10-12-2017 Tri-City Area Sports

Martin Truex Jr. drives away with win at Charlotte and into Round of 8

Martin Truex Jr. drove away with the win Sunday in the Bank of American 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With the victory, the six-time, trophy-hoisting driver also made his way into the next round of playoff competition in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Having started the race in 17th place, Truex Jr. wound his way around the track and through traffic to take the lead. He led 91 laps.

Truex Jr. has led the driver standings much of the year. In addition to claiming his sixth victory of the season and 13th career win, he also notched his 14th top five of the year.

Chase Elliott finished second in the 30th race of the 2017 season. He has zero wins in this, his second full-time year on the circuit, and nine top five finishes.

Kevin Harvick sped into third place. He started the race from the same position. Harvick led 149 laps and has one win and 10 top five finishes this year.

Denny Hamlin cruised into fourth place. The pole sitter led 45 laps. Hamlin has two wins and 13 top five finishes this season.

Rounding out the top five was Jamie McMurray, who is winless this season. McMurray led four laps and celebrated his third top five finish.

Drivers who also led in the three-lap overtime race were: Kasey Kahne (2), Kyle Larson (12), and Kyle Busch (22).

The event featured 10 caution periods for 44 laps. There were 14 lead changes.

With the win, Truex Jr. is guaranteed a spot in the next Round of 8 competition. Three races, beginning with Charlotte, and including Talladega and Kansas, make up the Round of 12. If a driver wins in one of these three races, they automatically qualify for the next round of competition.

With the victory in hand, Truex Jr. has sailed into the next round.  But first, seven other drivers must qualify as well.

Next up is Sunday’s Alabama 500 at Talladega Speedway.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won here in May of this year.  Currently, Stenhouse Jr. is 12th in the playoff standings. A win would certainly boost his chances of winning the whole she-bang at Miami. Does he have what it takes, or is it Truex Jr.’s championship to lose?

AQB WRAP-UP

Leach earns top spot for second week in row; four AQBs knotted up with 43-13 records

By Kristy Noack

Chris Leach continues to be on a roll in the Tri-City Record Armchair Quarterback contest. Although she and Rodney Lynch tied for first place for the week with 6-2 records, Leach won the top spot based on the tie-breaker game.

Six super fun football fans have signed on to participate in the TCR AQB contest. Each week they are tasked with correctly predicting the winners of eight high school, college, and professional football games. The AQB with the best record following the NFL’s Super Bowl in February is deemed the winner and will receive a championship cap.

In the event there is a tie during the weekly games, one game is specially selected as the tie-breaker game. The AQBs must gaze into their crystal balls and predict how many points will be scored in that contest. The AQB with the closest guess to the actual point total is given the nod and claims the higher place in the ranking.

Leach and Lynch were the only two AQBs to correctly determine Coloma would be victorious over visiting Schoolcraft, which tipped the records in their favor. Their place in the standings came down to the tie-breaker game of Michigan State at Michigan. What a barn burner of a game that turned out to be. Sort of. MSU quieted the Michigan faithful with a 14-10 win.

With her 56-point guess, Leach won first place, guessing closer than Lynch’s 63 to the 24 point total.

RoxAnn Rodney-Isbrecht, Greg Krell, and Bryan Conrad all posted 5-3 records, leaving their place in the standings up to their tie-breaker guess.

Third place went to Rodney-Isbrecht; she guessed 47 points would be scored.  Conrad slid into fourth place as he predicted 48 points would be scored. That left Krell in fifth place with his 51-point prediction.

Tim Hildebrand took sixth place with his 4-4 record for the week.

Overall, four AQBs are knotted atop the leaderboard with identical 43-13 records.  Hildebrand, Rodney-Isbrecht, Lynch, and Leach have a share of the first-place crown.

Krell moves into fifth place with his 42-14 overall record, just one game out of first place.

Conrad moves up one game closer to first place. He holds a 39-17 record and is nipping at Krell’s heels as he works to climb out of the cellar.

This week, the AQBs will face some potentially tough matchups. Here are the games on the docket for week 8:

Hartford @ Centreville

Watervliet @ Schoolcraft

Delton Kellogg @ Coloma

Michigan @ Indiana

MSU @ Minnesota

Utah @ USC

Detroit @ New Orleans

Chicago @ Baltimore

The tie-breaker game is the perfect, playoff-bound Panthers on the road at Schoolcraft.

Questions abound regarding this week’s games. Can Michigan recover from its loss to MSU? Will Utah top USC? Can Chicago earn its second win of the season? How will our AQBs fare? Check back to find out!

Panthers pummel Constantine, remain perfect 7-0

 The Watervliet offense continues to dominate its opponents as the high school football season rolls into week eight. Case in point: the Panthers 68-24 shellacking of Constantine Friday.

After receiving the opening kickoff, Watervliet went right to work. On their first possession, quarterback Zack Pickens got a long ball off to Garrett Matthews. The 52-yard pass play put the Panthers in perfect position for their first score.

Pickens didn’t waste any time as he sashayed into the end zone from eight yards out, scoring six points for Watervliet. Pickens also handled the two-point conversion himself, which was successful. With just a couple minutes ticked off the clock, Watervliet led 8-0.

Constantine’s first possession ate up much of the time on the clock but ended with them turning the ball over on downs.

Pickens worked the Panthers over the 50-yard line and deep into Constantine’s territory. Pickens picked up another rushing TD after an 11-yard romp into the end zone. Bryant Kieft rushed for a successful two-point conversion and Watervliet led 16-0.

Constantine got on the board late in the first and got their first points on the board, scoring on a rushing TD. Their two-point conversion failed but the Panthers’ lead decreased to 16-6.

The faithful fans needn’t have worried. Driving from deep in their own territory, Pickens completed an 81-yard pass play to Kieft for the TD. The ensuing two-point conversion rush by James Bell was good, and Watervliet led 24-6.

Constantine scored with two minutes left on the first-quarter clock to draw the score to 24-12 to close out the first quarter.

If you thought the first 12 minutes were dominated by Watervliet scoring, you were wrong. The Panthers blitzed Constantine for 32 points in the second period as Watervliet was unstoppable.

The first second quarter score came at the hands of Pickens, who hit the end zone with a 14-yard rushing TD. His two-point conversion pass to Lamarrius Smith gave the Panthers two more points and they held a 32-12 lead.

Pickens scored again on a 45-yard touchdown run. He completed a pass to Matthews for two-points as Watervliet increased their lead to 40-12.

Constantine managed to find the end zone with less than four minutes on the clock. Their third attempt at a two-point conversion failed, just like the previous two opportunities. Watervliet 40, Constantine 18.

After being set up with good field position by a Kieft reception, Pickens drilled the ball to Matthews for a 45-yard touchdown pass play. The two-point conversion pass to Matthews was good, and Watervliet led 48-18.

Constantine scored again late in the second quarter, and their two-point conversion failed yet again. Watervliet’s lead shrunk to 48-24.

With under a minute left on the clock in the first half, a Pickens pass to Kieft was good for a TD. Kieft also caught the two-point conversion pass and the Watervliet margin of victory widened to 56-24.

Constantine received the ball to open play in the second half of the game. They turned the ball over on downs, and Watervliet scored again in a hurry. Pickens completed a 30-yard pass play to Kieft for a touchdown.  For the first time on the evening, the Panthers two-point conversion attempt failed. Watervliet 62, Constantine 24.  That score would remain for the duration of the quarter.

The only score of the fourth quarter was completed, appropriately enough, by Pickens. He rushed 20 yards for six points. The two-point conversion failed but left Watervliet ahead 68-24.

Watervliet ran 53 total plays and tallied 26 first downs in their offensive extravaganza.

Pickens was 13 of 18 with four TDs. He rushed 18 times for 206 yards and five touchdowns.

Bell picked up 101 yards on 13 carries. Ryan Chisek ran three times for 27 yards.  Kieft picked up 10 yards on two carries. Trent Boone had 10 yards on one carry, while Dylan Lynch ran for five yards on one carry.

Kieft was Pickens’ favorite target. He caught seven passes for 180 yards and three TD. Matthews caught two passes for 92 yards and one touchdown.

Kieft also led the squad defensively with seven tackles and one assist. Matthews posted six tackles and one assist. Anthony Wade tallied five tackles and two assists. Bell contributed four tackles and two assists.

Lynch had three tackles and two assists. Chisek accounted for one tackle and three assists. Eric Kehrer had three tackles.

Sheldon Tobar, Logan Swigart, and Smith each had two tackles.

Watervliet will play their final game of a three-game road trip Friday in Schoolcraft. The Eagles are 5-2 having been upset by Coloma Friday 32-7. With Watervliet’s 7-0 record, Panther fans are confident their team can go the distance this season and remain perfect.

Coloma gives Schoolcraft a lesson in football

 Coloma won their fifth game of the season and is one step closer to qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2008. It is also Coloma’s first winning record since 2009.

The Comets welcomed the Eagles to Coloma and ruffled their feathers to the tune of a 32-7 victory.

SMITH JR. SCHOOLS ‘EM… Coloma’s Jamane Smith Jr. scampers eight yards and scores the team’s final touchdown of the night Friday, as the Comets topped Schoolcraft 32-7. Smith Jr. had seven carries for 45 yards and one TD in the home-coming victory. Coloma im-proved to 5-2 on the season. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The first points of the game came courtesy of a one-yard run by Levi Wilkens. Derek Plitt kicked the point after attempt and Coloma led 7-0.

In the second quarter, Coloma QB Zach Goodline took the ball 37 yards into the end zone. Plitt kicked another beaut as the Comets eased further away from Schoolcraft, 14-0.

It was Wilkens back in the end zone minutes later after he picked off a Schoolcraft pass and hoofed it 41-yards for the touchdown.  Plitt’s PAT failed, but Coloma opened up a 20-0 lead.

Schoolcraft’s only score of the game came late in the second quarter. At intermission, the score stood Coloma 20, Schoolcraft 7.

Following the short break, Coloma received the kickoff. On their first series they had a couple nice runs, a penalty, and were forced to punt after facing fourth and three.

Schoolcraft picked up extra yardage on a Coloma penalty for a late hit. Schoolcraft’s QB pitched the ball to his receiver but it was fumbled and recovered by Coloma’s Zack Lake.

Coloma’s Jamane Smith Jr. powered his way through the Schoolcraft line and would eventually nab a first and goal. Three plays later, Calvin Starnes caught Goodline’s throw, completing the 12-yard pass play with a visit to the end zone.  Coloma tried a two-point conversion which failed. Coloma’s lead widened to 26-7 as the third quarter was completed.

Smith Jr. was the lone scorer in the fourth quarter. He found the sweet spot of the end zone on an eight-yard run for another Comet TD. The PAT failed, but Coloma sealed up the 32-7 victory over Schoolcraft, who was previously undefeated at 4-0-1.

Coloma head coach Joe Stephens, with a wide smile on his face after the game, shared, “That was a big win. Our defense stepped up big again. First half they had their safeties down real tight, so we took advantage of some things throwing the ball.

“In the second half, we just wanted to shorten the game when we got up three scores.  They are a very good offensive team. As well as we played on defense tonight, they did have a lot of yards. We just forced some turnovers.”

In terms of yardage, the teams were similarly matched. Coloma ran 63 plays and had 305 total yards. Schoolcraft ran 52 plays and accumulated 294 total yards.

Goodline was five of seven for 119 yards and one TD. He also rushed 17 times for 56 yards and one TD.

Smith had seven carries for 45 yards and one TD. Wilkens picked up 39 yards on nine carries and one TD.

Lake toted the ball six times for 12 yards, while Caleb Ellis had five yards on three carries. Tevon Blazier’s four carries netted three yards.

Starnes caught two passes for 44 yards and one TD. Wilkens had two receptions for 40 yards. Robbie Schroeder caught one pass for 35 yards.

Schroeder also chipped in seven tackles and two assists.  Cody Reese added five tackles and three assists.

Smith Jr. added three tackles.

Defensively, Reese recovered one fumble, Lake picked up two. Wilkens picked off two passes, and Smith Jr. intercepted one pass.

Wilkens, a senior on the Coloma team, attributes the squad success this year to “working harder” than previous years.

“We like to beat big teams, but we have to worry about next week now.”

The Comets face Delton Kellogg Friday at home. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m.

Wilkens summed it up best, “I don’t want the season to end.”

Hartford suffers home field shut out at the hands of Cassopolis

 Hartford football suffered a small setback Friday as they hosted an undefeated 6-0 Cassopolis team on the gridiron.

SHOULDERING THROUGH… Hartford’s Ro-bert Ledesma Jr. churns through the Cassopolis line Friday night. The Indians were shut out by the visiting Rangers 45-0 and fell to 5-2 this season. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The Indian offense was unable to generate much movement on the field. Cassopolis, however, seemed to have no trouble hitting the end zone, despite turning the ball over two times early in the first quarter.

Cassopolis led 21-0 after the first quarter, after Hartford failed to score following Ranger turnovers. The visiting team added 14 points in the second quarter to lead 35-0 at intermission.

Cassopolis scored one TD in the third quarter along with a successful PAT. The Rangers added three more points on a field goal in the fourth quarter.

The 45-0 loss gives Hartford a 5-2 record with two games remaining on the Indians’ schedule as they attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015 when they went 5-5. Prior to that, Hartford qualified for the playoffs in 2010 through 2013.

Portage Invitational provides strong competition for area teams

 The boys’ and girls’ varsity cross country teams of Coloma, Hartford, and Watervliet participated in the Portage Invitational meet Saturday, October 7.

Forty-two teams comprised the boys’ event, with 343 athletes running together on the course at Portage Middle School.

Watervliet took 29th place overall with 763 points. Coloma’s 997-point total placed them in 36th. Hartford ended the day in 39th place with 1,072 points. Hanover-Horton won the championship with 117 points.

Watervliet’s Gus Hinch was the area’s first finisher. He set a new personal record with his 70th place finish and time of 18:03. Coloma’s Adiel Granados was first for Coloma in 78th place (18:10).

Hartford’s Ulises Bacilio took 125th place (18:51) and set a new PR.

Watervliet claimed 145th, 153rd, 192nd, 207th places with finishes by Ezra Troyer (19:01), Kody Edmonds (19:06), Trevor Pelton (19:58), and Nick Swanson (20:07), respectively.

Hartford’s Francisco Loera claimed 215th place (20:18). A half-step behind Loera was Coloma’s Blane Sutherland in 216th place (20:18); he set a new PR.

Hartford’s Trey Ackerman finished 221st (20:22), and Watervliet’s Austin Roberts ran to 224th place (20:25).

Ian Ishmael of Coloma set a new PR with his time of 20:25; he took 225th place. Teammate Josh Young ended the event in 230th place (20:37).

Watervliet’s Klayton Marshall finished in 237th place (20:53). Coloma’s Hunter Crist set a new PR (22:06) with his 258th place run. Hartford’s Evan Delarosa turned in a time of 22:10 and 259th place finish.

Willie Donald of Coloma set a new PR time of 22:15 and finished 261st.  Hartford’s James Lucero and Blake Snyder claimed 265th and 285th place, respectively with times of 22:29 and 26:27.

In the girls’ division, Hart won the championship with 52 points. Hartford earned a 33rd place finish with 865 points, while Coloma took 38th place with 953 points.

Of the 293 female runners participating, Coloma’s Emma Vandermolen was the first local female finisher. She crossed the finish line in 93rd place with a time of 22:03.

Hartford runners took 128th and 156th place. Marisol Robles had a time of 22:57, while Angela Saldana finished with a time of 23:33.

Coloma’s Abby Vandermolen took 187th place (24:26).  Hartford’s Jamie Smith ran to 192nd place (24:36).

Watervliet’s first finisher was Alyssa Hobson in 203rd place (25:02). Alexis Griffith of Hartford took 206th place (25:15). Angelina Hammond of Watervliet finished 226th (25:53) with Hartford’s Isabelle Heminger nipping at her heels in 227th place (25:58).

Coloma’s Julia Sternaman finished in 240th place (26:35). Teammates Amaria Echols and Samantha Scott took 244th and 246th place, respectively, with times of 26:44 and 26:49.

Katelynn Sutherland of Watervliet set a new PR time of 27:04 in 253rd place. Coloma’s Gabrielle Ezell took 259th (28:00), and fellow Comet Phoebe Browne finished in 269th place (29:18).

Watervliet’s Bailey Swisher finished with a time of 29:34 in 272nd place.

Watervliet volleyball competes in Comstock Invitational

 The Watervliet varsity volleyball squad participated in the Comstock Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday.

The team’s effort yielded a mixed bag of results for the Panthers. Watervliet lost 20-25, 17-25 to Bridgman, and 24-25, 23-25 to Decatur.

The Panthers topped Kalamazoo Hackett 25-24, 25-17 before losing to Portage Northern 14-25, 13-25. The 2-6 record left the Panthers fourth in pool play.

GRACE GOES FOR IT… Grace Smith had 19 digs and three aces in Watervliet’s 3-1 win over visiting Gobles Octo-ber 3. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Jaelyn Pitre led Watervliet with 32 assists, four kills, 10 aces, and one dig.  Emma Armstrong added one assist, four kills, four aces, and 12 digs.  Kara Liles chipped in 16 kills and four blocks.

Mikalah Clay had four aces, five digs, and two blocks. Zoe Smith banged out 13 kills, 13 digs, and one block.  Grace Smith provided one assist, three kills, and 16 digs.

Elaine Koshar hit two kills, one dig, and four blocks. Brenna Langston smacked one ace, while Caley Simmons contributed five digs.  Emma Yazel had two digs in the team effort.

Hartford soccer duels with Paw Paw to 0-0 tie

If you wanted to see strong, physical, defensive play on the soccer field, I hope you made it to Thursday’s varsity game featuring the Indians of Hartford taking on the Redskins of Paw Paw.

There was absolutely no give out of either team as they battled for 80 minutes on the field. In what turned out to be the most evenly matched game of the season, it was impressive to see how each team battled for the ball, used their strength to power down the field, and tried time after time to get the ball into the net.

The Indians were not able to score as Paw Paw routinely smothered Hartford players as soon as their feet hit the ball.

The game ended in a 0-0 tie, with Hartford’s Rudy Martinez earning praise for his performance in net. He recorded five saves.

Indians volley to 3-0 loss to Centreville

The Hartford varsity volleyball squad was overwhelmed Thursday, October 5 as they welcomed Centreville to the court.

The Indians opened game one by falling behind early.  Centreville jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Hartford responded with two points of their own.

The Indians struggled to place their volleys, while Centreville seemed to have the magic touch, often landing shots just inside the lines.

Centreville scored the final nine points of the game, giving Hartford the 25-11 loss.

The Indians struggled throughout the entire contest and never really seemed to find their rhythm. Hartford lost the second and third games 25-9, 25-8 and fell to Centreville 0-3.

Jessica Cortes led Hartford with 35 digs and two aces. Mikenzie Chambers had three kills. Megan Nelson was credited with 24 digs. AJ Jackson stood tall for the Indians and blocked six shots.

Coloma soccer hit hard by Hackett

 The Comets of Coloma lost 9-1 to Kalamazoo Hackett Wednesday, October 4.

SW10 Jamboree meet #2 held at Decatur

SURROUNDED… William Martinez found himself sur-rounded by red jerseys last Thursday as Hartford hosted Paw Paw. The two teams played to a 0-0 tie. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The boys’ and girls’ varsity cross country squads of Hartford participated in the Southwest 10 Conference Jamboree #2 held at Lake of the Woods Camp in Decatur on Wednesday, October 4.

The young ladies on the Indian squad took third place overall with their 85 point total.  The championship was won by Bloomingdale with 44 points.

Seven of the 11 Hartford runners posted new personal records during the event, and five trekkers finished in the top 25.

Adrianna Morseau finished first for Hartford. She claimed ninth place overall with a time of 21:40.  Brianna Morseau finished in 13th place (22:05).

Angela Saldana took 19th place (22:47), and Marisol Robles finished in 20th place (22:57).  Jamie Smith (24:14), Katherine Sanchez (24:30), and Isabelle Heminger (24:35) took 25th through 27th place, respectively.

Alexis Griffith (24:42) finished in 29th place.  Esther Ugalde earned a 51st place finish (28:19).  Abigail Lopez (29:11) and Mariela Gutierrez (29:30) finished in 54th and 57th place.

New PRs were set by both Morseaus, Saldana, Smith, Sanchez, Heminger, and Griffith.

For the young men, Francisco Loera crossed the tape in 18th place (19:17).  Trey Ackerman took 21st (29:22). Evan Delarosa finished in 43rd place (21:15). James Lucero landed in 54th place (23:10), while Blake Snyder took 66th place (24:41).

Loera, Ackerman, Delarosa, and Snyder set all new personal records.

Panthers volley to 3-1 win over Gobles

 Although Watervliet would open their match against Gobles with a 25-27 loss, the squad looked good – and proved it over the ensuing three games the teams played.

Game one featured a lot of timely shots by Watervliet, as well as some impressive defensive moves. The teams were neck-and-neck but Gobles held on for the 27-25 win.

In their second game, Watervliet outperformed Gobles 25-17 for the win. Game three also went to Watervliet after they outscored Gobles 25-15.

In the deciding game four, Watervliet overmatched Gobles and won 25-12.

Emma Armstrong tallied five kills, three aces, and 17 digs for Watervliet. Teammate Mikalah Clay had two assists, one kill, three aces, and two digs.  Elaine Koshar hit three kills, one dig, and two blocks.  Jaelyn Pitre had 20 assists, two kills, and four digs.

Kara Liles posted 10 kills, one dig, and five blocks. Zoe Smith recorded nine kills and three digs.  Grace Smith served up three aces and 19 digs.  Brenna Langston blasted four aces, while Emma Yazel had one kill, one ace, and two digs.  Payton Priebe was credited with one dig.

Cassopolis cruises to 3-0 win over Hartford on volleyball court

 The Harford varsity volleyball team traveled to Cassopolis Tuesday, October 3 for action on the hardwood. The Indian squad ran into a tough opponent and lost three straight games, 25-20, 25-16, 25-19.

Hartford was led by Jessica Cortes with three aces, six assists, and 40 digs.  Megan Nelson added five kills, one block, and 29 digs.  Mikenzie Chambers put up one ace and three kills.

AJ Jackson blocked three shots and had two kills and one ace.  Cora Wesaw and Brynn Duffy both added two kills.

CONCENTRATION… Brynn Duffy concentrates on sending the ball across the net in Har-ford’s first game against Cen-treville. The Indians lost 25-11, 25-9, 25-8 at home last Thursday. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

With the loss, the Indians fell to 1-6 in the Southwest 10 Conference and 14-17 overall.

Yore leads Coloma in 3-0 rout of Saugatuck

The Coloma Comets volleyball team continues to showcase their hitting and blocking ability. On Tuesday, October 3, the team hosted Saugatuck and won in three straight games, 25-9, 25-21, 25-22.

Kayla Yore led Coloma with 11 kills, 17 assists, three aces, 17 digs, and one block.  Morgan Wagner accounted for four kills, five assists, three aces, 12 digs, and four blocks.

Megan Neubecker provided one kill, two assists, two digs, and four blocks. Mika Anderson hit two kills, three digs, and one block.

Taryn Blazier had two kills and one block, while Mya Potter tallied one kill, two aces, and 15 digs. Mia Cole slammed one ace and had 10 digs. Sam Stewart had two aces and four digs.

SAC match between Coloma and Saugatuck ends in 2-1 loss for the Comets

Coloma’s varsity soccer squad squared off against Saugatuck in a Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup Tuesday, October 3.

Antonio Gagliardo scored the Comets’ lone goal. He was assisted by Jacob Bryant.

Both Coloma and Saugatuck booted 17 shots on goal.  Austin Russel, in as keeper for Coloma, was credited with 15 saves.