The Turnaround Season: District Semi-Final at Bay City John Glenn
Saturday October 30, 2010
For just the second time in school history, Marquette Senior High School was participating in the MHSAA state playoffs (returning after a 31–10 loss to Grand Rapids Creston in 2001). Like the game from nine seasons prior, a long road trip south was in order for a Saturday matinee showdown with the Bobcats of Bay City John Glenn High School (we’ll call them BCJG).
To say that the Marquette community was buzzing would be an understatement; school officials worked diligently to reserve fan buses for students, parents, band members, and supporters. Packing the visitor’s bleachers downstate was an even more impressive feat considering that many of those buses left the MSHS parking lot at 4am on the day of the game.
The team, which had ballooned to almost 50 student-athletes after numerous call-ups from the junior varsity squad, left Friday afternoon to ensure the players were rested and focused on the contest at hand. A major distraction materialized overnight after the district’s fourth-seeded team, Cadillac, defeated the daunting one-seed, Petoskey, by a score of 24–21. This upset created a scenario in which the winner of the Marquette/John Glenn game would host the district finals. This unforeseen possibility got the fan base even more fired up as they dreamt of what a playoff game at William Hart Stadium would be like. If those dreams could be realized, Marquette would have to overcome a very tough first round matchup on BCJG’s home turf.
The second-seeded Bobcats featured a fast-paced offense, similar to Gladstone, that was designed to run lots of plays in a limited amount of time while featuring slimmer offensive and defensive lines. That hybrid model for linemen was designed to wear down teams with bigger lines like Marquette by using lots of misdirection runs, quick screen passes and jet sweeps. In the opening quarter, each team was able to execute aspects of their game plans. Marquette established their multi-faceted running game and crossed the goal line twice before the BCJG passing attack responded with a touchdown of their own to make the score 14–7. After one quarter, it was the visitors from the UP on top.
Looking to make a splash in the opening minutes of the second quarter, Marquette seized momentum by running the same trick play that had worked against Cheboygan and Kingsford. And like clockwork, Nick Emmendorfer threw a pass behind the line of scrimmage to Colin Terry. CT continued toward the sideline before heaving the ball to a sprinting Garrett Pentecost who secured the pigskin before finishing off a 63-yard touchdown reception. The TD, which put Marquette up by two scores, burst open the floodgates for the rest of the game. When the Bobcats got the ball back, the Marquette defensive line of Zak Green, Alex Urbiha, Dylan Mahler, Jared Erickson, and Joe Iwanicki took ownership of the trenches and stopped the fast-paced BCJG offense in its tracks with an embarrassing three-and-out. Everything was going Marquette’s way and the frustration was evident in the body language of the hosts.
The MSHS offense continued to capitalize in the second quarter, outscoring BCJG 35–7. To put that incredible scoring barrage in perspective, the 35 points that were scored in the second quarter at John Glenn was seven more than the 2009 team scored in their entire nine-game season. By halftime, Pentecost and Kasaim Koonala each had 150 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns to put the visitors in the lead, 49–14.
In the second half with a comfortable lead in hand, it was the second and third units (including what seemed like the entire junior varsity team) who continued the scoring outburst. Matt Mills, Alex Sherbinow, Craig Cairati, and Steve Newby all recorded touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, the MSHS defense continued to keep the BCJG offense in check. The visitors only allowed one touchdown in the second half due to great plays being made by contributors like Sam Jacques, Joel Joffee, Brad Meyers, Cote Marshall, Danny Brisson, Curt Calovecchi, Alex Gagnon, Rainger Rossway, and Jared Gigot. In allowing the hometown Bobcats to score just 22 points, Marquette had kept John Glenn far below their season average of 38 points/gm.
When the final horn sounded and the scoreboard showed 63–22, the visitor’s bleachers were ecstatic. Marquette had won in the playoffs for the first time, but the season of firsts continued on with MSHS finally earning the right to host a playoff game. Make no mistake, the Bay City John Glenn game was validating and an experience that will not be forgotten by the players, coaches, or fans who made the five-hour trek down Interstate 75. Check back next week as Marquette welcomes Cadillac above the bridge for a postseason showdown.
