Onekama edges MCC for league title
Posted by Dylan Savela, Manistee News Advocate
MANISTEE — Onekama’s running game relies on specific roles. Namely, senior back Tyler Fogarty’s power, and Quinn Matthews’ speed.
The two couldn’t have picked a better time in Friday night’s 22-14 win for the West Michigan D League title to fulfill those functions.
On 4th-and-5 with 1:25 remaining in a 14-14 tie with Manistee Catholic Central, Fogarty took a handoff down the middle, powered his way through a couple Saber tacklers and chugged for 16 yards just into MCC territory. On the very next play, Matthews took a pitch to the outside and blazed 38 yards to MCC’s 11. Two snaps later, quarterback Adrian Norman threw the game-winning touchdown toss to Fogarty with just 34 seconds remaining.
“I think everyone’s emotions were so high on that last drive,” said Fogarty, who scored a pair of touchdowns — one on the ground and one in the air — and finished with 76 rushing yards on 14 carries and 30 receiving yards on two catches. “We knew what we had to do individually, and everyone did their job. We did what we needed to.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the county rivals — who each entered the game 3-0 in league play — set the stage for a defensive struggle en route to a title.
“It was a heck of a defensive game,” MCC coach Dave Russel said. “I mean, 14-14 with 30-some seconds left; that’s a defensive struggle. It’s that rivalry game — that’s what it comes back to — throw out the record, this is a backyard brawl. I see it year after year after year; when you’re playing your county rival, it’s always a tough game.”
The Portagers set themselves up nicely before the first quarter horn sounded, and capped their third offensive series of the contest with a 17-yard rush from Fogarty at 11:25 in the second to take a 6-0 edge.
On the ensuing drive, what looked to be a possible three-and-out for the Sabers, quarterback Alex Hogan completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Miller on 4th-and-14 at 9:58. Hogan then snuck in the endzone for the two-point conversion to give what would be MCC’s only lead of the game at 8-6.
Onekama quarterback Adrian Norman scrambles during Friday’s win against MCC. (Dylan Savela/News Advocate)
Hogan was 2-for-7 with 44 yards on the night for MCC while Jesse Miller rushed for a team-high 68 yards on 15 carries.
Onekama, however, controlled the clock for nearly the duration of the half after the MCC score. The Portagers put together a 16-play drive that included three fourth-down conversions and was capped by an option toss to Matthews that he took eight yards to pay-dirt with just 1:39 remaining. Norman tossed a two-point pass to Tyler Johnson for the 14-8 lead they’d take to halftime.
