WHITE CLOUD — The White Pigeon Chiefs, on the strength of a 66-0 victory against White Cloud, finished the regular season 9-0. The win gives them the outright Southwest 10 championship, and they’ll carry their unblemished record into the playoffs, hosting Centreville Friday evening.
The last time the Chiefs ended their season 9-0 was 1984, and it left them all alone with the conference title that season as well.
The ground game once again proved to be the strong point for the Chiefs, as they ran the ball 45 times, gaining 416 yards. Five different players crossed the goal line for White Pigeon, with Caleb Lane and Taylor Stewart leading the charge. Lane had 164 yards rushing on 10 attempts and scored two touchdowns while Stewart added 102 yards and three touchdowns. James Chaney made the most of his five rushing attempts, scoring twice, while Mekhi Singleton and Drew Kobryn added one score each. Josh Davidson had one reception, good for 25 yards.
The Chiefs defense also played a big part in the shutout, coming up with three interceptions. Josh Davidson had two picks, and Kobryn chipped in with one. Adam Picking, John Bontrager, and Kobryn also anchored the strong defensive effort. White Pigeon puts its undefeated record on the line Friday night in the opening round of the playoffs, hosting longtime rival Centreville. When asked about the upcoming rematch with the Bulldogs, Chiefs head coach Shawn Strawser said “We’ve had a nice season, but there’s still work to do. We need to protect the ball, and make sure we’re all doing our jobs.”
The two teams met during the regular season, with the Chiefs prevailing 24-8. “It’s an old cliché, but it’s not easy to beat the same team twice in one season,” Strawser said. “Teams know we run the ball, and we pride ourselves on our ground game, but if we need to make adjustments as the game progresses, we will. We’re ready to get after it.” Game time in White Pigeon is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Bulldogs shellack Quincy in regular season finale
QUINCY — The Centreville Bulldogs lit up the scoreboard Friday in a 64-0 whitewash of host Quincy.
Kam Wells had an all-around good night offensively, as he tossed three touchdown passes, and ran for 71 yards and two scores in the winning effort. Xander Frederick was on the receiving end of two scoring strikes and totaled 50 yards receiving on the night. He also picked up 62 yards rushing. Max Yoder added a 29-yard reception for a score.
The Bulldog’s defense was led by Garrison Bunning, who recorded five tackles, followed by Kaeden Wells who added four stops. He also picked up a fumble and took it in for a score. Bo Riley and Carter Cartier also made their defensive presence known to the Orioles, as they both picked off a pass and returned them for touchdowns.
Centreville ends the regular season with 5 wins and 4 losses and will face a familiar foe in the opening round of the playoffs, squaring off against the undefeated White Pigeon Chiefs, who sport a 9-0 record. The Bulldogs lost to White Pigeon on September 22nd, 24-8, but they did hold the Chiefs scoreless in the first half of that game.
Jerry Schultz, Centreville’s head coach, was asked about the old cliché that it’s tough to beat a team twice in the same season. “It really is true. The losing team can look back on what worked and what didn’t, and make the necessary adjustments, so you never know. Playing turnover-free football is to any team’s advantage, too.” The Bulldogs had zero turnovers against the Orioles.
Are the Bulldogs ready? Schultz said, “We’re ready, and the kids are excited. We’re playing close to home, and that’s good for our fans. We like the fact that we don’t have to travel very far to open the playoffs.”
Friday night’s game will take place on the Chief’s home turf and is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Colon ends season with loss to Bridgman
BRIDGMAN — Colon took the trip to Bridgman Friday night to take on the undefeated Bees and came out on the short end of a 63-0 final score.
Quarterback Maverick Downs was held to 63 yards rushing, which had been a strongpoint for the Magi offense this season. He also completed passes for 127 yards. Owen Wilson was the main target, as he totaled 85 yards to lead the Colon receivers.
On defense, Downs led the Magi with eight tackles on the night, with freshman Michael House being credited with five stops. “We just couldn’t close out our offensive drives and put the ball in the end zone,” stated head coach Kevin Bennett. “Bridgman has a very explosive offense, and we had trouble stopping them from scoring.”
Colon ends its season at 4-5, while Bridgman sports an 11-0 mark heading into the playoffs.
Marcellus shuts out Eau Claire in final regular season game
EAU CLAIRE — Marcellus’ football team took it to Eau Claire on Friday night, defeating the home team 42-0 in both teams’ regular season finale.
Parker Adams had two touchdown passes on the day for the Wildcats. Dawsen Lehew led the way with 208 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while Cole Thornburgh had 93 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Nathan Mihills caught both touchdown passes from Adams.
Defensively, Nate Irwin had 12 tackles, including three for a loss and one forced fumble. Yona Goodlow and Brock McWilliams also had 12 tackles each.
Three Rivers loses close game to end season
OTSEGO — Three Rivers’ football team lost to Otsego in both teams’ season finales Friday night, 27-20.
No stats were reported from the game.
The Wildcats finish the season 1-8 overall, and 1-6 in the conference.
Burr Oak drops close match to Tekonsha
TEKONSHA — The Burr Oak Bobcats visited Tekonsha Friday evening, hoping to end their season on a positive note, but that was not meant to be.
In one of their closest games of the season, the Bobcats fell just short of picking up the road win against the Indians, in a hard fought 24-22 defeat. Austin Cole scored two touchdowns for Burr Oak, and also completed a touchdown pass to Cameron Hagen. The Bobcats end their season at 1-8.
Burr Oak will say farewell to senior captains Charles Brooks and Garrett Johnson, and head coach Vince Royer said, “We appreciated those boys, and the leadership they provided throughout the season. This team will continue to get better.”