Jack Pine Tribune - October 29, 2012

SANFORD - The long, talent drenched Meridian Mustangs capped off an excellent season of dominance as they hosted three other JPC schools at their quad meet last Wednesday. Meridian struggled with an upstart Farwell team, winning 29-27, 25-17 and 25-13. Then they made quick work of a skillful Houghton Lake squad, winning 25-12 and 25-11. In the third rotation they bamboozled a rock solid Clare Pioneer brigade, 25-17 and 25-13.“We got out to a slow start against Farwell but regrouped and played consistently

for the rest of the night. Blake Garner had a big for us killing about half of everything that she swung at. We are going to need her next week to get by St. Louis,” exclaimed

Sanford’s Coach Stephen Goff. “Decker was outstanding on defense, as she always seems to be

lately. She’s turned into one of the best liberos in the state. Sadie was strong in serving,

League champs

CONTINUED ON P.11

CROSS COUNTRY AWARDS

ON PAGE 5

By Cody O’Rourke

Bobcat’s road comes to an end

C L A R E - C o a c h

Bockleman summed up the

season with class after their

tough loss to the Braves

of Tawas in the District

Championship game.

“The team bonded together

after the game as they have

all season. Great bunch of

guys who all get along and a

pleasure to coach plus true

senior leaders who will be

missed. They achieved big

goals though this season,

getting to the first District

final in over a decade, tied

or set individual scoring and

assist records, and scoring

the third most goals ever

(72) for a 14-7-2 record,”

said Coach. ‘This was the

most wins since 1999 and

The Bobcat’s Matt Muirhead and Ricky Press share a hug to end

their successful season.

MHS convincingly etched their names in the history books by tabulating an unblemished 14-0 JPC record to obtain the league crown. The Hall girls, the Cassiday girls, Garner, Carmoney, VanNortwick, Decker, Smith, Reeves and Yaroch were too good.

MUSTANGSTAMPEDE

Decker was the best defender, Sadie Hall was dominant, Stangs tally 34-8-4 record. CONTINUED ON P.2

JACK PINE TRIBUNE Monday, October 29, 2012Page 2

2nd all time for Bobcat boys soccer. The

best part is we are only losing 3 seniors,

so I expect the guys to compete next year

as well. They were already talking about it

after the game!”

The Bobcat’s played gritty against a wildly

talent rich and athletically deep Tawas

Brave battalion despite getting mercy-

rocked 8-0 in the district championship

fisticuffs.

The Bobcats played relentless and rugged

defense at the start of the melee. Garrett

Stimac broke up several Tawas war cries.

The Brave’s Kyle Costigan worked the ball

up field, took a crisp pass from Jake Carroll

to stretch the ball into Stimac’s zone. Stimac

reacted, pinched down the passing lane

while at the same time leveraging himself

in a position to crunch down on the alley to

the goal. Costigan flashed pass, but Stimac

didn’t bite and looked up horns with the red

jersey to jar the ball loose and lob the ball

over the top to Ricky Press who quickly got

the ball out of scoring position.

With the Brave’s defense able to lock up

Muirhead, and Muirhead’s speed and shifty

style of play negated by the fact that Clare’s

soccer facilities were the equivalent of a

garbage pit, with grass rugs laid across the

field to cover up trenches, the Bobcats were

able to gain very little steam or pressure.

With the additional pressure levied on the

shoulder’s of the Bobcats defense, the war

was waged on the Bobcats’s doorstep.

Tawas’s Corey Chamberlin attacked and

worked the ball through a small little pocket,

trying to shield the attack with his body,

but Kevin Roll unleashed his Prudenville

powers, reared down and anticipated

Chamberlin’s moves and quickly poked the

ball loose, gained control of the hot potato

and cut away the opposite direction to

protect himself from the Brave’s forwards

reversing direction and pinching down

on his efforts. Roll slipped the moneyball

through a pair of slashers and found

Brendon Hans blitzing over the top. Roll

and Hans again worked and unison to sully

another one of the Brave’s offensive assaults.

But at the 26:48 mark, Chamberlin

finally pocketed the moneyball past the

outstretched hands of Nathan Shavalia to

make it a 1-0.

Despite the rugged defense of the Bobcat’s,

Shavalia found himself under attack with a

wind storm of shots on goals. Shavalia made

an acrobatic stop at the 14:38 mark.

The Bobcat’s defense continued to weather

the storm. Chris Sura usurped a strong up

field rally by the Braves to stymie a scoring

opportunity.

Austin Gandolfi made a couple of big

stops, using his physical presence to hold

back the Brave’s assault.

But then at the 4:30 mark, the wheels came

off and the Braves pounded in 3 goals in

3 minutes. Tawas’s Jake Carrol slithered

through a crease, shook right and gnashed in

a goal from the outside to send in a spinner.

Then Costigan rocked a set goals 30 second’s

apart to put the Braves up 4-0 at the break.

It was down hill from there, as the Braves

rolled out and flashed in 4 more goals in

the first part of the second half to claim the

district trophy 8-0 over the Bobcats.

“ The team had to play defense continually

and we did not get pass the center line too

often. This wore us down I think and Tawas

had too many offensive options. They put

in 4 more goals in a 20 minute span to seal

the game early,” said Coach. “They do not

make many mistakes and every position

is strong on their team. Best opponent all

season but I still felt we were tactically as

good. We limited them to 11 shots on goal

vs our 3 which is great defense but they just

capitalized on the shots.”

GAME CHANGERS

Garrett Stimac unfurled and exhausted his inner ultimate warrior spirit on the tundra

against the Tawas Braves. His rugged and fierce defensive play kept the Bobcats inspired and in the game until the second half.

Roll was presented with

an onslaught of Tawas offensive barrages, but he held his ground

despite the loss.

KEVIN ROLL

Hans showed a lot of Prudenville

pride by challenging the

entire length of the game despite the

score.

BRENDEN HANS

The Bobcat’s Jimmy Garrett and Matt Muirhead were dazzling this year for the Houghton mob-squad.

Congratulations are due to Karlie Cameron from the Gail Wildfong School of Dance. Karlie recently attended an all day dance convention in Novi through Kids Artistic Revue. Students from studios all over the state attended classes from top choreographers and teachers in tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and musical theater. Karlie was chosen as one of the few out of approximately 500 dancers to receive a free solo dance scholarship at one of K.A.R’s upcoming competitions. Way to go Karlie, we are proud of you. Karlie is the daughter of Trisha Cameron and Kirt and Nicole Cameron.

Congratulations

Call Kathy Shea at

989-429-4188 for more information

CONTINUED FROM P.1

JACK PINE TRIBUNE Page 3Monday, October 29, 2012

By Cody O’Rourke

Houghton Lake’s Madisyn

Walter has been a razzle-dazzle,

bubbling and jubilant Bobcats

every since I met her roaming the

soccer tundra. Last year she was

one of the league’s elite players

and helped to will her team into

the district championship game.

But more than a Grade-A-

Baller, Walter takes the lead by

lending a comforting hand; even

one time helping out a lady who

was in the thralls of a diabetic

catastrophe, lumped over her

bike and ready to spill onto the

road. Walter helped the pour lady

off the street and into the safety

of medical personal.

From taking stats and helping

out with all sorts of Houghton

Lake athletic functions, to

volunteering at soup kitchens,

the Jack Pine Tribune asked

Walter to share some of her

positive mojo.

Jack Pine Tribune: When we

look at the problems of the world,

sometimes it feels overwhelming.

How do you see yourself fitting in

to be the influence for change?

Madisyn Walter: I get involved

with community activities and

donate my time to them because

I like to make a difference and

give back to the community. It is

the small things that all add up

together in the end to make a big

difference. By doing small simple

things people start to notice

that you don’t always have to

do something extreme to make

a difference; just taking a few

minutes out of your day to help

an elder take their groceries to

their car doesn’t only show your

appreciation to them but also

makes you feel batter in the end.

JPT: What are some of the ways

you volunteer your time?

MW: I have donated time to

the soup kitchen and winter

teen charity and it made me

realize how good I had it. You

never really realize what you

have until you put yourself into

someone else’s shoes. I also help

out with my cousin in the Walk

for Wishes program, and seeing

all those children walking for a

cause really made me take a look

at the bigger picture and think

to myself what they have to deal

with every day from immune

deficiencies to all sorts of cancer.

JPT: Gett ing involved in

charitable events, helping out

at school functions, as well as

maintaining grades and playing

sports can be a load - how do

you manage it all?

M W: I a l w ay s h av e my

mom right there on my back

reminding me of what my

schedule consists of and alarms

going off on my phone left and

right telling me what the day

is going to consist of. School

work has always came first

though! Sports are also very

important to me along with

the extra charitable activities I

participate in. I’m always on the

go and never really get a break.

I absolutely love giving back

to the community! Nothing is

better than making someone

smile.

JPT: What do you do to get

people involved?

MW: Do anything that gives

back to or helps out with the

community - even if it doesn’t

seem like a big deal to you, it

will make someone smile! Also

giving back to the community

makes you a better person

because in the end you know

that you did something good!

And lastly do something you

have never done before to put

yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Mady working with one of the residents at the nursing home.


By Eric DionCoaching is not always the

easiest, or the most fun career. Generally, when the players do well and the team wins, the players given credit for the effort given, and for working hard as a team. When the team falters, the masses look to the coach for an answer and blame him or her for the team’s inequities. Matt Rodenbo is the sophomore coach of Clare’s Varsity Girls Basketball team, and is well aware of how the system works. He also is a selfless individual who puts in a year-round effort for the short basketball season that is soon approaching. His coaching career started in 1989 in Alma High School coaching freshman boys’ basketball. He also had coaching stints in Coleman and was the Junior High Coach for Clare Girls Basketball form 2006 to 2011.Whe n aske d ab out h i s

amazing season last year, when his team went undefeated in the conference, and lost in districts to a talent-laden Pine River team, he knew

what potential his girls had going into it. “There is no question that expectations were high going into the season. I think that high expectations are a good thing. We did go undefeated in the conference but came up a bit short against a very similar Pine River Team in overtime in distr icts . It is a lways disappointing when you go out early in the tournament but I was not disappointed in how the girls competed and represented our school in that game and throughout the season. It was a game that we had opportunities to win but the shots just would not fall for us. As a coach, I feel we should measure success not just on the court but how our players are performing in the classroom and community. We have several players that are all “A” students. We also have several players that give back through community service projects”Having a team that is full of

talent from the lead scorers, all the way down to the bench

support, instilling a team mentality where players are not boasting their own stats, or complaining about playing time is a difficult task. Coach Rodenbo was very modest when discussing how he tackled that issue. “Our players are very unselfish. They have always been that way. When I coached them in junior high, I noticed in the first practice of how well they shared the ball. Amy Stark and Teresa Winter coached these girls at a young age and I believe it was installed in them at that point. Wins is what is important to these girls not who gets the credit. Leadership from our experienced players is also instrumental in making sure that everybody is on the same page. We lost some senior leadership off last year’s team but I have been very pleased with some of the returners stepping up into that role this summer. All players have a role to play on the team. Some players may think because they do not start or log many minutes that they are not important to the team. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Those players supporting their teammates during games or playing hard against them in practice is instrumental in the improvement of the team.

We also expect our players that are getting many minutes to support and cheer on our players that come off the bench when they get a chance. Our girls like to do things together as a team off the court. This is important for team unity.”Matt a l s o re legated on

his teams preparation and expectations of the Basketball program from his level down to the youth teams. “As the head coach, I am responsible for the ent i re program. Expectations are given to all our coaches at every level. There are a certain set of skills that each player are expected to attain by the end of the season depending upon the level they are competing at. These are the objectives that our coaches are trying to meet on a yearly basis. We also expect our coaches to run the same offenses, defenses, and concepts that the varsity is using. Continuity in the program is vitally important for success. We bounce ideas off one another as a staff and support one another. No coach should ever feel they have to go it alone at any time. Our coaches put in extra time for our youth camps or summer programs also, which is very important. I feel very fortunate to have the staff that I have”

Matt Rodenbo: Coaching more

than Sports




Clare’s lean mean green trail blazing machine just kept firing on all cylinders this autumn. Both Coach Adam Burhan’s harrier boys and Coach Kyle McKown’s cross country blitzing girls shredded their Jack Pine Conference schedule. Both garnered the JPC trophy as the Pioneers dominated the field. The Farwell boys gave chase and made things interesting, but Clare prevailed.

The leader for the Clare boy’s harrier squad was junior, Hunter Nivison. Hunter hunted through the woodlands for the finish line and he was always the first to break the finish tape. Nivison finished 10th out of hundreds at the elite Portage Invite. Nivison trimmed his time down into the low 16 minute marks. Nivison won all three JPC cc jamborees in convincing fashion. Former Pioneer, Farwell’s Brandon Frank continued to drastically lower his times as the season progressed, but he couldn’t come close to surpassing Nivison.

Clare’s junior long distance running juggernaut, the unrelenting endurance extradionare, Victoria Harper is a reflection and symbolic to her first name, she’s usually the victor. The Lady Pioneers demolished the JPC and they were one of the most impressive squadrons at every invitational that they attended. Lindsay Winter tallied faster

times on an occasion or two, but the majority of the races, it was Victoria Harper who harpooned the competition for the victory.Harper was triumphant at the Clare, Farwell and Gladwin JPC

jamborees, leading her Lady Pioneers to another league title. Victoria’s older brother, last year’s JPT’s harrier of the year, Jonathon Harper is now running at he school his father ran at, Oral Roberts. Expect Nivison and Harper to do well at regionals and at the MHSAA state finals. Don’t be surprised to see both Nivison and Victoria Harper running in the collegiate realm very soon.


By Eric Dion

Harrison hosted the last hurrah for

the Junior Varsity volleyball squads,

featuring Harrison, Beaverton,

Gladwin, and Roscommon. Beaverton

entered into the match boasting an

undefeated record in the Conference.

Gladwin and Roscommon both

sported winning records

entering the quad as well. The

tourney started with a flurry of

whistles and yells from all the

teams, who were pumped full

of energy. The action was non-

stop for a couple hours, as the

teams battled hard until the

bitter end in every match and fought

against their opponents and the end of

the JV season.

The first two match ups were Gladwin

and Roscommon butting heads. Despite a valiant attempt

by the G’s, with hard-hitting Dayna Fennell ripping into

the ball early off quick sets by Chelsea Day. Gladwin

was serving well early on, with role-players like Amber

Breault and Janelle Dion doing their small part in keeping

the point difference within reach. Roscommon showed

up prepared for the tournament and took over with their

raw talent and intense speed, led by the play of Katie

Burmester and Paige Patterson. Roscommon pulled away

with the two game victory with scores of 25-16 and 25-17.

Beaverton started out facing a rugged Harrison squad

that, despite some struggles this year, has looked very

good. The Hornets, anchored by the hitting ferocity of

Allison Lipovsky, and hard play by Dani Cullen and

Alexis LaChappa, came to compete. The JV Beavers were

loaded with talent, and despite their youth looked like

they were ready to step up to varsity at a moments notice.

Gabby DiGiovanni and Kylee Grieser were serving it up

hard across the net early, and it proved too much for the

Hornets in both games. Roscommon took the first match

with a convincing tally of 25-13, and the Hornets came

back in the second game with a vengeance to prove their

skill, but would fall 25-20.

Rosco would then face the unbeaten Juggernaut of

Beaverton, and the match lived up to the hype. The

first game went back and forth, and the volleys were an

impressive display of fundamentals mixed with technique.

For an average viewer, one would think that the match

was at the varsity level. Mercedes Parker-Urban lived

Scott Krell

ERIC DION

Rosco shows huge Promise

Jordan Spitler brings a level of intensity that is seen in the ranks of Beaverton’s elite. She has the height and passion for the game that will put her in the forefront of Coach Evan’s mind next year during tryouts, and proved that she is prepared for the next level with her ability to hit and block, as well as her willingness to go to the court in a hurry to make the dig if need be.

JORDAN SPITLERBEAVERTON

Spitler iS a force in Beaverton

Paige Patterson is an assist machine, and she is setting as well as any varsity player in the game right now. She shows promise for the future of the bucks organization, with her ability to make the plays necessary and communicate well with her squad. She is going to have to take a leadership role in the next few years as the setter for the powerhouse Roscommon Bucks.

PAIGE PATTERSONROSCOMMON

patterSon iS the maStermind in roSco

Players like KATIE BERMESTER and PAIGE PATTERSON are the future of the Bucks Volleyball team, and the future looks bright. It is evident the Roscommon coaches are working toward one central goal; dominance of the Jack Pine Conference. The JV bucks went undefeated in Harrison, and look like they are Varsity.

JANELLE DION SHOWS PROMISE FOR THE G’S

JANELLE SHOIWS

THAT SHE CAN SERVE

WITH THE BEST, AND PILED IN A

FEW ACES IN GLADWIN’S MATCHUPS

AGAINST BEAVERTON

AND HARRISON.

PLAYERS LIKE HER ARE

GOING TO BE NEEDED

IN COACH SHEARER’S FUTURE TO CONTEND WITH THE

TALENT IN THE

CONFERENCE

Roscommon came, saw, and conquered. They went undefeated against the G’s, Hornets and Beavers in the final matches of the year for the JV.

JV VOLLEYBALL MADNESS IN H-TOWN

BY ERIC DION

Amber Breault is the future of the Lady G’s volleyball squad, and leads her team well.


GAME CHANGERS

up to the family name during that match, laying out to make

some key plays, as well as utilizing her skill at the net to smash

the ball into the open areas. Roscommon had some key blocks

by players like Lauren Shores in the middle, as well as having

their back row in the right spot to make the tough digs to keep

alive during the Beaverton hitting frenzy. The Lady Bucks started

pelting the other side with hits of their own, and Katie Burmester

was leading the way in the kill department. The first match went

to extra points, as Roscommon walked away with a 27-25 win over

the Beavers. That loss seemed to take the win out of Beaverton’s

sails, and Roscommon

snatched every ounce

of momentum from the

Beavers in the second

game, winning in a

convincing 25-12 fashion,

feeding the Beaverton

Red Team their first bitter

loss of the year.

Gladwin looked to get

back to their style of

play against Harrison,

and came out swinging.

Sierra Jankowski had

to shrug off some early

mistakes to make some

key plays along with solid

performances by Amber Breault and Dayna Fennell who were

relentless with their hitting and blocking against the Hornets.

Madelyn Mclavy made some nice plays in the first match for her

team, but they would relinquish the victory with the G’s taking the

first set 25-19. The Hornets would not be shutout in their home

gym however, and began feeding the ball to Allison Lipovsky

and Alyson Robinson, who pounded the ball down the throats

of Gladwin’s Defense. Despite service aces by Janelle Dion and

Chelsea Day, the G’s would give up the second set 25-21 against a

surging Harrison squad. Gladwin would not give Harrison much

room to work in the deciding third set, and would take it with a

score of 15-7.

The final matches would feature the cross-town rivalry of Gladwin

versus Beaverton, and the chance to sweep the tourney with the

match of Roscommon against Harrison. Gladwin and Beaverton

battled it out with vigor and intensity, neither team wanting to

falter. The first match would go to Beaverton with a score of 25-20,

and they would take the second with a 25-14 romping of the G’s

to end their year as the Conference champs with only one loss to

tarnish their crown.

Roscommon may not have won the conference, but they took

the final quad in an impressive fashion, with a hard-fought 25-20

win over Harrison in the first set, followed by a 25-7 tally in the

second set to join together in one last group of jubilation, leaving

the tournament undefeated, and looking to success in the future.

Coach Jill Van Wormer was thoroughly impressed with her

squad during the tournament. “My team came out strong working

together and getting the job done against Gladwin. We hit a little

bump in the road in the first game against Beaverton, having

troubles with serve receive. With the score reaching 1 to 11 with

Beaverton in the lead. I called a

time out and refocused my team.

They came back point by point to

take the win. They came out ready

to play in the second game and

had a much easier time beating the

Beavers. They kept the same winning

attitudes during the Harrison games

and finished the night out strong.

Sophomore Katie Burmester and

freshman Paige Patterson both

stepped up tonight to help lead the

team to the wins. Katie 17 for 19

serves and had seven kills. Paige

served 33 for 34 serves and had 13

set assists.”

Coach Stephanie Johnson was also

pleased with her teams’ performance, as well as with the team’s

impressive season. “Quad Meet Mercedes Parker-Urban had

another exceptional serve reception performance for us, with

39 of 40 reception attempts. Of those 39 receptions, over half of

them were “In System” passes to allow us all offensive options. We

wished our outcome with Roscommon would have better, but their

offense was much more aggressive than ours was. Our serving

was down about 15%, so the combination of serving errors, our

lack of communication and their stronger offense decided the

game. Overall, we are very pleased with our season. We finished

season down three players. Original players, Emilee Grove, a

middle hitter and Jordan McCallister, a setter, both to injury; and

Hannah Hartner with a move to the Varsity. Kylee Grieser joined

just two weeks ago from the freshman team. All this came at a time

when we entered the toughest part of our season. All my players

did a wonderful job adjusting to new positions and rotations. We

had some great learning experiences against some big schools.

They were a great group of hard working gals and a pleasure to

work with.”

Despite the loss, Dayna

worked hard during the entire tourney, making

amazing digs and stunning

hits.

DAYNA FENNELL

Parker-Urban lives up to the

family name on the volleyball court with her

smart play and amazing hitting

ability.

MERCEDES PARKER-URBAN

Katie Burmester is one of the JV Bucks that the Jack Pine Tribune will be writing about for the next two years. She is a smart hitter,

and has a vision of the court that is not seen often in the junior varsity ranks. She fed off of the sets given to her, and did not disappoint in the kill department during the

Bucks trouncing of the JPC.

Roscommon won the battle, The JV Beavers won the war. Beaverton suffered their only loss in an otherwise perfect season against the bucks, but they walked out of Harrison proud to be the conference champs.

Allison Lipovsky has a cannon of an arm in both softball and volleyball.


CLINT KERN

Compton’s crew cruises

Kalen’s quickness reminded me of former Big 10 basketball player of the year, Kalen Lucas’ reactionary speed burst. Church dove for 23 digs, these not only saved and erased good scoring opportunities by the opposition, but they also energized her entire ballclub. Church isn’t just a defensive specialists, she rocketed five aces to propel the Rosco offensive.

KALEN CHURCH - LIBEROROSCOMMON

ChurCh puts on the Clamps defensively

Dani Balzer’s dad, Bob Balzer was a skilled athlete in his day. Bob is a business leader, a man of God, a successful, avid outdoor enthusiast and as competitive of a man as you’ll find. He instilled principals into Dani that have coupled with her natural wildly athletic frame, allowing her to flourish in every endeavor she competes in. Balzer led her G’s with 19 maddening electrifying kills on the night.

DANI BALZER|OHGLADWIN

Balzer’s intensity generates team moxie

On senior night in the hostile confines of RMS, the rowdies were a little sedated, but then seniors AMANDA RENO and MORGAN ROMANCKY spurred the Bucks. Gladwin, Beaverton and Harrison fought back, but KATIE TOZER, REAGAN MOFFIT, MICHON VANWORMER and the other Bucks put on the yoke-flex to finalize the sweep.

VANWORMER WARMS UP, PROVES TO BE X-FACTOR.

ROSCO’S MICHON

WORMER, WAS A

MENACE UP ABOVE THE

NETS ON THE FRONT-

LINES, SHE PLAYED STURDY,

RELIABLE DEFENSE AND SHE

WAS A LETHAL

WEAPON FROM THE

SERVING STRIPE,

TO HELP CATAPULT

RHS TO A PERFECT

EVENING.

Roscommon defended their home turf with style and grace. The Bucks slam-mashed

Harrison with authority, 25-2 and 25-17 to close out the evening. Prior they clobbered

Gladwin 25-14 and 25-14. After that they dismantled a solid Beaverton team 25-18 and

then in a nip and tuck tussle, they eeked by Btown, 27-25. Gladwin was the next most

efficient team at the quad meet as they defeated Harrison in a thriller: 25-19, 23-25 and

25-16. Then they avenged a loss the

week before by upending Beaverton,

25-22 and 25-16.

Gladwin’s talent laden Alison Taylor

was wildly hustling to erase Rosco

points with some lunging digs. The

Lady Buck’s power hitters, Reagan

Moffit, Morgan Romancky and Katie

Tozer dictated the tempo along the

nets with the assistance of precise sets

by Logan Hutek. Moffit and Tozer

uncorked sledgehammer smash kills

to propel Roscommon to an early 14-5

lead over the Lady G’s. J. J. Willford and

Dani Balzer kept GHS competitive.

Rachel Dupre elevated to reject a hit

and chalk up a Flying G score. Willford

continued to make her presence felt,

but Michon VanWormer crushed a kill-shot and the Bucks cruised to the 25-14 victory

in the opener.

In set two Gladwin’s Mallory Cote made a great pass to her sister Carley Cote who

finished the play with a nice placement kill-shot to narrow Rosco’s lead to 3-2. A series

of errors by both squads made it a 6-5 game in favor of RHS. Dani Balzer drilled a kill

and Hutek answered with a rare kill of her own to make the scoreboard read, 8-6. Bucks.

Katelyn Cameron sprawled all out for an astounding dig, which led to J. J. Willford

southpaw blasting a kill to pull the Lady G’s to within one, 9-8. Some Gladwin errors

forged Rosco ahead, then Dani Balzer delivered some bewilderment to the Bucks with

a thunderous boom kill. Romancky struck right back with mayhem to give Rosco a

13-11 advantage. Gladwin’s steady force at the net, junior, Rachel Dupre smacked a

kill-shot, then she responded above the net with a block that translated into a Flying

G’s score, making it 15-14. Coach Heather Compton got her Lady Bucks to refocus and

harnessed their aggressin back to making stealthy digs, prime passes and wicked hits.

GAME CHANGERS

Katie Tozer drilled up and above the net on a downward plane, 22 punishing kills. Two of her kills nailed Beaverton players bodies

before they could get their hands on them. Tozer is devastating and she’s only a sophomore, expect this girl to dominate the JPC the next two

seasons. Tozer also made like a brick wall and tallied 11 blocks.

Katie Hedrick was a rugged force both offensively and defensively

for the Beavers. Hedrick led BHS with 16 kills on the night and

many other attacks that kept the opposition scattered in disarray.

Hedrick has very quick hops for a taller player and she’s continuing to

evolve into a great player.

Gladwin’s Dani Balzer buries a kill over HHS’s Liv Sharp.

Rosco’s rampage turns into a route

JACK PINE TRIBUNE Page11Monday, October 29, 2012

This permitted Rosco to go on a 10-0 run to

close out Gladwin, 25-14. “The girls started

out rough, they were moving and hitting

tentatively, but they came back strong in

the second and third matches to take home

some wins,” expressed Gladwin’s Coach

Marty Shearer.

Then Beaverton ventured over to Rosco’s

side of the hardwood canvas. The Lady

Buck’s Michon VanWormer unleashed

a pair of scalding aces. BHS’s Janae

Wolfe responded with some fury of her

own by crushing a couple kills. Some

uncharacteristic Rosco errors erased their

lead to one, 10-9.

Rosco’s sophomore sensation, Katie Tozer

uncoiled a windmill power-stroke that was

hit with such extreme force, Beaverton’s

Haley Forbes wasn’t able to react quickly

enough to stop the ball from blasting off her

face, this made it 11-10.

Janae Wolfe walloped a kill to knot the

affair up at 14 all. Hutek then tossed dimes

to VanWormer and Moffit for kills, 16-15,

the Bucks clung to the lead at this point.

Rosco’s libero, gritty sophomore, Kalen

Church was exhibiting a dazzling clinic

of how to not let the opposition score as

she was diving with no regard for her well-

being, exercising terrific serve receive and

digging skills.

Beaverton’s Jasmyn Parker-Urban said

basically what you can do, I can do better as

she whipped out consecutive one hand digs

to not only save points scored, but she also

bumped the ball back over the net.

Moffit lowered the boom with a nasty

kill to push RHS’s lead to 21-17. Tozer

tomahawked a kill and behind Maquela

Dault’s service, Rosco prevailed over the

Beaverettes, 25-18.

Katie Hedrick cranked a kill to give the

Beavers an early 2-1 lead. Moffit and crew

answered with some wicked kills to grant

the Bucks a 5-2 lead.

Tozer unleashed a startling hit that pierced

into BHS’s Tiffani Stewart’s bread basket and

knocked the wind out of her momentarily.

Like a warrior that she is, Stewart stayed in

the game. Hedrick responded with another

powerful kill-shot to make it a 6-3 game.

Wolfe started to dictate some of the net

action as she pounded some kills, Hedrick

and Laura Fassett rocked kills, but Rosco

still held a 17-13 advantage.

Fassett crushed a kill, then Stewart got hot

behind the service line and powered her

Beaverettes to a 20-20 tie. Hedrick nailed

a kill to give BHS a 21-20 lead. Beaverton

committed several errors to give back the

lead, Romancky faulted and Beaverton led

24-23. Hedrick blocked Tozer for a score,

JPU made an error and Nicole Solomon’s hit

was just a bit too long, Rosco was again the

victor, 27-25. “Tiffani Stewart and Jasmyn

Parker-Urban really stepped up defensivley

for us tonight,” said Beaverton’s Coach Matt

Poet.

Rosco senior, Amanda Reno found a cavity

in the Harrison defense and dropped in a

score to give her Bucks a 4-0 lead. Fellow

senior, Morgan Romancky blazed some

service points, Tozer and Moffit bltzed kills

and the Lady Bucks held a commanding

12-1 lead.

Kalen Church executed some special

service precision. Moffit and Tozer went

on another flurry and Rosco tallied a 25-2

triumph over Harrison.

HHS senior stalwart captain, Olivia Sharp

crunched an ace to pull the Hornets to

within one, trailing just 9-8 in the second

set. Savannah Duggan was playing a rock

solid all-around game. Sharp hustled

once again for a dig, this led to a tailor

made, Taylor Bondie kill-shot to keep the

Hornets close, 17-12.

Harrison senior leader, Erica Heckman

smashed a kill to make it 20-14.

VanWormer delivered a monster kill

to push the Bucks up 21-15 against the

gnarly and resilient Hornets. Moffit

boomed a couple more kills and the

Bucks won, 25-17. “Morgan Romancky

had a fantastic season, she went from

playing a medium size role last year

to being a huge part of our success.

She played every position, I enjoyed

watching her get stronger as the season

progressed. Amanda Reno stepped up for

us in numerous games. When needing a

serve or a taller block, Amanda would

get the job done,” replied Rosco’s Coach

Compton. “We have grown as a team,

we have improved our skills and more

importantly, we’ve had a super time.

Logan can loft a set across the court from one sideline to the other, on point, precisely setting up one of her hitters with an easy hit attempt. Hutek is the most skilled and accurate setter that we’ve covered this fall. She’s also just a sophomore, just beginning to refine her skills. Hutek tossed 42 assists. It was evident that she

was the sharpest setter on the night, she’s also a strong hitter.

defense and hitting. It was a good finish to the regulare season.”Garner led with 22 kills. Sadie Hall ripped

17 kills and Bri Yaroch elevated to boom 16 kills. Kenzie Hall led with 28 assists. Decker led the defense with 90-97 passing and 47 digs. Sadie Hall was 38-38 serving including 11 aces. Meridian finished with a 34-8-4 regular season record. They open up with #6 ranked St. Louis in Breckenridge on Wednesday.Clare knocked off Houghton Lake in their opener, 25-15,

then the Lady Bobcats responded with fiery vengence and won 25-16 and 25-21. HL also defeated Farwell, 25-14 and 25-16. Farwell rallied to storm past Clare and win 25-18. Then Clare refocused got their game face back on and won 25-12 and 25-13. Along with English, Anna Giacomozzi was exhilirating as she captivated the crowd once again unleashing 25 kills and 39 digs. Katelynn Smith was 26-27 serving, with three aces, she had 12 service points. Smith was 222-226 setting and she tallied 72 assists, seven kills and 23 digs. Erica Packard compiled 40 digs, 15 service points and six kills. Ashley Petre helped pace Clare with six aces, 16 kills and 32 digs.Farwell was led by all-world talent, Jenna Hamming who

compiled 29 digs, 12 kills and 15 service points on the evening. Sydney Hurley was terrific as usual, she tallied 11 digs, 16 service points and seven kills. Houghton Lake was spearhead by their ultra explosively

talented senior finisher, Maddee Winkler who drilled 25 digs on the night. Fellow senior captain, Mary Rieger precisely tossed 45 assists on the night and lunged for 12 digs. Sarah Garrett dove to lift up 51 digs. Megan Taylor sprawled out for 24 digs to help lead the defense. Cassie Kuenzer tallied nine aces on the night. The Lady Cats finished 8-6 in the JPC qualifying them for third place honors behind wildly talented Meridian and Rosco teams.

BOBCATS FINISH VERY STRONG

Clare’s english had 24 kills, 39 digs, 5 solo bolCks & great serviCe

JJ WILLFORD OUTSIDE HITTER

SHE’S BEEN WALLOPING KILLS AND LUNGING FOR CRU-CIAL DIGS.

GLADWIN

LAURAFASSET

OH

FASSET HAS BEEN RELEAS-

ING MEGA NASTY KILL-

SHOTS.

BEAVERTON

ASHTON SNYDERSETTER

SNYDER HAS BEEN A STEADY LEADER, PRECISE WITH HER

SETS.

BEAVERTON

SAVANNAH DUGGAN

ANYWHERE

DUGGAN WAS PRO-DUCTIVE IN EVERY FACET OF

THE GAME.

HARRISON

TAYLOR BONDIE

OH

TAYLOR HUSTLED ON

DEFENSE AND SHE

CRUNCHED SOME KILLS.

HARRISON

Moffit was ambushing the net with her wicked lefty hook blasts. Moffit led the Lady Bucks with

26 kills and 4 blocks. Her hits rarely get blocked because of their force.

REAGAN MOFFIT

Harrison valiantly fought until the final score. Coach Larry Flemming made a significant improvement with his enthusiasm and fire.


PIONEERS CONTINUE JPC DOMINANCE CLASH OF THE WEEK

T here is a distinct chill in the

air, and an energy rolling across the Jack

Pine nation. It is playoff time, and the

three teams from the conference who earned the

right to take place in it were contending

with a week of anxiety and hard work

in preparation of another Friday night

matchup. The Bucks travelled to Clare

County to face the Machine that Coach

Luplow has built. The Pioneers were in

full playoff mode, and were ready to

sharpen their claws on the Bucks.

From the opening kick, it was apparent that the

Pioneers all week on hitting hard and finishing

plays. Clare went to the one back that could give

them the edge; Jordan Gross. Gross played as a man

possessed from the onset of the game when Clare

took the punt. He became the unstoppable force

for the Pioneers often and early, going through the

defenders on his way to first downs. With 2:08 left

in the first quarter, Clare’s junior quarterback Zack

Tyler capped off a huge drive that was primarily on

the ground with a keeper that caught the Bucks off

guard, as the wily QB snagged a quick six points,

followed by the extra point to go up 7-0.

When Roscommon had the ball, they paid for

every yard they got with hard hits and short gains.

John Miller made a nice reception on a quick shot

to the outside, when Colton Punches flew in and

forced Miller to have to endure the hard shot to earn

the one-yard gain. Hunter Mires did everything he

could in the game to keep his team moving, even

using his feet on a quarterback keeper to try to keep

the drive alive. The senior quarterback put in a great CONTINUED ON P.14

ERIC DION

Clare came prepared

Gross ran like a runaway freight train against the Bucks, and only got stopped with no gain or a loss a handful of times. His 169 yards and two touchdown performance is a testament to Coach Luplow’s rugged style of offense. The question is going to be if Standish can find a way to stop the unstoppable force. Gross is a man possessed with the ball, and will be a key to how far Clare can go this year.

JORDAN GROSS | RBCLARE

Jordan Gross was unstoppable

Tyler Rushed eight times for 75 yards and put in two touchdowns on the day against the Bucks. He also aired the ball out a couple of times and made some smart decisions with the ball. Tyler still has another year in Clare and is vying for a title now. He has the skills and intelligence to ensure Clare will be in serious contention for the district title while he still wears the Green and White.

ZACK TYLER | QBCLARE

Zack tyler played a complete Game

Jobin worked hard for every yard he got against a staunch Clare defense. He also managed to add a few tackles in defensively, to try and keep Clare off the scoreboard. Through it all, Brett never relented or gave up, he sprinted to the ball on defense, and did not hesitate when he received the handoff. We can look for Jobin to make a huge impact next year, as he finishes his Bucks career.

BRETT JOBIN | FS ROSCOMMON

brett Jobin played with heart

COACH LUPLOW has been at this way too long to not have his team elevated to another level by playoff time. The Pioneers came ready for a down-and-out bloodbath, and used that momentum to run over the Bucks who have not had enough time in these situations to know what to expect. Roscommon played as well as they could, it just could not hold up against this tough Clare team who has aspirations to go deep into the run for a State title.

DETERMINEDMITCH TYLER

KEPT UP HIS

RESOLVE ALL GAME,

AND WAS ONE OF

THE FEW PLAYERS ABLE TO

STOP CLARE’S

RUNNERS.

Clare’s Zack Tyler riding out the hogs in the trenches, finding the hole, and piercing up field to penetrate deep into the Bucks secondary. Tyler’s grit has symbolized the Pioneer’s offense.

Pioneers blank Bucks in the Playoff

Rematch

BY ERIC DION


Kirkland Community CollegeShot of the Week

Colton Punches continued his nasty defensive coverage for a second straight week, this time halting Roscommon’s Dylan Andrews and Alex Gojcaj in their tracks. Pictured here, Colton making yet another interception to change the complexion of the game. If the Pioneers are going to flex on the Panthers of Standish-Sterling next week, Punches is going to have to continue his smothering coverage and hard-hitting run stop-ping ability.


effort, and should be proud of the time he had

with his team.

The first quarter ended 7-0, with Clare having

possession on Roscommon’s 34 yard line. Jordan

Gross was the go to guy for almost the entire

drive with James Simon getting a carry in the 5

plays it took in the second quarter for Clare to

score off a power set run that Gross bulldozed

in for the TD. The extra point would not go as

planned, and Clare would go up 13-0.

The Bucks took over after the punt on their

own 31 yard line, and they struggled to find

room as Brett Jobin tried to cut and spin his

way through Clare’s line, but to no avail. Facing

second and ten, Mires attempted to air it out

to Miller, only to find Colton Punches diving

in the way to pick the pass off. Roscommon

forced the three and out, but the damage was

done. Clare would take possession again after

shutting down the Bucks, and give the majority

of the work to Gross, who would once again

be unstoppable in his undying hunger for first

downs. With only 2:46 left in the half, Gross

would barrel in for another TD to put Clare

up 20-0 where the score would stay until

half.

The Pioneers would tack on another 13

points before the end of the game and shut

down the Bucks on all fronts. The 33-0 score

would ensure that Coach Luplow would

continue his playoff run with his team

and players looking to the battle they have

coming against Standish.

Jordan Gross tallied 169 yards and two

touchdowns on 26 carries. Zack Tyler called

his own number 8 times for 75 yards and

two scores of his own. James Simon contributed

for Clare as well with 10 rushes for 49 yards.

Defensively, Lee Cole led the way with 9 tackles,

while Mitch Greenacre, Logan Emery, and Joe

McGuire all put up 8 tackles against the Bucks.

Colton Punches added an interception to his

stats on the year as well.

Brett Jobin was the workhorse for the Bucks

with 14 carries for 79 hard-fought yards. Caleb

Jernigan had 5 carries for 19 yards, and John

Miller got 4 touches and managed to fight

for 18 yards. Hunter Mires was 9 for 20 in

passing attempts for 80 yards and gave up the

interception, and John Miller went 1 for 3 for 11

yards passing. Defensively, Mitch Tyler worked

from first kickoff to the last and tallied 15

tackles. Matt Holtcamp who also had 15 tackles

in the game matched him.

CONTINUED FROM P.12

Above, Clare’s Brock Swan unloading another pancake block and opening up the running lanes for Jordan Gross. The combination of Gross and the rest of the Pioneers front line man-handled the Bucks, as pictured above.

Roscommon’s Hunter Mires and John Miller helped led the Bucks back into the playoffs.

CALEB JERNIGAN| HB

GRADE: A

ROSCOPAUL

COLE|DTGRADE: A

CLARECOLTON

PUNCHES|DBGRADE: A

CLARE

PLAYERGRADES


GLADWIN - Gladwin

coughed up five fumbles and

threw three interceptions.

Standish was the aggressor,

much stronger, they were

more crisp and they executed

better en route to the 49-29

victory.

Standish pounced on

Gladwin, pulling Trice down

on Gladwin’s initial two

running plays for negative

yardage. On the third play, Grove through an interception, the

G’s seemed to be in total disarray. The following play, Standish’s

Alec Gulvas was the benificary of some textbook blocking

and he darted down the sidelines for a 25 yard

touchdown, 7-0.

Esiline was taken down for a short loss, then

Trice dropped two passes. Trice seemed very

lethargic early, mis-handling kick-offs, slow out

of his stance and dropped passes in the first two

Gladwin possessions, after that, Trice may have

been the most impressive player on the field.

Camryn Vanderbush punted, Standish Matt Crawford found

a crease and returned the punt inside the five yard-line. The

Panthers bulldozed in a three yard touchdown and just like that

they held a 14-0 lead. Then Gladwin started to play.

Grove rushed off of Josh Dimond’s pancake block for 14 yards.

Grove slung a nine yard pass to gritty Austin Lagalo. Then from

about mid-field on 4th and 5, Grove spiraled a dime to Michael

Fennell who had run a go route, this amassed 24 yards, moved

the chains and jolted Gladwin with some confidence.

Then Grove carved the SSC defense for a 12 yard touchdown

romp in which he lunged and stretched his arm outward to get

the ball across the goal-line, Hayden Scott booted the pat, 14-7.

Santana Molinari made a powerful stuff. Brandon Wackerle

and Stephen Donn rocked Standish simultaneously. Josh

Dimond bull rushed Jacob LeClair, the SSC qb and almost got

a safety, the refs gave SSC a favorable spot on their own one

yard-line. They punted out of their own end-zone, Lagalo’s nice

punt return was pushed back for a block in the back.

Gladwin’s snap was high and Standish recovered on the

ensugin play. Stadish mashed three straight runs up the gut

and scored, 21-7.

GLADWIN DIGS A HOLE, CAN’T CLIMB OUT

CLINT KERN

Standish, too big and rugged

Josh Dimond’s return to the tundra this year was a key element in Gladwin’s emergence into the playoff’s. This giant of a ginger breadman delivered madness and chaos on every down with his relentless pursuit of bone crushing tackle. Dimond tallied 10 tack downs against Standish and added 2 sacks to keep the G’s defense in tact.

JOSH DIMOND|DLGLADWIN

DimonD shows resolve in senior campaign

Only a junior, this rippling bundling of shredded man-meat was a destructive force on the defensive end of the ball. If Donn continues to exploit an iron-will, pump out the Hulk Hogan routine of eating his vitamins, saying his prayers, and pounding the weights, Gladwin will return to the playoffs. Donn’s leadership will be key during the off season.

STEPHEN DONN | DLGLADWIN

stephen Donn shows bright future with g’s

Gladwin was down 14-0 before they looked like they realized the game had started. After that SANTANA MOLINARI, JOSH DIMOND, MIKE FENNELL, Stephen Donn, Jake Roza and Demetri Trice started to rock Standish. The Flying G’s had flashes of brilliance, but they surrendered eight turnovers, tough to beat anyone doing that, especially powerful SSC.

SPEED KILLS

MEACHY TRICE HAS

DEMONSTRATED TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT HE

IS THE MOST EXPLOSIVE

AND ELECTRIC PLAYER ON THE

FIELD.

BRANDON WACKERLE|RB

GRADE: B

GLADWINLUCAS

SCHWAGERGRADE: A

GLADWINCLIFF

BOWEN|OLGRADE: A-

GLADWINJAKE

ROZA|OLGRADE: A-

GLADWIN

PLAYERGRADES

Gladwin’s gritty cornerback, senior Josh Wilcox was the G’s last line of defense and he often wrangled down Panther ball-carriers solo style with ferocity.

The G’s war-dog, Josh Dimond had two sacks, this one almost resulted in a safety.

JOSH WILCOX - GLADWIN

Wilcox had several touchdown saving tackles to help out.

800-610-3780

BY CLINTKERN


Trice took the option left, juked, shaked and baked for 11 yards.

Standish was finally whistled for a penalty as it had become Gladwin

five penalties to Standish’s zero. The pass interference call granted

the G’s a first down. Gladwin fumbled the next play. Dimond almost

decapatated the Standish qb for a monster sack. Standish punted.

Gladwin fumbled the next play. After a couple of rugged runs by the

Panther backfield, LeClair punched in the qb sneak, 28-7 Standish.

Grove made a gash, spun and fumbled, SSC tacked on another score,

35-7. Gladwin benefited from roughing the punter and spearing

helmet to helmet penalties. Schwager caught a bubble screen for about

8 yards. Then Grove zipped a flare to Trice, Demetri burst and dove

onto the pile on for a 12 yard touchdown to make the score 35-14 at

the intermission.

Trice de-cleated the Panther return man on the kick-off to start the

third stanza. Gladwin collectively unleashed numerous devastating

hits, they had came out of the locker-room looking like a totally

different animal.

Clay Walderzak hauled in a critical first down pass on third down

to give Standish a much needed first down.

Hard hitting Josh Wilcox forced a fumble on

the ensuing play, with an extreme display of

athleticism, Trice scooped up the loose ball,

stopped his momentum from going out of

bounds and exploded for about a 40 yard

touchdown, it was negated by a chop block

call on GHS’s defense, suspect call. Gladwin

forced a punt, then on the following play,

Grove lasered a torpedo to Trice up the seam

for an 83 yard touchdown strike, it was now

35-21.

Gladwin forced a three and out, then Grove

tossed an interception. Then Standish’s 255

pound fullback took over. On the initial play

of the fourth quarter, Standish splashed into

the endzone, 42-21. Standish pounded in

another Td, Trice sliced in for a dazzling 41

yard touchdown, but the game was over.

Demetri Trice tallied 10 rushes for 40 yards, one touchdown rushing

and one two point conversion on the ground. Trice snatched four

receptions for 117 yards and two TDs via the aerial assault.

Lucas Schwager compiled 31 yards rushing on just three carries.

Schwager caught two passes for 20 yards.

Michael Fennell again was a dog beast roaming sideline to sideline

making bone-jarring tackles from his middle linebacker spot. Fennell

as usual, led the Flying G’s with 16 tackles. Fennell also caught two

passes for 28 yards.

Josh Dimond, Meachy Trice and Santana Molinari all ripped down

10 tackles a piece. All three of these men who courageously dropping

Standish ball-carriers in their tracks with viscous authority.

Gladwin’s senior field general, quarterback, Landon Grove, didn’t

seem to really find his groove, part of that was due to the big nasty,

swift, ferociously massive Standish- Sterling defense. Grove did have

about a 13 yard per rush average with his tally of 50 yards on four

carries. Grove slung the pigskin 17 times and completed nine throws

for 174 yards and two touchdowns, however he had three momentum

halting interceptions.

“You cannot cough the ball up that many times that early and expect

to win. You can’t have that many turnovers and come close to winning

a playoff game. With that being said, I’m proud of our effort in the 2nd

half. We we’re a resilient team, kept fighting until the final whistle. As

bad as we played, it was a 35-21 game in the middle of the 3rd quarter

and a call or a bounce our way and it’s a 35-28 game very easily,”

commented Gladwin’s Coach Josh Shattuck. “Playing Standish was

totally different than our last three games against Farwell, Harrison

and Houghton Lake. We obviously weren’t ready for their physicality.

Standish seemed much more physical and faster than in week two

when we played them earlier this year. These seniors paved the road,

they were leaders, they put in lots of time in the weight-room, we’re

really going to miss this senior class, but we’ve got a lot of good players

returning and momentum to build on, we’re moving in the right

direction.”

Regional Enhancement Millage

Hometown Schools, Hometown Kids, Hometown Support!

Beaverton • Clare • Farwell • Gladwin Harrison • Career Tech

Vote Tuesday, Nov. 6 | www.cgresd.net

And when the JPC dust settled, it was yet again Coach Kelly Luplow piercing over the pile of shoulder pads and helmets as the last man standing. Clare’s march into the playoffs continue next week vs SSC.

GAME CHANGERS

Butch led GHS with 16 fierce tackles. Fennell was a machine

beast at the point of attack, always spearheading the G’s

defensive onslaught. Fennell had great instincts and a nose for the ball. Fennell had two big catches

to move the chains.

Trice reportedly was playing with a broken thumb. He started slow, but then was probably the

best two-way player in the game. Trice tallied 40 yards rushing, one

TD and one 2 point conversion rushing. He caught two TDs and

amassed 117 receiving yards.

SANTANA MOLINARI - GLADWIN

He fought off blocks, amassed 10 strong tackles on the D-front.

989-386-4116

Gladwin’s Landon Grove proved to be much more than just a flashy qb, he was a monster outside linebacker.

Two of GHS’s defensive anchors, #10 Fennell and #67 Molinari sandwiching a Panther.


In the first match-up against the Wildcats of Evart, the G’s struck the

first blow in what turned out to be the clash between the division leaders of

the Rocket League. The 8th grade Gladwin program made one more step in

establishing their legacy as the ultimate hegemon, continuing their undefeated streak

by handling the Evart football regime with ease 26-8, on their home turf nonetheless.

Gladwin’s Javan Medema, unquestionably the premier quarterback in the league,

established the pecking order early, curling out and gashing the Wildcats around

the fringe. Medema rolled out the pocket, following the rippling bundle of muscle

Dylan McDonald. McDonald led the way, cleaned up the mess, and paved the way

for Medema to surge up the tundra for a 8 yard splash. Then it was fullback Jared

Dixon’s turn to pummel the rock up front. Dixon’s powerful style of running forced

the Wildcats to fill the gaps in preparation for his power surges up the middle. Then

Adam Smith lowered the boom-shakalaka, drove up field with a pair

of yellow and blue jersey’s cradled over his shoulder pads. With Dixon

causing a ruckus in the middle, and the G’s establishing the run, that

opened up the edges and over the top with the defense playing up

tight.

With Gladwin running wild and Evart’s defense completely focused

on halting the run attack, Medema sprung out of the pocket, took his

time with big Cole Fisher holding contain on the line, and found McDonald streaking

across the sidelines. Medema drove home the leather and McDonald lashed out on a

25 yard slash through the meat of the defense. Gladwin continued to keep their feet

on the gas.

Gladwin wisely dialed the option. Medema flurried out, drawing in the linebackers

and keenly waiting till the last moment to flick to seed to McDonald. With the defense

sucked in tight, trying to bottle up Medema before he broke loose for another long

jaunt, the lane was clear for McDonald to deposit the moneyball in the bank and put

the G’s up 6-0. Drake Muma upped the ante and split the prongs to make it a 7-0 game

with 4:30 left in the first stanza.

Gladwin’s defense started terrorize the Evart running game, allowing a few yards here

and there, but as Zach Schilling and Gatlin Mainsfield started to make their reads and

clamp down, the Wildcats found themselves desperate for yardage.

On a big 3rd and 2, Evart’s Cody Pritchard tried to wedge himself through a little crack

in Gladwin’s interior, but Dixon steam-rolled through the pile of clashing helmets and

gnashing shoulder pads and blew up the play with a Mike Tyson knockout.

But Evart didn’t head into the match-up with an unblemished record for no reason.

Trevin Ladd and Jared Sherman started making plays on defense, fighting fire with fire

and had forced the G-men to punt.

The Cats showed how dangerous they could be. Ladd was rumbling and tumbling,

forcing the pile and gaining hard to get yards, showing he was able to move the chains

and keep the ball rolling up field – chewing big chunks of time off the clock.

Desperate to make a stop, Jordan Hooper cut across the grain and unloaded a sledge-

hammer block on 2nd down to force the Cats into a difficult situation. Then on 3rd

Pictured above, Gladwin’s speedy and gritty wide-out Hunter Schaaf putting down the shimmy-shake and spinning loose from a tackler.

G-Men continue surge, topple Wildcats

CODY O’ROURKE

G-men too deep for Wildcats

Kaleb Shell has provided the Gladwin gridders with an additional element of brute and cunning force in the trenches. Shell’s ability to fly off the ball and chase down offensive surges has allowed the G-men to prosper and flourish defensively. Shell had multiple big stops and altered the rushing attack of the Evart Wildcats throughout the game to leave his impression felt.

KALEB SHELL GLADWIN FLYING G’S

Shell’S quickneSS and grit key up front

Mason Sisco is one of those fierce and unruly down linemen who utilizes their quickness off the ball and rigid fundamentals to blow open holes in the opposition’s front line and demolish runningbacks. Sisco’s ability to either slice through a blocker and put pressure on the QB, or hold his ground and stop the run has proven him to be a key asset.

MaSon SiSco cauSing a ruckuS in hog-trough

Trevin Ladd is a big strapping young man and was a load de jure running the pig-skin. He was able to gash the G-men for large swathes of ground with his long fluid gallops. But the lack of a balanced offense allowed the Gladwin wrecking crew to zero in on the run, lock down the corners and load the box to force Ladd into difficult running situations.

TREVIN LADD | RBEVART WILDCATS

Wildcat’S WildMan ladd proveS tough

The Gladwin 8th grade battalion has been too deep with talent. With guys like HUNTER SCHAAF and DYLAN MCDONALD able to make big plays and DRAKE MUMA a fierce and punishing force, the G-men have too much madness. Couple that with guys like ADAM SMITH and JARED DIXON flying around on defense, and the G’s have the recipe for success.

NOTE: Pick up the Tribune next week for the championship game coverage.

LEAD BLOCKINGFEW TEAMS OPEN FIELD

BLOCK BETTER

THAN THE G’S.

PICTURED HERE,

DYLAN MCDONALD

OPENS A BIG HOLE

FOR JAVEAN MEDEMA

TO SPURT THROUGH.

MASON SISCO GLADWIN FLYING G’S

CONTINUED ON P.18

BY CODY O’ROURKE

Zach Schilling was an absolute warlord on the tundra against the Wildcats of Evart. Schilling’s

ultimate warrior mentality and thirst for a collision catapulted him to a staggering 18 tackles on the day as he mashed and flexed on the opposition.


Gladwin’s cheer crew put on a wildly intense performance of cheers, chants, and springs to send the Flying G’s nation into spirited jubilation and give their football team a boost of confidence and swagger from the sidelines.

down, Gladwin’s warlord Gatlin Mainsfield read the

progression perfectly, followed the wave of blockers, and

muscled through the Wildcat barricade to bring down

Pritchard short of the 1st down.

Evart was forced to punt, and the wily McDonald

scooped up the ball and wiggle-wormed his way up field,

juking and spinning for a 15 yard gain and the G-men

were heading into the 2nd quarter with their swagger

pumping.

Gladwin took over with 5:15 left in the half and made

quick time on lighting up the scoreboard before the

second half would expire.

After starting the first quarter by exploiting his mobility,

Medema started to exercise his cannon of an arm and

drilled his receivers between the numbers. On first down,

Gladwin’s Hunter Schaaf exploded off the line, flashed

right, cut back out towards the sidelines to shake his

defender and gave Medema a clean look down field.

Medema stepped into the pocket to put some heat on the

ball, facing the onslaught of marauding Evart gridders,

and pinched a dime to Schaaf for a 35 yard pass attack.

Medema continued to keep the Cats reeling on their

heels, this time going the opposite direction and sailing

the longball to McDonald who was mean-mugging down

the other side for another large 25 flurry burst.

With McDonald piping hot, the G’s continued to feed

him the ball. Medema made a quick drop step out of the

snap, planted the ball into McDonald’s meat chops and

the dance party started. McDonald spun loose from the

first would be tackler to penetrate into the second layer

of the defense, pumped his breaks to give the defense

pause and set up his area of attack, and sprung through

the hole he created to blitz to pay-dirt and put Gladwin

up 13-0 with 4:26 left in the half. They had scored with

precision and efficiency.

The Wildcats looked like they were going to counter-

punch, as Pritchard took the kick-off and lashed out like

a cat on fire. Pritchard zipped up field 24 yards, whirling

and churning his legs before finally getting brought down

by Drake Muma.

The Cat’s tried to again to pound the gaps, but was met

by fierce resistance by Mason Sisco and Kaleb Shell, then

on third down, Hunter Schaaf fought off a blocker and

train-wrecked Ladd for force the Cats to punt.

Big bruising Cole Fisher blew up the pile, lunged

forward and put his bear claws on the ball to put the G’s

in prime position - but there was little time on the clock.

Medema bowled for 4 yards,

but then on the next play, the

Wildcat’s Joe Eastman hit the

count just right, burst through

a blocker and caught Medema

back peddling for the 4 yard

loss. Then on 3rd and long, the

G’s took the air and Medema’s

pass was tipped by Sherman to

cause put the G’s in a difficult

situation.

But it didn’t matter. The G’s

handed the ball off to their

bull-dogg Drake Muma. Muma

cut around the corner, Schaaf

unloaded a dump-truck load of

pain on the first guy he saw and

completely demolished the Cat’s possibility of catching

Muma with his break-away speed. Muma galloped

uncontested 38 yards to put the G-men up 19-0 with

24.8 second left in the half.

The Evart ballers came out of the break looking to even

the score and began to brawl and battle in the trenches.

Ladd was eating up big swathes of greenery, Pritchard

made a few fantastic runs to evade Gladwin’s swarming

defense. They showed a lot of grit and determination,

with the G’s putting in tough 3rd down situations after a

Brandon Shell and Mason Sisco double crunch. But the

combo package of Pritchard and Ladd finally worked

their way onto the board with Pritchard slicing around

the edge for the 6 banger and Ladd dotting the deuce by

barreling through gullies to make it a 19-8 game with

3:13 left in the 3rd.

The Cat’s defense held contain and forced Gladwin to

punt.

Gladwin showed just how stingy they can be on defense

as well. Schaaf and McDonald came up huge by shredding

guys on the corner and making huge open field tackles

on Ladd, despite giving up several pounds. Schaaf and

McDonald’s text book execution on defense forced Evart

into a 4th down situation. Sherman dropped back to pass,

rolled out and tried to dump on the G’s with a fake, but

Schilling didn’t bite and Zach came thundering

in to halt Evart in their tracks and give Gladwin

possession of the pigskin on the 20 yard line.

Medema scored one more time on a 20 yard

sprint around the end to put the G’s up 26-8.

The Cats made one more attempt. Ladd sprung

up field for a 75 yard gain before finally getting

hauled down by Medema inside the 5 yard line.

With the game already sealed and stamped,

the Cats and G-men were playing for pride.

The Evart battalion tried to put one more score

on the board, but Kyle Rogers and Mason Sisco

was having nothing of it. The two Gladwin

bruisers raged through their opposition, tossed

the lineman aside like last week’s laundry, and

put on the double-crunch to end the game 26-8.

Zach Schilling 18 tackles and a blocked punt.

Gatlin Mainsfield 9 tackles. Rogers and Sisco

had a sack to end the game. James Kirtley did

a good job on the line. Drake Muma had a 38

yard rushing touchdown. Dylan McDonald had

touchdowns of 1 and 6 yards. Javan Medema

had 22 yard TD and led the team with 79 yards

rushing. Medema also had 83 yard passing.

Above, Cole Fisher and Brandon Shell unload a couple of pancake blocks to allow Drake Muma to jolt loose.

Ethan Goodwin looks to monster-crunch on a Wilcat off the snap.

CONTINUED FROM P.17

GAME CHANGERS

James Kirtley was a mastadon in the gullies for the G-men with

punishing style of physicality and his willingness to force-feed shoulder pads of destruction to his opponents. Kirtley continues to evolve as a top level lineman

for the G’s.

JAVAN MEDEMA | QB

Medema carved up the Wildcats with his arm and shredded them on the run.

989-539-8870

LORI WARE Executive Director989-539-8870

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Jack Pine Tribune - October 29, 2012

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