Defense shines as Cardinal football team blanks Pellston, 25-0

The Onaway High School football team improved to 2-4 (1-2 Ski Valley Conference South) last Friday when it blanked visiting Pellston, 25-0. The shutout was the third straight for the Hornets, who fell to 1-4 with the loss.

The Cardinal defense dominated throughout, holding Pellston to just 67 net yards in the first half and just 60 net yards in the second half – a total of just 127 yards for the game.

Pellston never got within Onaway’s 20-yard-line on offense and only got within the Cardinal 40 on one possession.

Onaway’s offense sputtered in the first half as well, netting only 14 yards and one first down, but came alive in quarters three and four, to the tune of 169 yards and nine first downs.

The difference in the game was turnovers, as the Cardinal D forced seven fumbles, five of which it recovered – four of those in the second half. The contest was scoreless at halftime.

The Hornets fumbled the snap on the first play of the third quarter, and Joe O’Bradovich recovered for OHS at the Pellston 20. Three plays later, Carlos Bautista connected with Chris Cleaver on a 20-yard touchdown pass.

Bautista added the extra point, giving the Red Birds a 7-0 lead with 10:12 left in quarter three. Later in the stanza, Joe Sigsby recovered a Pellston fumble, giving OHS the ball at the Hornet 27.

Five plays later, Bautista barged in from one yard out. The extra point was blocked, but the Cardinal lead was 13-0 with 3:29 left in the third.

Pellston responded with its only sustained drive of the night, marching from its own 29 to the Cardinal 20, but a Frankie Ramos sack pushed the Hornets back and ultimately forced them to punt.

Onaway then marched 90 yards on seven plays, with Bautista passing to Cleaver for 28 yards, and to Sigsby for 16 more, before Jamal Porter sprinted in from 43 yards for the touchdown.

The two-point conversion failed, but the lead was 19-0 with 6:18 left in the game, and the outcome was no longer in question.

After Pellston turned the ball over on downs in Hornet territory, Bautista completed the scoring with a 32-yard TD pass to O’Bradovich. The extra point missed but, with 3:21 left, the score was 25-0.

Bautista, starting at quarterback for the first time this year, completed eight of 17 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while running the ball five times for 18 yards and one touchdown.

Porter finishe

d with seven carries for 51 yards and a score, while Cleaver caught three balls for 70 yards and a TD. O’Bradovich had two catches for 38 yards and a score, while Tommy Auger had 12 yards rushing and 18 receiving.

DJ Fenstermaker had 12 tackles, a sack, and a blocked punt. Cleaver and Ramos each had nine tackles and a sack, Auger had eight tackles, Noah Bacon had seven, and Cody Morell had five and two sacks.

“I am proud of how the guys played,” said coach Jim Cleaver afterward. “Carlos really stepped up and came through for the team. Now we’ve got to work hard and get ready for Joburg.”

Onaway travels to J-L tonight (Friday) to take on the 4-2 Cardinals, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. OHS finishes the season by hosting 2-4 Central Lake on October 18, and traveling to 4-2 Pickford on October 25.