posted by Dylan Savela

ONEKAMA — On second-and-goal early in the fourth quarter, Onekama was a yard away from its first score of an otherwise forgettable game.

Somewhere in the collision of tangled arms and clash of helmets, however, the ball popped loose and Coleman claimed possession again. It was just that kind of Friday night for the Portagers in their 44-0 loss to the Comets.

“It was a very frustrating game,” said Onekama coach Jim Hunter. “I was proud they kept battling, but they weren’t battling together.”

Coleman quarterback Adam Stremlow threw three touchdowns on 11-of-14 passing for 198 yards while rushing for a score as well. He did most of the damage in a first half that saw the Comets jump out to a 38-0 lead.

“I’m not taking anything away from that Coleman group,” Hunter said. “They’re fast, and they’re physical, and well coached, but you can pick any series you want; virtually every time, either defensively or offensively, we had people doing things we don’t coach them to do.

“It was a lot of the same stuff we had last week,” he added of Onekama’s 50-12 loss to Vestaburg, “so we really haven’t moved along.”

Onekama’s Jordan Coe led the team on the ground with 53 yards, while quarterback Tyler Johnson threw for 43 yards.

Coleman (3-0) set the tone in the first quarter by scoring on its first three possessions, and in a span of just more than four minutes.

Stremlow connected with Matthew Warner for the duo’s first of two touchdowns together with an 18-yard pass at 4:08 for an 8-0 lead.

The Comets pinned the Portagers (1-2) deep on the ensuing kickoff, and in two plays, sacked quarterback Tyler Johnson for a loss of six to put the ball at the 1, then recovered a fumble near the goal line. Stremlow took quick advantage of the field position and punched in a score at 3:06.

“Way too many turnovers tonight,” Hunter said of the team’s four lost fumbles and one interception. “We didn’t do a good job protecting the ball.”