Clarkston football players and fans celebrated at Brighton High School last Saturday as they rewrote Wolves? history once more.
The Wolves earned their second consecutive trip to the MHSAA Division 1 Football State Championships by defeating the East Kentwood Falcons, 35-13 in the semifinals.
This Saturday they will take on Saline at Ford Ford for the championship game.
‘We did good,? said senior linebacker Adam Matich. ‘This team is fast and they compete to the whistle. We came out strong and came out with the win.?
The Wolves did come out strong as the boys opened the scoring four minutes into the game with a 40-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback DJ Zezula to junior Jacob Fisher.
East Kentwood was slowed down by defense on their first possession but a huge stop came from senior linebacker Cole Chewins when he intercepted a pass on the 10-yard line with 6:27 remaining in the first quarter.
‘It shook them up a little bit,? said Kurt Richardson, long-time head coach. ‘They lost their confidence. Turning the ball over that deep in their end was huge for us.?
‘He has just been unbelievable,? added Tony Miller, defensive coordinator. ‘The big interception early in the game set the tone. He is an exceptional man.?
Within two plays and one minute the Wolves scored on a 7-yard run from senior receiver Merrick Canada.
The Wolves struck again with a 4-yard run from junior running back Nolan Eriksen with 3:32 left in the first quarter, putting the score 21-0.
‘The start was huge,? Richardson added. ‘It got them on their heels a little bit. It made a big difference.?
The Falcons put their first score on the board with 8:20 remaining in the first half with a 25-yard field goal from Bryce Lovelace.
Clarkston defense kept them to one more field goal – scored in the third quarter.
The Wolves scored two more times in the fourth quarter to seal the Falcons? fate.
The first touchdown was a 34-yard touchdown from Eriksen with 8:36 remaining in the game. The second one came six minutes with a 14-yard run from Zezula.
‘Our kids stepped up very well,? said Miller. ‘They answered the bell when they got within the 20-yard line a few times on us. Throughout the season we gave up touchdowns. On Saturday the kids buckled
down and only gave up a field goals which was outstanding.
‘It shows the kids are improving tremendously and they know once you get this far each play means something,? he added. ‘They played good. I am looking for more relentless passion for the finals.?
Zezula was 6-for-7 for passing for 92 yards. Fisher caught three passes for 63 yards and Canada caught two passes for 22 yards.
Eriksen was the leading rusher with 209 yards on 28 carries and Zezula ran 46 yards on two carries. Junior Alex Kessman was 5-for-5 on PATs.
‘Nolan is awesome,? Richardson said. ‘But it all starts with the boys up front.?
Senior Jack McKillop led defense with seven tackles, two for loss of yards for the Falcons. Junior Carter Linton had six tackles, two with loss of yards. Senior Jack Selke also had six tackles.
The Wolves take on Saline, who defeated Detroit Cass Tech, 30-15.
Richardson added this year’s journey to Ford Field was different due the bulls eye on them is bigger.
‘Everyone is gunning for us,? he said. ‘The kids have responded very well.?
Heading into the finals this week, Matich expects some butterflies even though they were there just a year ago.
‘Everyone gets butterflies before going to the state championship game,? he said. ‘The nerves are still going to be there. We have to start out strong like we did today.?
‘There will be some nerves until things calm down,? Miller said. ‘Knowing their routine and knowing how things happen is going to be a benefit for us. They have to treat it like a regular football game. It doesn’t matter if you play in front of 80,000 or two – you play the same.?
He added all this week he will give the boys the same statement he uses all the time – ‘every play, play like your mom is in a fire and you have to get her out.?
‘Come Saturday there are going to be a lot of fires and we have to save a lot of moms,? he said. ‘Every play is going to mean something. It’s going to be a battle.?
MHSAA FOOTBALL FINALS: Clarkston (13-0) plays Saline (12-1) at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $10 each for children and adults. It is General Admission only and cash only. Parking is $6 at Ford Field controlled parking lots.
Please visit www.fordfield.com to see what you can take into the venue due to security measures.