Onekama rolls past CCA in season opener
By BOB
ALLAN, Pioneer News Network
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Portagers (1-0, 1-0) opened the 2009 season with a 36-6 victory over the Cougars (0-1, 0-1) at the Mitchell Creek Sports Complex behind big plays in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams.
“We were able to make plays at critical times,” Onekama coach Jim Hunter said. “I really thought that was the difference.”
After the Portagers intercepted a pass late in the first quarter, they were able to march the ball down the field and put the first points of the game on a 2-yard run by Jake Matthews.
Onekama added to its lead less than
two minutes into the second quarter
on a 1-yard plunge by Tyler Fogarty.
Matthews and Fogarty were the big
guns for the Portagers. Fogarty ran
for 103 yards on 22 carries, while
Matthews added 94 yards on 16
carries.
“As I said before, what they run
isn’t flashy, but they run it very
well,” Crossroads Charter Academy
coach Jeff Thorne said about
Onekama’s veer offense.
The Cougars responded with a solid
drive on their next possession,
traveling 70 yards on six plays,
capped off by a 12-yard run by Mads
Olson midway through the second
quarter.
Onekama responded with a big kickoff
return that started its next drive
in Cougars’ territory. The drive was
capped on a 10-yard screen pass from
Dan Gillespie to Matthews to take a
20-6 halftime lead.
“All three of their scores in the
first half, we gave them a big
play,” Thorne said.
Despite trailing by a couple of
scores, Thorne said his team was
still in the game and the opening
possession of the second half was
going to be critical. However,
Crossroads went backwards for most
of the third quarter, losing 10
total yards in the stanza.
The Portagers put the only tally on
the board in the third quarter on a
5-yard run by Fogarty with 40
seconds remaining.