Onekama rolls past Crossroads for third straight win

Posted by Martin Slagter, Manistee News Advocate
September 30, 2011

BIG RAPIDS — Onekama came out of the gates running, scoring 42 points in the first half of a 48-8 West Michigan D League win over Crossroads Charter Academy.

Quinn Matthews rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns for the Portagers (3-3, 3-0 WMD), while Adrian Norman, Tyler Fogarty and Jordan Coe also contributed touchdown runs.

Onekama coach Jim Hunter was pleased with his team’s rushing attack in the win.

“Our offense looks simple but that’s by design,” he said. “We keep plugging along and all of a sudden we break off a big play. I was pleased with how we ran the ball and how our defense played up front.”

Onekama scored first on a 37-yard interception return by Drew Slevin with 9:59 in the first quarter.

The Portagers would get on the board with 5:27 in the first quarter on a 29-yard run by Matthews, followed by a 10-yard touchdown run by Fogarty to close out the first quarter.

 In addition to the big game by Matthews, The Portagers got 75 yards from Norman, 68 yards from Fogarty and 50 from Coe in the win.

Norman broke off a 75-yard touchdown, knifing his way through the Crossroads defense with 9:52 in the second quarter to make it 28-0.

Crossroads (0-6, 0-4) had little success running the ball, gaining just seven yards in the first half. The Cougars were able to have some success on the ground in the second half, however, led by Darrin Williams with 50 yards on 14 carries and Solomon Gant with 33 yards on four carries.

After Onekama pulled its starters in the second half, Crossroads coach Jeff Thorne said the two teams were on a more even playing field and were able to get the offense going.

“Coach Hunter is a class coach and put his second (string) in, which is a little more comparable to us right now,” he said. “After that, we played them to 8-8 in the second half.”

In the second half, Crossroads would get on the board when Williams scampered 23 yards off the left side of the line, breaking a pair of tackles.

Onekama would add another score when Coe ran three yards from under center to make it 48-8 with 8:43 remaining.

  ~September 30, 2011
   
     

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