The Turnaround Season: Game Two vs Sault Ste. Marie
Friday September 3, 2010
Fans felt hopeful after a feisty week one performance, but the Marquette football program still found themselves 0–1 and riding a 20-game losing streak entering week two against the Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils. This game had been circled on the calendar as Marquette’s best chance to win a game in years; the Blue Devils were coming off of a 1–8 season in 2009 with their lone win coming in a 30–0 shutout of MSHS.
There’s no denying that a loss would have had a detrimental effect on the team. An 0–2 start with a full slate of Great Northern Conference games still to be played would’ve made it very difficult to have a successful season, let alone reach the crucial six-win threshold for earning an MHSAA playoff berth.
After a great showing in week one, Marquette’s plans for another enormous home crowd were derailed by a monsoon that was stationed over William Hart Stadium for the entirety of the contest. The rain was torrential, creating terrible field conditions and almost certainly impacting the game plans of both teams. On offense, controlling possession by running the ball would have to be the biggest factor in securing a much-needed win. The Sault, with only 18 players on their roster, had depth issues that gave Marquette’s roster of 30+ players a clear edge.
With an offensive line comprised of Zak Green, Josh Bullock, Tanner Delpier, Noah Ivey and Alex Urbiha opening up lanes for the two-headed rushing attack of Garrett Pentecost and Kasaim Koonala, Marquette stormed out the gate. MSHS’ early success on the ground earned them a 7–0 lead after twelve minutes. The second quarter was the game’s most competitive, featuring one SSM score along with two more rushing touchdowns for Marquette to put the hosts up 20–7 at halftime. After drying off, Marquette returned for the second half and kept the intensity high. The defense forced multiple Sault turnovers while the offense racked up three additional touchdowns, scored by Pentecost, Koonala, and senior Forrest Gilfoy, to widen the gap.
Marquette’s defense was able to keep the Blue Devils’ rushing attack at bay, giving up two late touchdowns after the game had gotten out of hand to trim the insurmountable deficit. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the scoreboard read 40–20. The streak had finally come to an end. For the first time since October 12, 2007, Marquette found itself on the winning end of a football game. It may not have been the most perfectly executed performance, but in a rainy mess of Friday night fever, after losing 20 straight games, Marquette was in back in the win column.
As expected, Marquette’s victorious running game was excellent and finished with 304 rush yards on 51 attempts. Pentecost, an emerging star, led the way with 137 yards on 16 carries (8.6 YPC) along with two touchdowns. Late in the game with a sizable lead, Coach L’Huillier was able to put in the second and third units — garnering experience for depth players that would prove valuable late in the season. Charlie Hubbard, , Matt Hamblin, Wade L’Hote, Jake Ehle, Robert Groleau, and Dylan Mahler, to name a handful, all entered the game with a big lead and continued to open lanes for the Marquette backs before trotting back onto the field to shut down the opposing team’s skilled players.
Two important themes developed in the Week Two win. The first was Garrett Pentecost solidifying himself as one of the top running backs in the UP; he’d remain a scoring threat every single time that he touched the ball for the rest of the season. The other was the emergence of a deep, active linebacking corps consisting of a versatile group of athletes like Koonala, Gilfoy, Josh Johnson, Craig Cairati, Brad and Brian Meyers, Joel Joffee, Mat Kadell, Mitch Crothers, and Zach Taggart. Teams would have problems running on Marquette all season long, and that defensive outfit came up with big plays in some of the most crucial moments of the season.
Basking in the joy of a freshly dismantled 20-game losing streak, Marquette set their sights on starting a streak that they could take pride in. With the team’s first trip across the Mackinac Bridge rapidly approaching for Week Three against Cheboygan, Marquette football would have the opportunity to announce their emergence against a top program in Northern Michigan.
