The stage is set once again for the Flint Metro League game of the year this Friday in Oxford.
The Wildcats will face Linden in a game that will give the winner at least a share of the league championship. The Eagles lost their first game of the season on Friday against Lapeer West.
West’s 55-22 victory, coupled with Oxford’s 6-0 win over Swartz Creek, created a logjam atop the league standings, with all three teams sporting 6-1 league records. West can also get a share of the league title by beating Holly on Friday. The Wildcats handed West it’s only league loss.
Oxford’s football fans know about the intensity of the Wildcats? and Eagles? games the past three years. All three contests have gone into overtime, with Linden winning two of those, including a very controversial victory on Oxford’s field two years ago.
Both Linden and Oxford have 7-1 overall records and the teams have appeared to be on a collision course all season as perhaps the best two teams in the Metro League.
The Oxford offense has helped to carry the team during most of the season but on Friday it was the Wildcat defense that shot down the Dragons.
Swartz Creek had been averaging more than 25 point per game but could not find the end zone against a very stingy Oxford defense. ‘It’s a great win and our defense really did a good job for us,? Coach Bud Rowley said.
The defense forced several turnovers and made some timely plays to hold Creek to 219 yards in offense, including 148 yards passing.
Zach Line led the defense from his middle-linebacker spot while also carrying the ball 40 times for the Cats and picking up 183 yards rushing. Oxford’s only score came in the first quarter. It was set up by a 49-yard punt return by Joel Fortier that put the ball on Creek’s 26. Line scored on the first play from scrimmage to give the Cats a 6-0 advantage with 6: 03 left in the quarter.
The final quarter proved to be a nail-biter for both teams. Oxford started a drive from their 23 with 9:03 left. They ran the clock down to only 54 seconds left in the game before being stopped on Creek’s 20 on a fourth down.
Line carried the ball for 13 of the 15 plays in the drive that used up more than eight minutes. Swartz Creek gave the Cats a scare after taking possession 80 yards from the end zone with only 54 seconds left.
The Dragons moved down to Oxford’s 10-yard line with under 20 seconds left in the game. An incomplete pass followed by a quarterback sack by several blitzing Oxford defenders ran the clock out.
Coach Rowley praised his defense following the win and said his squad will be ready this week to face Linden. ‘We’re going to get ready to play,? he said.