Division 3 Final: Eaglets Fly Again
November 29, 2011
Five times since its most recent MHSAA football championship, Orchard Lake St. Mary returned to the championship game – and lost.
Saturday night there was no stopping the Eaglets – or their running attack – at the Division 3 Final at Ford Field.
St. Mary rushed for 478 yards – and after near-misses the last two seasons won its first championship since 2000 with a 45-7 win over top-ranked Mount Pleasant.
"I knew what it felt like to lose, so it gave me the fire and other teammates the fire to win,” St. Mary senior running back Spencer McInnis said. “It’s unexplainable. It’s awesome. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. I always knew I was going to go to St. Mary’s. It’s just a great feeling.”
The Eaglets (12-2) had fallen by eight and three to East Grand Rapids in the last two Finals, and in a five-overtime classic in 2007. They entered the playoffs ranked No. 4 by The Associated Press – but as champions of the Detroit Catholic League Central, which sent three teams to Ford Field this fall.
“It was great to win again,” said St. Mary coach George Porritt, who finished his 23rd season leading the program. “It’s a collective effort from these kids, and it’s been all year long.”
McInnis ran for 213 of the team’s 478 rushing yards, and took three of his 23 carries into the end zone. Junior brother Parker McInnis ran for 96 yards and a score, as did junior fullback Grant Niemiec. Senior James Ross added another running touchdown.
“We were in position to make some tackles, and it wasn’t a scheme thing or guys getting blocked. It’s just that their athletes made our guys miss, or we couldn’t tackle them,” Mount Pleasant coach Jason McIntyre said. “I’ve never seen backs that we couldn’t tackle one on one or two on one. A lot of teams will have one great back, and you can focus and rally there. But they had three and four.”
The Oilers’ usually-strong running game finished with just 122 yards, led by senior quarterback Ryan Elliott’s 40. He also had Mount Pleasant’s lone score. It was the team’s first Finals appearance – and only loss this fall as it finished 13-1.
Junior defensive back Cory Williams led the Oilers with nine tackles. Senior lineman Dylan Zerki led the Eaglets with 11, and Ross had 10.
Highlight Reel: Division 3 Semifinals
November 26, 2014
The Muskegon football team defeated Zeeland West 20-0 in a Division 3 Semifinal on Saturday, while Orchard Lake St. Mary's downed New Boston 51-3. Click the headings below for highlights:
DUX GET TRICKY - On its first possession, Zeeland West successfully executed a fake punt on fourth down, with Darius Perisee taking a Casey Brinks pass for a first down.
EVANS JET SWEEP - Muskegon's first touchdown against Zeeland West was set up on this nice jet sweep by Alquan Evans.
HURONS' HARTWICK STARTS OUT BIG - On the game's very first play, New Boston Huron QB Matthew Hartwick breaks off a 56-yard run to set up a field goal.
MYRICK SCORES - On the final play of the third quarter, Justin Myrick scores for Orchard Lake St. Mary's form 19 yards out. Myrick and two other juniors - Brandon Adams and Pierce Bauer - combined for 226 yards and four scores.
Click to watch the Muskegon/Zeeland West game in its entirety and buy DVDs by clicking here by Clicking Here and the New Boston Huron/Orchard Lake St. Mary's by Clicking Here.