After assuring themselves a playoff berth by running roughshod over Rochester High, 43-7, on Oct. 7; Clarkston 6-1 (5-1) has a greater purpose over the final two games of the season.
‘We are looking for homefield advantage so we want to win these next two. These are two real big games, especially week nine against Lake Orion, we’re really looking forward to that one,? said senior Mike Kittle, who piled up 147 yards as a runner and receiver against the Falcons to go with two rushing touchdowns.
Neither Kittle nor anyone else on Clarkston’s roster is looking past an Oct. 14 match-up with Groves at home.
‘We definitely want to get (Groves) back from last year,? said Kittle. ‘There’s a lot of big games ahead of us. It’s going to be fun.?
Last year, a humbling 27-9 defeat to Groves, backed the Wolves into a corner in the last week of the season. Clarkston needed a victory over Lake Orion to make the 2004 MHSAA playoffs. The Wolves responded though, beating the Dragons 30-12 in the final week of the season to earn their sixth win and a playoff berth.
‘We’re in the dance now. The next two weeks are going to be tough. They are going to be playoff intensity games,? said Clarkston Coach Kurt Richardson.
?(Homefield advantage) is our goal and that has been our goal and I would think we are going to have to win both games for that to happen. So we’ve got our work cut out for us.?
Against Rochester the Wolves showed some wrinkles which bode well in their immediate future.
First and foremost, Clarkston had a healthy backfield for the first time in four games as seniors Steve McIsaac, Nick DeVault and Kittle all carried the ball effectively against Rochester.
‘All three of them are excellent ball carriers. We just have to keep them healthy,? said Richardson.
The trio covers a wide spectrum of running styles, and all three shone brightly against the Falcons. Aside from an 11-yard run to the 1-yard line by junior quarterback Eric Ogg, Clarkston’s three-headed rushing monster combined for 66 yards on 11 carries on the Wolves opening drive, chewing up just over four minutes of game time.
McIsaac, a bruising fullback and state record holder in three power lifting events, chews up yards between the hash marks. Against the Falcons, he scored Clarkston’s first touchdown of the game and rushed for 46 yards on eight carries.
DeVault’s speed and elusiveness are terrifically effective when Clarkston runs the option, he ran for 50 yards on seven carries.
Kittle bridges the gap between his partners in the backfield. Not only does he run with jolting power and undeniable speed, but also possesses a certain je ne sais quois, allowing him to elude tacklers for improbable gains.
Another positive from the Wolves victory over Rochester is for the third straight week they held an opponent to seven or fewer points. The Falcons came into the game against Clarkston having gained over 400 yards passing the week before in a 30-28 win over Troy Athens.
‘I was very happy with our secondary. A kid like (senior) Nick Vanchina, who wasn’t a starter at the start of the year, has come on. He’s played well enough that we can take Mike Kittle off defense and give him rest,? said Richardson, who also gave high marks to senior Kyle Cummings, senior Mitch Miller and junior Kevin Badgley’s play in the defensive backfield.
Clarkston tried to give Rochester an assortment of different looks on defense to offset the Falcons frequent audibles at the line of scrimmage.
Finishing off the Wolves scoring was Chad Blackstone on a 3-yard run; junior Bren Berquist on a 16-yard reception from Ogg; junior Ryan Breen on a 23-yard field goal; and Colton Tweed on a 28-yard run. Breen converted four extra point kicks in addition to his field goal.
Rochester’s lone score of the ball game came with 8:14 left and Clarkston up 37-0 on a 39 yard pass from Anthony Merlo to Stephan Henning.
‘They have good skill players and they don’t make mistakes and that was the difference. The prediction at the beginning of the year was that they were going to win the league. They are good enough to win the league, but they lost to Adams. But they are a very good team and they’ll do very well,? said Rochester Coach Mark Merlo.
Clarkston’s 17-0 loss to Adams on Aug. 26 may come back to haunt them at the end of the season. Adams leads the OAA Division I with an unblemished 7-0 (6-0) record. Adams final schedule includes Farmington Hills Harrison on Oct. 14 and Rochester on Oct. 21.
Harrison has already done the Wolves one favor. On Oct. 7, the Hawks handed Lake Orion their second league loss of the season, 14-10. Should the Hawks beat Adams on Oct. 14, Clarkston could conceivably tie for the league title if they were to win out.
?(The game against Lake Orion) could be for the league championship, that’s what we are hoping for. We have to take care of our end of it first,? said Richardson.