By John Raffel
Correspondent
GOBLES – Gobles hosted its first playoff game since 2014 this past Friday and defeated Mendon by a final score of 50-14.
“The win marked a few important feats for the program: it was our first playoff win since 2016, our first win vs. Mendon since 2006, and our first playoff win vs. Mendon in program history,” Gobles coach Greg Eichler said.
Gobles took a 30-0 lead into halftime after a dominating first-half performance. Mendon came out fighting in the second half with a score on offense and a subsequent onside kick recovery, followed by another score, but Gobles persevered. Gobles was able to continue moving the ball on offense and made a few key adjustments on defense to finish the game. Gobles finished with 510 total yards compared to Mendon’s 283 total yards.
The Eli DeYoung and Mason Mansfield rushing duo led the offense again. DeYoung carried the ball 28 times for 282 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Mansfield tallied 131 yards on 9 carries and also added 3 rushing touchdowns. The offensive line played extremely well and played physically at the point of attack. Preston Misak also added a receiving touchdown and made some important plays for the Gobles’ offense.
The Gobles defense held Mendon to its lowest point total of the year, and it was once again led by linebacker Xavier Wilkes who had 11 tackles (6 TFL) and 3 sacks. Jakob Monks and Tony Lisowski both added 11 tackles from the corner position and made some key plays to keep Mendon out of the end zone on several drives. DeYoung totaled 9 tackles (3 TFL) and 1.5 sacks while Trenton Mansfield had 8 tackles (4 TFL), 1.5 sacks, and 1 interception. Carter Bell anchored the defensive line with 9 tackles (4 TFL) and 1.5 sacks.
“Gobles now moves on to the regional championship game at Martin next Friday at 7 p.m. Gobles looks to win its first regional championship since 2000,” Eichler said.