×

Down to the wire: Marquette Redmen football team takes first lead in 4th quarter, edges Clare 40-39; Negaunee rolls to 42-0 shutout at L’Anse

Marquette’s Austin Ridl, bottom right, scores a two-point conversion in the third quarter in a high school football game played against Clare at William R. Hart Stadium in Marquette on Friday. Also in on the play are the Redmen’s David Eberhard, top right, and for the Pioneers, from left, Westyn Bryant and Kevin Tanner. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

Up next: On Friday, Marquette hosts Menominee, Negaunee entertains Gladstone, L'Anse is at Westwood

-----------------

MARQUETTE -- Owen Beauchamp caught an 86-yard touchdown pass from Austin Ridl and Nate Benninger later scored on a short rush as Marquette came back late and held off Clare 40-39 in a high school football game played Friday night.

In the game played at Marquette Senior High School's William R. Hart Stadium, the teams combined for more than 1,000 yards in offense, an especially impressive feat considering that high school games are 12 minutes shorter than pro and college contests.

The game was scheduled several weeks ago after the Redmen originally had this as an open date on their schedule. Marquette is a Division 3 schools for the playoffs, while Clare, located near the geographic center of the Lower Peninsula, is in Division 5.

Marquette's Owen Beauchamp, left, defends Clare's Dawson John while the Pioneers player was trying to catch a pass in the fourth quarter of their high school football game played at William R. Hart Stadium in Marquette on Friday. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

MSHS rolled up 552 yards in total offense, 362 of it on the ground and 190 through the air.

Ridl completed 16 of 29 passes for 362 yards, three TDs and an interception, while a pair of Pioneers' QBs combined to complete 12 of 21 passes for 189 yards and two TDs.

Beauchamp finished with two catches for 121 yards, including his long scoring strike, while David Eberhard had six receptions for 61 yards and a TD while adding one run for 25 yards. Also scoring as a receiver was Justin Jurmu, who had three catches in all for 76 yards.

Benninger had three catches for 17 yards to go with two rushes for four yards, though one rush was for his late TD.

Desmond Mullen also contributed both as a rusher and receiver, setting Marquette highs of 17 rushes and 97 yards, including a TD, to go with one pass catch for 45 yards.

Ridl gained 39 yards in five carries, while Dustin Lohfink had seven carries for 25 yards.

Though Clare led most of the game, the Pioneers weren't able to stretch their advantage beyond 13 points. Early in the second quarter, Ryland Kohler kicked a 23-yard field goal and Eberhard ran for a 6-yard TD to turn Clare's 13-0 lead into a much smaller 13-10 advantage.

The visitors got it back up to 19-10 with under two minutes left in the first half before Jurmu's TD catch made it 19-17 just a few seconds before halftime.

With the Pioneers again extending their lead, this time to 26-17, Eberhard scored on a 25-yard run with Mullen scoring later in the quarter.

Clare also missed a fourth-quarter field goal that was apparently tipped by Gideon Bell enough that it hit the upright and missed.

The Pioneers had 463 yards, including 274 on the ground, led by Al Warner's 179 yards on 24 carries that included two TDs. Teammate Beau Weldon had 82 yards in 17 carries as he also ran in two scores.

Clare's leading receiver was Dawson John, whose five catches totaled 107 yards as he also had two TDs.

----------------------

Negaunee 42, L'Anse 0

On Friday at L'Anse, the Miners rolled up all their points by halftime with three touchdowns in each of the first two quarters.

Negaunee totaled 275 yards in just 35 plays as the entire second half was played with a running clock.

Easton Palomaki rolled up 92 yards rushing in just seven carries for 13.1 yards per attempt. Teammate Nico Lukkarinen had 68 yards, also in seven rushes, while Brady Roose added 34 yards, again in seven attempts. Palomaki and Lukkarinen each scored twice and Roose once.

QB Gerald Johnson completed 5 of 6 passes for 68 yards, which included a 30-yard scoring strike to Palomaki in the second quarter. Ethan Ihamaki had a 22-yard catch and Phil Nelson two snares for 13 yards.

Lukkarinen scored from 2 and 21 yards out in the first quarter, Palomaki adding a 17-yard TD run between them.

Johnson's TD pass opened the scoring in the second, which was followed by 7-yard TD runs by Palomaki and then Roose.

Nelson was 6 of 6 on extra-point kicks, too.

L'Anse was listed as gaining just 47 yards in 30 plays, all the yardage on the ground as the Hornets had a single incomplete pass.

Dysean Allen actually gained 78 yards in 21 rushes, but negative plays of more than 30 yards offset the team total.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today