Hartford Press Box
Hartford Boys Soccer completes regular season with victory at Otsego
Last week, the state-ranked Hartford Husky boys soccer team (#3 team in Division 3) finished the regular season with a road, non-conference match, in preparation of postseason play. They entered the final match of the regular season having won the conference, while having a record of 18-0-1 overall.
In their lone match of the week, which saw the team travel to Otsego to take on the Bulldogs in non-conference action on Monday, Oct. 9, the men were looking to keep their unblemished record (outside
of one draw) intact, against a team that was one division above them in enrollment (Division 2) and was just 5-9-1 on the year. However, you can never take anything for granted this late in the season, so the Huskies needed to continue to play team soccer.
As for the match itself, the opening fifteen minutes or so was scoreless, before the Huskies would ‘open the lid’ on the net and put the opening goal on the board. The team would go on to score two additional goals over the course of the opening forty minutes, taking a 3-nil lead into halftime. Both defenses stepped up in a big way in the second half, as neither team could find the space to put a goal into the net. The result of the match would be a victory for Hartford, 3-nil. The shutout was their eighth of the season, all of which have come over the last eleven matches.
The three goals in the match were scored by three different players; Jairo Lorenzo-Reyes, Melvin Parra and Caiden Smith.
Hartford is currently 19-0-1 on the season. Their lone victory last week was enough for the team to finish #3 in the final Division 3 poll released by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association (MIHSSCA) on Monday, Oct. 16. During the upcoming week, postseason play will take place, with the district being hosted by Three Rivers. The Huskies drew a first round ‘bye’ and will have played Watervliet in a district semifinal, on Monday, Oct. 16. With a win over the Panthers, they would play for a district championship on Wednesday, Oct. 18, against the winner of Buchanan and the host Wildcats.
X-Country teams slosh through mud, muck to Top-5 finishes
The Hartford Husky / Lady Husky varsity cross-country teams returned to the local trails in competitive action, as they participated in a weekend invitational against several area teams during their only event of the seven-day stretch. So far this season, the teams have run solid times during all their meets to date, giving the runners some confidence as the season reaches its waning stages. The regional meet is coming up soon, so the best times should occur right now.
In the weekend event, the Bloomingdale Invitational, which was held on Saturday, Oct. 14, the two teams ran in likely the coldest and rainiest races that they’ve competed in all year long. The Hartford men finished in 4th place out of six teams, with a total of 102 team points, while the Hartford ladies finished in the runner-up spot out of four teams, with a total of 58 team points.
The top-five finishers for the Huskies in the men’s race included Carlos Ruiz (7th place, 19:14), Josias Robles (16th place, 20:13), Robert Lenza (20th place, 20:33), Jairo Lopez (30th place, 21:21) and Jaylin Bachman (36th place, 22:17).
In the ladies race, the top-five finishers for the Lady Huskies included Lillian Wolf (2nd place, 23:13), Katlina Wadlington (10th place, 25:09), Marianna Hopper (19th place, 27:33), Anya Watkins (23rd place, 28:52) and Juliana Morseau (24th place, 29:21).
The Hartford cross-country teams travel to Gobles on Saturday, Oct. 21 to compete in the Little Guys Invitational.
Volleyball continues conference season with Centreville loss
The Lady Husky varsity volleyball team competed in just one conference match last week. In their lone weekly test, the team participated in a Southwest 10 Conference home match against the visiting Lady Bulldogs of Centreville, on Tuesday, Oct. 10. These two teams have met each other every season since they became members of the same conference, with the Lady Bulldogs taking home the victory in just about every meeting. This match, despite two relatively close sets, didn’t end any different from those previous showdowns, as the ladies wearing the green and white uniforms were swept in straight sets: 25-9, 25-20, 25-15.
The schedule for the Lady Huskies in the week ahead will have featured one of their final conference matches of the season, along with the conference tournament. The team will have hosted the Lady Cardinals of Bloomingdale on Tuesday, Oct. 17, before their attention turns towards the Southwest 10 Conference tournament which will be held in Centreville on Saturday, Oct. 21.
Husky JV Football runs record to 7-1 with Homecoming win
Last week, the Hartford Husky junior varsity football team finally were able to host a home game, as the Huskies and the Centreville Bulldogs would meet for a third time this year. The young Huskies have a resounding group of freshman and sophomores that have gotten off to a 6-1 start to the season and are getting better all the time.
In the game against the Bulldogs, which was played on Thursday, Oct. 12, the Huskies were looking to celebrate ‘Homecoming’ with a second victory of the year against Centreville, who just a couple weeks prior, handed Hartford their only loss of the season. With a chip on their shoulder and revenge on their mind, the Huskies came out ready to play on both sides of the ball and the result on the scoreboard would be proof of that. When the final seconds ticked off the game clock, Hartford would earn a hard-fought victory, 24-8, sending the crowd that attended the game and royalty crowning into a celebratory mood that hasn’t been seen in a while.
The first quarter saw Hartford lead after the opening stanza, by a score of 6-0. It seemed like a Husky drive near midfield would stall out and result in either a punt or a turnover on downs. However, those fears were never realized, as on fourth down Brian Sewell received outstanding blocks from his offensive line, found a hole and rushed the ball 44-yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and the 6-0 margin would stand through the end of the opening twelve minutes.
The second quarter saw Hartford put the game out of reach, as they utilized two touchdown-scoring drives to build the lead to 18-0 when the matchup reached halftime. While the Huskies defense put the ‘lockdown’ on the Centreville offense, Hartford was still managing to put points on the board. The first touchdown drive of the stanza came on a 9-yard run by Linken Birkhead; the conversion attempt was no good, extending the lead at that point, to 12-0.
After another defensive stop, the Huskies converted on their second scoring opportunity of the frame, as Brian Sewell scored his second touchdown of the evening, this time on a 7-yard run deep in the red zone. Once again, Hartford would attempt the two-point opportunity for a conversion try; the try was unsuccessful, bringing us to the 18-0 halftime score.
After the teams returned to the field for the second half, it appeared that the visiting Bulldogs made the correct adjustments in the locker room, as they managed to outscore the Huskies, 8-0, in the third quarter, to get back into the game.
The fourth quarter was dominated by Hartford, as they scored their final points of the game to put the showdown away for good. While the defense pitched another shutout on their end of the field, the Huskies were able to put together a scoring drive, which culminated with a 24-yard touchdown run by Brian Sewell, his third score of the night. For the first time, Hartford attempted a kick for the point after try; it missed wide left, bringing us to the final margin of victory.
On offense, Hartford finished with 294 total yards, which included 217 rushing yards and 77 passing yards. Mason Mireles and Jeffrey Littlefield combined to go 5-for-10 passing, with the top receivers being Alex Morsaw (two catches for 66 yards) and Isaiah Lovell (two catches for 10 yards). Brian Sewell led the rushing attack for the Huskies, carrying the ball 15 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns, while Linken Birkhead rushed seven times for 34 yards and a score.
On defense, the Huskies were led by Birkhead with ten tackles (including two tackles-for-a-loss) and Rowen Williamson with seven tackles. Other defensive statistical standouts included fumble recoveries by Birkhead, Littlefield and Williamson, while Drake Sikes made an interception.
Hartford is currently 7-1 on the season. The Huskies will finish their 2023 season with a second straight home game, when they host the Lawton Blue Devils on Thursday, Oct. 19; the two teams met last fall in week eight, with the Huskies taking home the victory, 22-14. Hartford fans let’s make sure to pack the home stands one more time and be the ‘12th Man’ that this team needs!
As always, GO GREEN! GO WHITE!
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