38 with 53 seconds left in the half, the Hurons quickly marched to the end zone for another score. Quaine?s 21-yard pass to Haneckow set up a big play to Tulgestke.

Sprung by a great block by Sidney Marx, Tulgestke?s catch of a Quaine pass went for 33 yards down the left sideline. On the next play, Tulgestke caught a pass good for eight yards and another TD. Lewandowski added a two-point run for a 28-6 Huron lead at halftime. In the third period Newberry scored on its second possession, after a 12-play, six-minute Huron drive ended with an interception to bring the score to 28-14 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.

First-down runs by Lewandowski and Chris Vogelheim, who saw his first duty of the season at right halfback instead of at end, moved the chains to the Newberry six-yard line. Then with fourth-and-goal from the one, Lewandowski powered in from the one, Wilbert followed with a two-point conversion to give the Hurons a 36-14 lead with 1:42 left in the third.

NEWBERRY ANSWERED quickly, after a 51-yard pass set up a six-yard run making the score 36-22 with 33 seconds left in the third quarter. A three-and-out for the Hurons set up the next Newberry score. Eleven plays into the drive, the Indians faced fourth-and-12 from the 18 and the home team converted it for a scoring pass. Suddenly, the Indians had crept back into the game at 36-28 with 8:33 left.

Rogers City needed a good drive to get back momentum. ?Actually, at this point, I felt pretty good. We were running the ball well. I felt we could eat up the time,? Kosiara said. And that is exactly what happened. The Hurons used six minutes, mixing up runs and passes, to march to another score. Quaine ran for 11 yards to start the drive and his dart to Haneckow, picked up a first down at the Newberry 11.

Two plays later, Quaine took the snap

from center Alec Brietzke took a step to the middle, then slipped around the end for a five-yard TD run for the final score of the game. With 2:30 left in the game, the Hurons led 42-28. Jordan Bellmore, who suffered a leg injury early in the game, is expected back for Friday?s contest, Kosiara said. The team lost junior defensive end Devon Pommeranke with a non-football related back injury.

?It looks like he is finished for the year. I hope it doesn?t effect his wrestling season. His presence is missed,? Kosiara said. Friday?s game will be broadcast on 99.9 The Wave with Karl Grambau and Karl Momrik.

Statistics: Total offense: RC 231 rushing, 216 passing, 447 total. Newberry 202 rushing, 109 passing, 311 total. Passing: Quaine 10-of-20, 21 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int. Receiving: Tulgestke 7 receptions, 127 yards, 3 TD; Haneckow 3/89/1. Rushing: Lewandowski 22 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD, 2 XP; Wilbert 14/65/0/1; Quaine 16/52/1/0; Vogelheim 5/31/0/0; Bellmore 2/4/0/0. Defensive leaders: Vogelheim 5 primary 1 assisted tackles; Lewandowski 5/1; Talaske 5/1; Elowsky 3/3.