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Redmen, Mustangs, Indians fall on Friday night

PETOSKEY — Petoskey kept its offense close to the ground while rainy weather seemed to stymie Marquette’s aerial attack as the Northmen won 19-14 in a high school football game played Friday night in Petoskey.

The Redmen fell to 2-3 this season while Petoskey is now 1-4.

“They were taking advantage of us inside and we just didn’t come off the bus ready to play,” MSHS head coach Eric Mason said to the Petoskey News-Review in a light mist after the game. “That’s the bottom line. When you take these trips, whether or not it’s weather or whatever the case may be, you’ve got to be ready to play when the whistle blows.

“The other team has to play in the same conditions, so there’s no excuses other than we’ve just got to come out and play better.”

Petoskey ground out nearly 200 yards rushing while Marquette quarterback Austin Ridl was intercepted three times.

“I would have liked it to be a little less stressful but we’ll take it,” Petoskey coach Gavin Fralick said.

The Redmen’s opening possession ended with an interception by the Northmen’s Mason Doe-Nimphie, while Petoskey quickly turned it around and scored three plays later on run by Brody Woods for a 6-0 lead. The scored remained that way through halftime.

With rain still falling in the second half, the teams traded turnovers early as Petoskey fumbled the ball away and Ridl was picked off again by PHS’ Tim Crittenden.

The Northmen made it 12-0 when Doe-Nimphie ran 57 yards to inside the Marquette 10, which was followed by Jarrin Kelly scoring from 5 yards out.

And Petoskey ran its lead to 19-0 when Ridl was intercepted for the third time by Gabe Whitmore and returned it 60 yards for a TD, with the extra-point kick good.

Marquette got its offense untracked after that, but the Redmen had dug themselves too deep a hole.

After Petoskey’s last score, Marquette needed just a couple plays to break its scoreless night, sparked by Ridl connecting with Collin Hicks for a 65-yard TD pass and also the 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to 19-8.

Following a lost Northmen fumble, Marquette took the ball back and Ridl found Kameron Karp for a 5-yard TD pass for the final margin.

The Redmen got the ball back one last time, but couldn’t move it 88 yards in the final 25 seconds as the rain was reported to have picked up.

“We came back and had some plays, competed to the end but got in such a hole that it was going to take a miracle to do it,” Mason said.

Petoskey had 194 yards rushing while not attempting a pass. Woods led the way with 74 yards on 15 carries.

Marquette hosts Alpena on Friday night.

Hancock 41, Munising 0

At Hancock on Friday, Bulldogs junior running back Austin Salani ran for 243 yards and four TDs while also returning a fumble recovery 78 yards for another score.

“Austin had a tremendous game,” Hancock coach Ramon Sague said as his team improved to 4-1. “He did it all for us.”

Munising (0-5) made a game of it in the first half, effectively using a spread offense. The Mustangs trailed just 6-0 in the second quarter when they drove to the Bulldogs’ 12-yard line before fumbling the ball away for Salani’s big defensive return for another TD.

“That was a big play,” Sague said. “(The Mustangs) were moving the ball and ready to tie it or go ahead.”

Salani, who scored from 12 yards out for Hancock’s first TD, tacked on a 4-yard score just before halftime to make it 20-0 at the break.

Salani added two more offensive TDs in the second half to go with another by teammate Brandon Pietila.

Hancock QB Colton Salani threw for 85 yards, 61 coming on three catches by Conner LeClaire.

The Bulldogs host Westwood on Friday.

“We know that one will be tough,” Sague said. “We have to prepare ourselves.”

Rapid River 58, Newberry 24

At Newberry on Friday, the Rockets raced to a 24-0 first-quarter lead before the Indians (3-2) could get their offense untracked.

Tyler Sundling got the first score for RR (2-3) from 11 yards out before the Rockets swelled their lead to 52-12 before Newberry scored again just before halftime.

“I think our guys were focused,” RR coach Steve Ostrenga said after his team rolled up 468 yards of offense. “It comes down to the O-line making key blocks, running backs running hard and the quarterback putting the ball where it needs to be.”

Sundling finished with 194 yards rushing in just nine carries, including four TDs, while completing 3 of 5 passes for 43 yards and another TD. Teammate Mason Kudlick rushed 14 times for 168 yards and a TD, while Bryce Lundquist was 4 of 8 passing for 68 yards and a TD.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee with contributions from the Petoskey News-Review, Houghton Daily Mining Gazette and Escanaba Daily Press. Email Brownlee at sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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