by Justin Gibson | Nov 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Nick Ortleib got the chance of a lifetime to suit up and run the ball into the endzone for the Eagles. Photo by Stephanie Blentlinger, Lingering Memories Photography.
By Mark Blentlinger
It was a rainy Friday night in Coloma when the Eagles soared in to take on the Comets. Even though the Comets led the Eagles on the offensive play count, 65-39, and were close on total yards with 251 to the Eagles 277 the Eagles won by a large margin, 41-12.
The first quarter belonged solely to the Eagles. At the end of the first, the Eagles were up 27-0, with one score by Parker Lawerence and three by Kobe Clark. The second quarter finally saw the Comets get on the scoreboard with an 8-yard touchdown from Kenyon Boyd. On the ensuing kickoff, Kobe Clark took it 60 yards downfield to add seven more to the score.
Alex Thole led the Eagle offense, throwing eight passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. Kobe Clark had eight rushes for 100 yards and four touchdowns. Lawerence pulled in five catches for 98 yards and one touchdown. The Eagle defense was led by Trevor DeGroote with five tackles and four assists, while Bryce VanderWiere, Mark Fox and Asa Pavey all recorded tackles for loss.
Big Win Over Watervliet
Next up to try and give the Eagles their first loss of the season were the Panthers of Watervliet. They, like all the others so far this season, found the explosive offense of the Eagles too much to handle. The defense also let the Panthers know, “not in our house!” The Eagle defense allowed the Panthers a total of 67 yards on offense. Stephen Schultz led the Eagles with five tackles, two for loss and one sack. Trevor DeGroote, Aiden Hursey, Bryce VanderWiere, Asa Pavey and Josh Stokes all had tackles for loss. Jimmy Downs and Lawerence not only caught passes from their own quarterback, they stole passes from the hands of Panther receivers, with one interception each. The Eagle offense racked up 377 total yards. Alex Thole went 16/18 for 225 yards and three touchdowns and Kobe Clark had nine carries for 101 yards, with five touchdowns. Three Eagle receivers also had touchdowns; Lawerence, Jimmy Downs and Harmon DeVries.
Nick Ortlieb Gets His Big Chance
The game that night was so much bigger than football and winning or losing. The Eagle’s team manager, senior Nick Ortlieb, has a cognitive impairment, but is a staple on the sideline of every Eagle football game. He can be seen walking up and down congratulating his teammates while fist bumping as many as he can. However, for this game, Nick was dressed in full Eagle football gear. At the end of the second quarter, right before halftime, the Eagles and the Panthers lined up on the 40-yard line with Nick sporting his number 66 jersey in the backfield. He took the hand off from quarterback Alex Thole and ran a halfback sweep around the right side of the line, streaking the 40 yards into the endzone, with his arms spread wide like an Eagle. His teammates and even a Panther or two swarmed around him, while the crowd roared as if it were the greatest touchdown ever scored.
by Justin Gibson | Nov 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
By Mark Blentlinger
With a team filled with underclassmen, Head Coach Chad Earles has a lot to look forward to next season with the Eagle men’s soccer team. There are three juniors: Jose Ramon, Brett Faulk and Myalz Berkheiser. Sophomores are Ronan Thompson, Nathan Riddle, Jacob Ryder, Nate Earles, Asher Puhalski, Luis Moragues, Kaleb Copeland and Alex Stoner. Freshman are Cody Gillespie and Josiah Stuart.
The young Eagles had seven wins, seven losses and three ties overall, four wins, four losses and one tie in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The highlight of the season came when the Eagles were able to defeat Kalamazoo Lakeside Academy 8-0 in the MHSAA District quarterfinal. They then faced off against Kalamazoo Christian in the District semifinal for the first time in the young Eagles history. They were unable to top the Comets and lost 4-2. The Comets eventually went on to win the district championship. The future of men’s eagle soccer is heading in the right direction, according to Earles.
The following Schoolcraft players made all-conference and honorable mention: Brett Faulk and Myalz Berkheiser were named all-conference. Cody Gillespie, Jose Puente, Josiah Stuart, Nate Earles and Ronan Thompson all won honorable mention.
by Justin Gibson | Nov 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Schoolcraft’s volleyball team will play for the District Championship the first week in November. Photo by Stephanie Blentlinger, Lingering Memories Photography.
By Mark Blentlinger
In front of a big home crowd Tuesday night, the top-ranked Schoolcraft Eagles volleyball team took on the No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian Comets for a battle of the unbeatens. Both teams came into the match 15-0 in conference play before the Eagles claimed the SAC Conference title defeating the Comets 25-17, 25-10, 25-19.
“We always look forward to a great game against K-Christian. They’re a great team who works hard and doesn’t quit. They keep you on your toes. I thought we did a great job tonight controlling the ball defensively. Our goal was to stay involved with the play until we won the point and through our communication we did that,” Coach Erin Onken explained.
“Andelyn Simkins lead us tonight with 22 digs. That’s a huge number for a three-set match. She read around our block well, especially against their outsides and took some big swings away from them,” Coach Onken added.
Schoolcraft was impressive defensively and it kept the momentum on its side of the floor. Along with Simkin’s 22 digs, Kelby Goldschmeding contributed 15, and Kayla Onken and Allie Goldschmeding added 9 each. Simkins led the Eagles with 15 kills while Morris, Schuppel, Onken and Goldschmeding contributed five each.
The Eagles head to the Comets home gym to start District play November 4.
by Justin Gibson | Nov 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
By Mark Blentlinger
To end the season, a win would leave Schoolcraft with a perfect 9-0 record and the SAC Lakeshore Championship. It wasn’t to be: Schoolcraft fell to 8-1 with a crushing defeat at the hands of Kalamazoo United’s Titans.
A win by the Titans and the Constantine Falcons created a three-way tie among the three teams. Both the Falcons and Titans were able to put another win in their column in their last game of the regular season.
The contest started out like a usual game, a winning one, by the Schoolcraft Eagles. The first three possessions turned into points, such as the 20-yard pass from Alex Thole to Parker Lawerence. The extra point failed, but the Eagles were quickly up 6-0. The next score was another pass from Thole to Kobe Clark for 15 yards to the end zone. Within the first five minutes the Eagles were able to hit pay-dirt for the third time with an 80-yard pass from Thole to Lawerence.
It was the second quarter before the Titans were able to put points on the scoreboard, reading 20-7, where the score stayed until after halftime.
In the third quarter, the Eagles struck first with another pass from Thole to Jimmy Downs. This put the Eagles up 27-7. However, the Titans knew if they wanted to make the post season they were going to have to beat the Eagles. The coaches and players put their noses to the grindstone and started to march downfield. The Titan’s second score came from Kyle Hoogenboom, after receiving a 43-yard pass from Aiden Allen, 27-14. Next up was Adam Wheaton, who took a handoff 32 yards into the Eagle end zone, 27-21. The Eagles were still up going into the fourth quarter. The Titan’s Allen found fellow teammate Peter Dragan open and hit him with a 25-yard pass that tied the game at 27 until the extra point, which put the Titans up 28-27.
The Titans wanted to make sure that the Eagles were going to need more than a field goal to win the game, so Adam Wheaton took it to the house from 47 yards out to bring the scoreboard to Eagles 27, Visitors 35. With one last valiant attempt and a few seconds left on the clock, the Eagles were able to bring everyone at Roy Davis field on to their feet as Thole threw to Clark who lateraled to Jimmy Downs. He ran the Eagle sideline, headed for the goal, but was forced out of bounds at the Titans eight-yard line as the game clock expired. Titans pulled out the upset and put themselves into the post season, as the Eagles went to 8-1, headed into the playoffs.
The Eagles were to face off against Hartford at Roy Davis field, on Nov. 1, at 7 p.m., for the first round of the MHSSA playoffs and the road to Ford Field.
by Justin Gibson | Nov 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Brian Johnson (second from the right) accepts his award amongst family.
Brian Johnson’s accomplishments at Schoolcraft High School are numerous. Brian graduated in 1986 and was in the top 10 of his class. He went on to excel academically at Western Michigan University. Brian received a U.S. Military Academy offer of admission which he declined and instead “walked on” to the WMU football team, earning a scholarship in his second season. Brian was named “one of the best football players” in the past 100 years at WMU. He was a member of the 1988 MAC WMU championship team.
Brian’s athletic accomplishments at SHS are far too numerous to detail, but a short list is: as a member of the varsity basketball team in his sophomore, junior and senior campaigns the Eagles won two SJV League championships, two District Championships and one Regional Championship before being ousted in the State Quarter Finals.
As a member of four varsity football campaigns, the Eagles won an SJV league championship, a District championship, a Regional championship in his senior campaign prior to losing in the State Semi-finals.
At Homecoming 1985, Brian scored the first touchdown at the new Roy H. Davis field. The first time the Eagles touched the football, Brian took the ball near midfield and ran for a TD at the north end of the field.
Brian is married to Amy and with their two kids they have settled in Vicksburg. He has coached Little League baseball, Shooting Stars Basketball, and Rocket Football. He is currently a volunteer coach for the Vicksburg varsity football team.
by Justin Gibson | Nov 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Nancy Rafferty and her award.
Nancy Swartz Rafferty, is a 1952 graduate of Schoolcraft High School. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956 and from Western Michigan University with a Master of Library Science degree in 1972. Her services to Schoolcraft Community Schools during her 40-year career include: classroom teacher; high school librarian; system-wide library coordinator; development of the elementary library; establishment of our chapter of the National Honor Society. Following her retirement, has served as a volunteer for 21 years and counting.
Her contributions to the Schoolcraft community include active memberships in the Schoolcraft Historical Society, Schoolcraft Community Library, Ladies Library Association, First Presbyterian Church, South County Community Services, Eagles Nest and food pantry.
