LMCU HS Football Game of the Week | D2 Semifinal | Byron Center vs. East Lansing

D2 Semifinal | Byron Center 41, East Lansing 14

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now let's take you to the press box and here
with the call of tonight's game is Frits Pakita at
buck Gino.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
In the state of Michigan, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is
annually a special sports day. It's semi Final Saturday in
the Michigan High School Athletic Association Football Playoffs. It's a
day where visions of Ford Field dissolve at the agony
of defeat. It's a day where the excitement and the

(00:34):
dream of a state championship lives another week looking ahead
to a trip to Ford Field. Around the state of Michigan, today,
sixteen sites will host semi final games in all eight divisions,
and one of those is right here in Greenville where
today it's the Division two semi final between Byron Center

(00:55):
and East Lansing.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Hi.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Again, everyone sitting in for Brett Peketta, this is Bob Sack.
Buck Geno will be along shortly with the color analysis
of today's Byron Center East Lansing game. Glad you have
chosen to join us on this perfect afternoon for football
in Michigan.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
We have a.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Terrific pregame show in store for you that's first on
the broadcast today brought to you by J and H
Family Stores with sixty locations around Michigan to serve you
jan H Family Store stopping on the way to your
next game or on your way home. The JANNH Pregame
show comes up. Momentarily, we'll talk to Buck Gino get
his thoughts on this semi final matchup between Byron Center

(01:35):
and East Lancing. Later, Brett Pakeita goes inside the locker
room with Mark Cisco, the head football coach at Byron
Center and gets his thoughts on today's matchup with the Trojans,
and Later Buck and I will preview all the games
involving area teams on this semi final Saturday. Great to
have you with us. You're listening to the Drive to

(01:56):
Ford Field presented by Vanderloin Home Improvement on ninety six
one the game Welcome Back to Greenville. Bob Sack alongside
Buck Gino getting set to bring you today's semi final
game between East Lansing and Byron Center. On this semi
final Saturday, East Lansing comes into this football game nine

(02:16):
and three after winning or after coming in second place
in the Capitol AIA Conference Blue Division. Their losses were
to Davison, DeWitt and Hudsonville, all teams that are formidable,
and two of those teams still in the state playoffs. Meanwhile,
Byron Center comes in at eleven and one. They're only
lost in the regular season to Mona Shores fourteen to twelve.

(02:39):
Buck Gino. This is a matchup that ought to be
just a outstanding football game with a lot of offense.
Big story today certainly the outstanding running back that we'll see,
Jays Clarizio from East Lansing against the Byron Center team
that just has been stout all year long. Defensively, well,
you look.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
At Byron Center and we've seen them twice, once in
the loss to Mona Shores and then we saw them
against Grand Northview and the district opener, and really they
pride themselves on two things, running the football and playing
very tough defense. In Marc Cisco, you know, of course,
he's a former Nebraska safety, so that's where he's bread
as buttered. He loves that defense. But they like to

(03:16):
be physical, and that's where they kind of got into
trouble against Monashoors. They weren't able to get the running
game quite on tracks. Landon tong Gate three interceptions in
that game, and then in the first half against North
through the same thing where they were trying to get
untracked with the run game, couldn't get the passing game
to click too much. It was only a ten to
three game in half, but then they got back to basics.
The Pain Brothers, by the way, I know that's their

(03:38):
real name, but that's a fantastic poster opportunity for anybody
when they if they go to college and they get
some nil money, the Pain Brothers is gonna be a
hot seller. But Cam and Kellen, boy, they can really
do a number on opposing defenses because Cam the sophomore,
the scat back so to speak to the speedier one.

(03:59):
And then Kellen the senior. He didn't play football last year.
He's a baseball guy, very good baseball pitcher, but he
wanted to play with his brother his senior year. Let
one last go around, and boy, he is a load
to bring down. So I think we're gonna see a
lot of that in the East Lansing. Of course, Jase Clarizio,
the Division one MSU commit. Of course, he's getting college
from other schools now, but boy, he's so talented, and

(04:22):
we saw him last year in this matchup against Byron
Center in the regionals at East Lansing High School where
they were able to pull that game out. But you
look at Jase from last year to this year, clearly
been in the weight room. He's gotten bigger, he's gotten faster.
Of course, when you're a Division one prospect, that's what
they're gonna be looking for, and so you've really got
to find a way to contain him. But they have

(04:43):
some dangerous weapons on the outside too, Bob. They bring
back their quarterback Ben Fletcher from last year. They did
lose some targets on the wide receivers tight ends, but
they have some capable receivers and so they just have
to be able to Again the focus is on but
they can throw in the football. So it'll be very
interesting to see what both these teams want to do,

(05:05):
especially early in the game, try to set the tone
for what's going to be I think a very good matchup.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
Byron Center's track to get here is again as you mentioned,
that went over Northview thirty eight to seventeen in the
pre districts. On a Shore's thirty to twenty three was
their district championship game, and last year the last week
rather they rolled over Portage Central fifty two to fourteen.
For East Lansing, they have perhaps the game of the
playoffs so far. They their regional win was over sagan

(05:31):
A Heritage last week. They opened the playoffs with Milford
in the first week forty three to twenty two win,
but buck the game in between against Dexter was an
absolute thriller. Came down to the last play of the game.
Ben Fletcher finds Owen Fortman in the back of the
end zone for the touchdown that cut the lead of
forty nine to forty eight. Coach Bill Farroco goes for

(05:52):
two goes for the win in regulation, and it's Clarizio
catching the pass from quarterback Ben Fletcher and they win
at fifty to forty nine. And I think a game
like that oftentimes can give a team of feeling like
they're it's a team of destiny. When you win one like.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
That, yeah, you kind of feel invincible after that, and
they showed it and a pretty impressive win over I
think a pretty underrated Saganaw Heritage squad coming out of
the Saginaw Valley League. That's not a bad team, and
they pretty much dissected them last week, and you're right,
that confidence filtered over. They kind of feel like it's
there a year. When you win a game like that,

(06:27):
the one thing you have to guard against is now
you have that, then you've gotten another win. You just
have to keep pressing right. You can't let down because
you're playing better teams each week. Byron Center on this side,
obviously they didn't luck out to get here either. I mean,
they're well coached, deep, have a lot of talent. So
when you get to this stage, it's all about execution.
It's all about discipline, and that's what we're gonna see

(06:49):
here today and so often, Bobs, you and I have
done many semi final and final games. That's what it
boils down to. Who makes the lease mistakes and who
can really, if there is a mistake, take advantage of
something that happens.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
East Lansing coached by veteran Bill Faraco in his twenty
first year with a record of one hundred and thirty
four wins and eighty five losses. Of course, Byron Center
coached by Mark Cisco in his sixteenth year as a
head coach, and he is leading the Bulldogs to what
they hope will be their first ever birth at Ford Field.

(07:21):
Speaking of Mark Cisco, he's up next on the J
and H Family Stores pregame Show. Brett Pakeita sat down
with him earlier and talked about the season, his team,
and this game today. That's all ahead on the J
and H Family Stores pregame Show on ninety six to one.
The game Welcome back to Legacy Field on the campus

(07:42):
of Greenville High School. Pop Sack alongside Buck Gino getting
you ready for semi final Saturday. In Division two, one
of sixteen games around the state today that will determine
who moves on to Ford Field for next week's state
championship weekend. Buck, Let's run through these slate of games
and there are some dandies and many of them involved

(08:02):
West Michigan teams. We'll start in Division one where over Okamas.
Today Rochester puts their eleven to one mark on the
line against Rochester. Adams and Eagles have been playing well
the last few weeks.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
Yeah, Hudsonville under Brent Sandy. This is the longest playoff
run they've had in quite some time, and you know
they had all three games so far have been rematches,
so this is the first game of the playoffs for
them that they will play a unfamiliar opponent. And for
Rochester Adams. Last week for them was their first one
where they beat Grand Blank twenty one to fourteen. They've

(08:33):
been up without their starting quarterback Ryland Waters since Week
four and they haven't missed a beat. Tony Petredo does
a great job over there at Adams. They play tough,
physical football there. They are not no frills with with
Rochester Adams. They just get the job done. This is
their third semi final in four years. Of course, Hudson
Delia said, They've have not been this far in quite

(08:53):
some time, since the early two thousands, so it's going
to be a test for Brent Sandy and his crew.
But they're deep, they have a lot of at LEAs
and I think they can give Rochester Adams a good run.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
The winner gets the victor of Detroit Castech and Novac
Catholic Central. That game is being played at Troy Athens
this afternoon as well. In Division two. Of course, the
winner of this game meets either Orchard Lake, Saint Mary's
or Birmingham Groves. They're playing at West Bloomfield will keep
it posted on that score throughout the afternoon. We moved
to Division three, where another West Michigan teams to have

(09:25):
a great battle in Grand Rapids at Forest Hills. Eastern
Zealand West has du Witt in Grand Rapids for a
terrific matchup in D three.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
Yeah, probably one of the marquee matchups of all the
sixteen today. Of course, all of sixteen promised to be good,
but Man Zealand West and Wit that one. I mean,
if the scoreboard operator is asleep, he might miss a
couple of scores, because both those teams can put points
on the board. I think the biggest thing that I've
seen is when they play pretty good teams, they've had

(09:53):
a tough time stopping the other team, but they've outscored
the opponent so far. Zealand West a little bit different animal.
They can play some defense, and of course John Shilde
with that tea attack loves to go to work and
not only on the other team, but also the clock,
so that could be a factor in that game.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
The winner of that matchup will face either Mason or
Detroit King. Those two are playing at Chelsea this afternoon
in Division four Grand Rapids. Christian South Christian with its
third consecutive trip to the semi finals, but a new
opponent today and Donald three Rivers. The Sailors will meet Niles.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
Yeah, Niles beating Portland last week. Tough break for Portland.
John Navara does a great job there, But the last
two years they've had major injuries before the last game
that they've had. Last year they lose their running back Falin.
This year they lose the quarterback in walkthroughs to a
non contact injury. So tough break for them. But you know,
Niles Vikings, they saw the window of opportunity and they're

(10:50):
a good team too. I think for them, they just
when you look at the teams down from that southwest side,
they don't play the type of athletes that Carson VISs
is able to bear. And that's where I see that
game swinging is if Carson Visz decides to have another
command performance, it's gonna be very tough for the Vikings
to keep pace.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
If South Christian can prevail, they'll get a rematch either
with Harper Woods from last year's Stay title game or
two years ago. Good Rich So familiar Full awaits the
Sailors in the set in the finals, if they can
win today in Division five up in Mount Pleasant growing
up as Catholic, Central's got a tough one Franken Mooth
twelve and oher against the eight and four Cougars.

Speaker 1 (11:30):
Well. I think Todd Cultcher has done a great job
this playoff season. He has a freshman quarterback. They kind
of withstood the test last week from Kalmus United, who's
a very good team, but they're playing also a very
good Frankin Mood team who feels like they're on a mission.
Twelve and zero, very good, very solid technical football. It's
gonna be a good matchup.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
And Division six Points City meets Blancon Catholic at Claire
and Jackson Lymanchristy plays Marine City at Nova. Division seven
has another West Michigan team involved at Lansing Eastern Muskegon
puts there eleven to one mark on the line against
unbeaten Millington.

Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah, a really good game. I think one of the
probably the best matchup semifinals we could have because they're
both mere images of each other, athletic quarterback that can
run and throw. Both also have tough running games and
good defense. So I think our partners Jason and Tom
are in for a good one that should be a
real treat.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
And then the only game that starts at noon today
are not at one o'clock school Craft in Monroe, Saint
Mary Catholic Central or underway from Battle Creek Harper Creek.
They'll meet the winner of that. Northm Skigan Millington game
Division eight has beal City matched up against Fowler at
Ithaca and over Jackson, Decatur and Riverviewer Shared will start
at one o'clock as well. Here we're moments away from

(12:43):
kickoff as we moved through the J and H Family
Stores pregame show time Now four Keys to the Contest
presented by Vanderlin Home Improvement with eighty years in the business.
Vanderlin Home Improvement offers top notch contractor services to customers
in West Michigan called six one, six sixty six, nine
eleven eleven for more details or visit Vanderlahn dot com.
Buck you look at this one today should be a

(13:04):
fun one. What's the keys to Byron Center or East Lancing?
Moving on to four feod.

Speaker 1 (13:09):
Well, like we talked about in the open, I mean,
mistakes are always a big part of it. Is it
gonna be a turnover? Is it gonna be some sort
of penalty or that wipes out a big play. I
think if you're East Lansing, we all know that jas
Carrizio can run the football, does it very well. It's
gonna be those other weapons, right, It's gonna be quarterback
Ben Fletcher. Is he gonna be able to find those
weapons on the outside and test Byron Center, who has

(13:30):
a pretty good secondary, and how they can spread the
ball around to keep Byron Center off balance and give
Jason Clarizio that room to run. If you're Byron Center
on the other side, they love to run, be pound
and found it and physical. But again, they have a
quarterback in land and Tonda that can throw with the football.
He has struggled when they are forced to throw at

(13:52):
the football though, So getting in those chains and second
and short, third and short instead of putting him in
bad positions down in distance wise is going to be
the key for that.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
The Trojans of East Lansing taking the field, followed by
Byron Center, and when we return, we get you ready
for kickoff. It's coming up. That concludes the J and
H Family Stores pregame show Kickoff straight Ahead. You're listening
to the Drive to Ford Field presented by Vanderlin Home
Improvement at ninety six to one the game. That offensive

(14:23):
lineup on the receiving corps includes Will Lake the sixty
one hundred and sixty five pounds senior flanker, Isaac Lee,
a six to one hundred and seventy five pounds senior
split in, and the tight end is Tate Bainbridge six
foot one hundred and eighty pounds the junior tight end.
We'll get the interior line momentarily. Second down and eight
at the thirty nine yard line, tong Gate fakes du

(14:45):
Payne back to throw, and now he's gonna scramble out
to his right over the forty near the forty four
before he's escorted it out of bounds thereby, Duate SAMs
big Dub five. It'll bring up our first third down
of the game. Third and three at the forty four.
Sporting U offensive line for Byron center has Jackson Bovia,
the two hundred ninety seven pounder left tackle. He's a junior.

(15:08):
Kayden Krause is seven two hundred and thirty nine pound
left guard, a senior. Billy Butler is up over the
ball at center. Five eleven two twenty one. He's a
junior and on this big third three play Don Gay
with the running backs flanking him, he'll fake the lake,
keep it right up the gut. He's got a first
down just over the yard in the game at the
forty seven. The rest of that offensive line presented by

(15:31):
Sporting you as Ben Kitchen and the right guard five
eleven two twenty senior and espen Batdor five nine, three
hundred and twelve pounds a right tackle. He is a
senior first down buck. As they move the James on
the first possession.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
Youth Lansing trying to move from even on and go
four to five man front, So trying to throw a
little bit of a wrench in the works for Byron Center.
But that time on third down, great job there by
Landon Hunggate, reading the defensive tackle and making the first down.
Now bring the Isaac Lee's come out multiple plays. Got
to wonder if he's got something going on or if

(16:05):
you're just trying to give East a different look.

Speaker 2 (16:07):
On first and ten, they give us to campaign right
up the gut and he is stuck right at the
line of scrimmage on a good defensive played by Grover
Patterson who knife through there. He's one of the three
linebackers along with Isaiah Armstrong and Owen Fortman. As we
set that East Lancing defense up front, it's Anthony Green,
Justin elarg Mario Montees and Gus Greenwalt. Their secondary is

(16:29):
Dwatte SAMs, Jeff Bridges, bj Windham and Darryl Jeter. Gain
of two on that last play, second and eight from
the forty nine, two setbacks flanking tong Gate. He'll take
the snap and roll to his left. He's being chased
by Patterson again, eludes him and then has hit hired
at the forty nine of East Lansing. Jeff Bridges stuck

(16:52):
him there, picked up three another third down, third down
and four maybe five coming up here with two and
it's going on the first quarter's.

Speaker 1 (17:01):
Lancing both times on the second down is diagnosed. The
pass design passes been Landen Toungate using his legs getting
away from the pressure and is able to get positive yardage.
But boy, if you're Byron center now third and five,
it becomes a little bit more difficult. They bring Isaac
Lee back in. Let's see if he gets single coverage.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Landed Conrad and it's a stacked formation of receivers intight
the ball to the left hash on third down and
five from the East Lancing forty eight, Ton Gate out
of the gun, straight back to throw complete on the
right flat. He's got his man. That's Isaac Lee. As
you mentioned, you're a first down the forty three upended
there by Darryl Jeter, and I think he got enough

(17:44):
for the first down.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
Look it was very close. I think that he just
gets the nose of the football there. But they just
run a little bit of an under route with him.
They clear out with the two receivers to the wide
side of the field, get him underneath on a little
bit of a drag, catches the ball and then does
the rest with his legs. Good defense though by East
Lansing they had it, just couldn't make the tackle behind

(18:05):
the line.

Speaker 2 (18:05):
The game from the right hash first and ten on
the East Lancing forty three for Byron center campaign to
Ton Gates left. Tong Gate fakes to him as time
guns over the middle. He's got his man at the
thirty three and that is caught by checked that it
was take Babridge ye the tight end on a good
steamer out there and picked up the first down, just

(18:27):
sat inside the zone. Jeter made the stop, but again
a first down for Byron center.

Speaker 1 (18:31):
He comes off clean the double team the blitzer on
that side, and then ton Gate's able to stand in
a clean pocket. Bainbridge works to the outside, good throw
there by toung Gate right in the spot where he
needed to be.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
Ton Gate completing over seventy percent of his passes. He'll
throw it again on the play action deep over the
middle and it's picked off. He's tipped by pain and
then intercepted by bj Windham down at the ten. He's
still on his feet out over the thirty to the forty,
cuts back toward the middle at the fifties, still running
inside Byron territory, and finally down by Caden Krause at
the thirty eight yard line. The pass was intended for paint.

(19:05):
He got his fingers on it, but couldn't have a
little little high got his fingers on it and picked
off by Windham.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
Well, that's a tough one for the running back coming
out of the backfield because all his momentum going towards
the end zone. And then tong Gate throws one where
he's got to alter the route, gotta change his position,
and he just couldn't get squared up to the football
went off his hands and then wind them. Johnny on
the spot playing center field, tip drill right to him
in a great return for the Trojans as he gets

(19:32):
it inside. Byron Center a territory and thob But when
we've done the games for Byron Center didn't have any
interceptions in the North View game, but he had three
in the Mona Shorts game, two of them on tipped footballs.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
That's the third pick of the year for bj Windham
and a fifty one yard return really was the icing
on the cake.

Speaker 1 (19:52):
Well, we got to tie out here. The officials are
gonna be talking with so they're gonna force one of
the players over to the sideline. It's Billy Butler. Nope,
actually that's fifty nine. Excuse me, it's Chris Brown.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
Take a look at that sporting you starting offense for
East Lansing. The quarterback is Ben Fletcher. He is a senior.
He'll be working under center with Jase Clarizio, outstanding running
back in the ACE formation, standing back at his forty five.
On first and ten from the thirty eight. It give

(20:29):
us to Clarisio, starts to his right, now cuts back
to his left. Good tackle there, and a fine defensive
play by Eli Farrell. Marcisco calls him the best tackler
on the team, and he showed it there, dropping Clarizio
for a one yard game.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
Well, you're gonna need a team effort against number zero today.
It's not gonna be one guy bringing him down every time.
It's gonna be forcing him back into the bulk of
the defense. You're gonna have to take the angle to
make sure your team tackle, don't arm tackle him because
he is that strong. You're just gonna have to concentrate
every down that he has a football.

Speaker 2 (21:00):
The receivers are bj Windham as well as Darryl Jeter,
and we'll also see Owen Fordman out there as well.
Second and nine from the Byron center. Thirty seven, the
ball to the left hash here's a quick pitch to
Jeter tries to get or rather to Carrizio tries to
get to the edge and he is stuck by Luke
Alaska right at the thirty five yard line. Good form

(21:21):
tackle dropped him forward two yard game sets up third
down and seven the rest of that East Lansing offense
has Gus Greenwalt Moses Love, Tommy Stout, Mario Montes, Justin
al Jari across the interior line, and we'll set that
Byron center defense here shortly.

Speaker 1 (21:38):
Well, one thing likes to do on both sides the ball.
Bob has moved guys around before the snap. That time,
they brought all the receivers to the other side. They
just ran a strong pitch of the wide side.

Speaker 2 (21:48):
Third and six from the thirty four bat the right
hash midway through the first quarter of scoreless first quarter,
Fletcher to throw, swings it out in the flat. It
is caught and then dropped by Dwatte Simms back at
the forty. I don't think you would have been able
to wiggle his way for a first down there. Anyway,
good pursued by Byron center and they forced fourth down
and five with the thirty four and But this is
sort of that no man's land, too far for a

(22:10):
field goal, too short for a punt. I would assume
Bill Faraka will go forward here on fourth and six.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
Yeah, like I called the gray zone the forty to
the twenty right, you can't punt the football doesn't do
you a whole heck of a lot of good, and
the field goals out of the question, and so really
you're gonna have to go for it. And I think
that play call about the swing pass to the running back.
That's a play where they tried to get five but
also were setting up for a fourth down now because
it didn't complete, just fourth and longer.

Speaker 2 (22:34):
Clarizio out of the wildcat. Here's a bad snap. He
got tangled up with the motion man and the ball loose.
Back of the forty eight. Callum Payne has it on
his feet into the forty three, and back to back
turnovers give the ball back to Byron center in motion.
Right to left was Nevi and yard bro and this
snap came he in a sense collided with both the

(22:55):
ball and Clarizio, and Clarizio really never had a chance
to catch it. The ball, I'll ended up being loosen
all the way back to the forty three.

Speaker 1 (23:02):
It looks like a four way stop. That was this
in one of the signs, and somebody crossed in and
then everybody else went and then the ball. Clarissio and
Yarborough are all on the same spot at the same time,
and I'm no physics genius, but I don't think they
can happen. And the ball score's free. I mean it
was gonna be a turnover and downs anyway, because Byron
Center probably had that play covered. But they just give
up a lot of real estate on the fumble return

(23:23):
by paying.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
First and ten from the east Lansing forty three for
Byron Center six thirty nine to go. In a scoreless
first quarter, ton Gate goes empty backfield. He's surprised by
the snap, runs it right up the middle.

Speaker 1 (23:35):
I think everybody was surprised by the snap except for the.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Center dropped there by Jake Carnegie still was able to
pick up five yards.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
That was Billy Butler's like, oh, we didn't go on one.
I thought we were going on one and everybody else
was thinking it on two. But hey, it worked out
ton Gate and after you see the senior leadership. He's
played varsity quarterback for four years. He's a three year starter.
Not phased by that, just takes it in stride, makes
a good pick.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
Up Don Gay's rush for twelve hundred plus yards this year,
averaging six and a half yards of carry. On second
and five, He'll give it to Campaign breaks the tackle
of the line, turns it up field on that sweep
to the right side, first down inside the thirty up
into by Owen Fortman and thus far buck Byron. Center's
moving to the football.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
Yeah, like I said, when they passed the football, that's
what bad things have happened for them. And you think
with a guy like Isaac Lee and Will Lake and
Schwartz and all these guys that are good weapons on
the outside, it just hasn't gone their way this year.
But when they get running the football, get downhill, that
can open up some things in the past game. So
they're not gonna go away from it quite yet, but

(24:40):
right now, just really in rhythm, running the football.

Speaker 2 (24:42):
Clock at five thirty, empty backfield on first and tent
for tong Gate. He'll give it to Luke Alaska on
a semi Jets sweep around the left end. He turns
it up field and then he's hemmed in at the
twenty eight on a good defensive tackle by Grover Patterson.

Speaker 1 (24:58):
Yeah, Luke's been badly injuries all season. He was dinged
up in the scrimmage and then he's just really kind
of trying to work his way. He played only defense
for a lot of times, didn't play offensive snaps, but
his senior whin to try to get back out there.
And you can see because I tell you right now,
Luke's got a little bit more speed than that, just
didn't have it on that one.

Speaker 2 (25:17):
On second and six, He's got it again this time
the same played to the right side, bowls his way
out of a tackle at the twenty five out of
the grasp of Darryl Jeter and then finally chopped down
by Duatte SAMs, and he picked up near the first
down to the twenty three Alaska again five seven, two hundred.
He comes into the game with two hundred and seventy

(25:38):
four yards on the ground, averaging nearly six yards of crack.

Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yeah, when he is healthy and getting the football, he
is and forced to be wrecking with. But Cam and
Calvin Payne have carried the load for the bulk of
the year. But Luke getting a couple of touches here
keeping the defense honest.

Speaker 2 (25:53):
Third down and one from the twenty three, the ball
the right hash is Byron Center approaches the red zone
tandem in the backfield. The pain Brothers tongue, it'll faked.
Kellen Payne and then sweep around the right side for
the first down outside the numbers of the sixteen yard line.
Jeter dropped them there, and this Byron Center offense is
clicking here in this first quarter with four minutes to go.

Speaker 1 (26:14):
Great offensive play call there. It looked like they were
gonna go power lead to the left side. Instead, Tongugate
keeps the ball, goes to the weak side and just
gets one nice block on the right defensive end. That's
spen Batdorf there. The tackle cracks down on his defender
and then gives Ton get a nice rent lane to
get to the first down.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Already six first downs in the contest recorded by Byron Center.
First and ten at the sixteen yard line, four fifteen
to go to Gate barks out the signals he'll give
it in motion on the left side fumble. The ball's
on the carpet. It was carried by will bombback and
it is recovered in that scrum he's lancing claiming they

(26:55):
had it.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
There's multiple players diving in depends on who comes out
with its never heard the guy on top of it
the first time. It's always who comes out with the football.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
The officials still trying to sort it out there both
teams in the kidning they have the ball and Byron
Center has the football. How about that I alert or
a physical fumble recovery there by Ben Kitchen. I think
it was who knows buck what happened underneath that pile,
because that was a hot potato after that coughed up ball.

Speaker 1 (27:31):
If Ben didn't have it to start with, he influenced
whoever had it came away with it because it was
a pretty intense scrum there for the football. Trojans coaches
of course felt they had it, but like I said,
it's just such a tough call. You never know who
has it in that pile, and Ben Kitchen, fortunately for
the more, the Bulldogs comes out of the pile with it.

(27:52):
Now we've got a time out as Byron Center didn't
like what was looking like a fusing set by East Lansing,
so they'll take a time out.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
We'll step aside for a quick break. You're listening to
the Drive to Ford Field presented by vandel On Home
Improvement in ninety six to one in the game three
thirty five to go here in the first quarter, it's
been an interesting game so far, one that Byron Center
has really dominated, but a big interception by bj Windham
gave life to East Lansing. Byron Center forces a turnover

(28:25):
on downs and they're marching again here. Buck second down
to tenth, the sixteenth.

Speaker 1 (28:28):
No. One thing we haven't really talked about is the weather, Bob.
It's great weather for late November in Michigan. But this
is really the first cold game that both teams have
had to play where you talk about these temperatures being
consistently under fifty degrees, and so I think a little
bit of the sloppiness so far has to be accounted
for because of that.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
Empty backfield on second and ten. Ton Gate out of
the gun, swings at right flat, complete outside of the numbers,
dude telling Paine. He eludes Jeter at the ten and
then scoots down the right sideline, pushed out of bounds
the three two. Nice pick up. Really almost like a
long running play there, Bucket.

Speaker 1 (29:07):
Yeah, they gave him all the way down to the one,
but yeah, just kind of a lateral pass there. I mean,
of course it is a forward pass, but just like
a long pitch play in the pain and then he
gets on the outside. The good thing about that if
you're Byron Center. Is you get him on a defensive
back rather than a linebacker or a defensive lineman, so
he's able to use that matchup to his advantage and

(29:27):
he's able to drag down in drag that defender down
inside the five.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
That five eleven and twenty seven pound frame working hard
on that play. First and goal at the one for
Byron Center ton Gate out of they got touchdown Byron Center, landing.
Tonggate walks in over the left side. Now with three
to zero eight to go, the Bulldogs strike first with
an impressive drive. Now with seventy six yards in total
offense in this first quarter.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
Well, a very nice drive there by Byron Center. After
they had the turnover on their initial possession of the game.
They get some moments to him by turning East Lansing
back and an impressive drive there. Good mix though they
didn't go down field much on the passing game, but
they were able to utilize it and get in position
for Tonggate to open the scoring.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
Dawson Hilliard'll attempt the extra point and he pounds it
through and with three to eight to go, Byron Center
strikes first. They laid it seven to nothing on semi
final Saturday from Greenville in ninety six to one. The
game Beck at Byron Back at Greenville Byron Center has
struck first on their second possession, Buck with an impressive
drive really so was the first, but no turnover here.

(30:35):
They avoided that fumble and then punch it.

Speaker 1 (30:36):
In well eight plays forty three yards. They recovered a
Clarissio fumble on fourth down, and then they recovered another
one of their own by bomb back to keep that
drive alive. Then Tounggate catched in from one yard down
and that opens the scoring. Hilliard to pat to make
it seven to nothing Bulldogs.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
Hilliard has a teed up he'll kick deep to bj
Windham and Duante Sam Squip kicked grabbed at the twenty
three by Nevian Yardborough the angles towards the middle of
the field and then it snowed under. Well, the snow's
not really the applical to wear with the black jersey
allowed and Tilma got him there piren Center and they're

(31:14):
all blacks with orange numbers and white trim and Penn
State is that Penn State out there? East Lands? I
just think Penn State. That's how they look and a
little bit of South Christian as well. Right Whites with
their blue trim.

Speaker 1 (31:27):
Early rapid radio scoreboard updates here north of the Skeigon
and Millington tied at seven. South Christian Denials still scoreless.
Frankenmouth up on Catholic Central early fourteen to seven, and
Zealand West opening the scoring against the Wits six. And
I think Hudson will do in the same against Adams.
They lead seven to nothing.

Speaker 2 (31:44):
Ben Fletcher to throw on first and ten from his
twenty nine. He's going deep down the right sideline the windom.
He's got him at the forty and it's a foot
race to the end zone and b Jay Windham will
win that with a seventy one yard touchdown pass. What
a throw by Ben Fletcher.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
Well, we talked about jas Farrizzio until we were blue
in the face, and rightly so, because he is a
talented player. But Ben Fletcher is like, hey, I can
do stuff too, And Wyndham gets behind his defender Fletcher
with a perfectly thrown ball. Not much wind out here, Bob,
but just enough. And again the weather is still the

(32:20):
first cold game, and Ben Fletcher just airs one out
and hits Wyndam right in stride and then just turns
on the afterburners to bring it to seven to six.

Speaker 2 (32:31):
Isaiah Armstrong on to attempt the extra point out of
the Fletcher hold. Snap is good, hold is there, and
the kick is pounded through. It's seven to seven with
two point fifty one to go when we come back
Byron center Back on offense ninety six to one. The

(32:53):
game first cording today brought to you by Straight Line Fence,
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(33:14):
at Straight Line Fence seven to seven with two fifty
one to go, And in a game that we thought
we'd see some offense Buck Gino and in fact that's
playing out here in the initial standzap Isaiah Armstrong's low
liner taken by bomb Back at the five left to
right hill angles, got some alley way out over the
thirty and then finally chopped down by killn Lott at

(33:37):
the thirty four. Good starting field position for Land and
tong Gate.

Speaker 1 (33:41):
Oh, they've angled right on both kick returns. And something
to watch there, Bob. As the play or the game develops,
I guess I'll can do a drive summary. Is there?
Is it a summary? If it's a one play drive
seventy one yard touchdown on the opening play from scrimmage
of that drive, Fletcher to wind them seven to seven
tie ballgame from.

Speaker 2 (34:00):
The thirty fourth or right hash relax in motion and
Tongue it'll fake to him, probes the right side now
cuts it back in the middle and he is stonewalled there.
He got a couple out to the thirty six. First
to meet him was Justin Aljari.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
Twenty of bed there for East Lansing. Along the defensive
fronts guys like as you said, Justin Aljari, Mario Montez,
Gus Greenwalt and Anthony Green, and they've been switching from
five man front to four man front Byron Saer has
kept to try to keep them off balance and get
some gaps there. But good job by East Lansing so

(34:40):
far cutting that off.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
Alaska slot right fakes to him on the jets See
now swings it out to Alaska he's got room. You're
a first down on that little swing past a lot
of real estate out there, and he motors his way
up over the forty to the forty five where he's
dropped by Sam's And that was a well executed, well
diagnosed play because there was no no defenders out there

(35:06):
and then left flat.

Speaker 1 (35:06):
Well, they split two out there. They drive the defensive
secondary out of that real estate and there's no linebacker
there to cover. Alaska had him committed to the inside.
So they swing it out to Alaska and he's able
to get the first out.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
From the forty five ball to left, hash first and
ten Conrad split wide to the right. They give us
the pain. Now he hands off to Alaska and sort
of a counterplay and inverted wing beck off tackle on
the right side and plows his way to midfield or
they'll be second and five.

Speaker 1 (35:37):
If you're a football officiinalo, remember the Ralph Munger Rockford days.
I mean, that was a pretty standard play in that playbook.
So coach Marc Cisco borrows one from the legend Ralph
Munger and they get a couple of yards second and.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
Five ball right at the Greenville Hornet dead set on midfield,
three receivers in a triangle to the right, Toungate to
throw on second and five slings it right flat, intended
for Lee, too far for him and incomplete well.

Speaker 1 (36:05):
Great pressure there and the East Lansing timed it just perfectly,
almost offside, but they timed that blitz on the defensive
right side Tunggate's blind side perfectly. He knew it was
coming and threw that ball a little bit early. Lee
really hadn't set his feet there, otherwise he might have
had some room to work with, but toung had to
get that ball out quickly and miss fires.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
Bulldogs have a third and five in midfield. They've been
perfect on third down conversions today. Really moved the chains
tong Gate with his legs. It's a balanced offense, but
they run for more than they throw. But there's no
doubt Land and Tonguate can air it out well.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
And there was a late change by Byron Center. They
bring in a heavier package, both paying brothers. They take
Lee out and then East Lansing tried to counter and
they got confused. So they're going to burn their own
time out.

Speaker 2 (36:52):
They'll keep it right here. With sixty three seconds to go,
in the first quarter. Ark Cisco in his sixteenth years
a head coach. You mentioned at the outset, former safety
in Nebraska. I knew he was in Nebraska, didn't realize
he was a safety. Went on to play for the Huskers.
Graduate in nineteen ninety four. High school player and student

(37:17):
at Monroe Jefferson down River, Detroit. Spent some time coaching
at East Kentwood and Battle Creek Lakeview before coming to
Byron Center. And so far, he has to be really pleased,
and I guess Bill Faraco on the other side would
be as well. It's a seven to seven game. His
star player has been totally contained, Jayson Clarizio. But if

(37:38):
I'm Bill Farroko, I got to figure out how to
stop this Payron Center offense right now because they are
moving at will.

Speaker 1 (37:43):
Yeah, And I think if you're going to tell each
team that they had one turnover and still be seven
to seven, I think they would take it too. So
both very even games so far, and right now, as
you said, Bob, just offensively, Byron Center has been moving.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
On third and five. Tongue you out of the gun,
He'll roll to his right hast now he's being chased.
It ludes a couple tacklers, gets out of another one
at the forty eight, and then finally Sam's up ended
him with some help from Carnegie, fell forward to the
forty eight. It'll be fourth down and three as we
near the forty second mark, and here's the decision time

(38:17):
for Mark Cisco.

Speaker 1 (38:18):
Well, it's tough here right at midfield, especially after that
big play by East lansaying down the field to tie
the game. I feel like you got to play the
field position game here. And he held his cards for
a little bit, but then he put him out on
the table. They're going to punt.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
He will send him the punt team. That means Luke
Alaska back to kick it away, standing in his own
thirty eight and he'll kick deep to bj Windham who
had the big interception and the touchdown. Pretty good afternoon
so far, and twelve minutes of play for BJ Windham.
Alaska boots a towering kick to the left side of

(38:53):
the field that hits right on the twenty yard line,
trickles down and with two seconds to go, He's Lansing
will run one play. Finally we get a chance to
set that Byron center defense. We've called him the whole
quarter and haven't had an opportunity to do so. Up front,
it's the senior Nolan's Stubblefield sixty one, two hundred pounder.
He's at a defensive tackle spot along with Chris Brown,

(39:15):
the six foot two hundred and forty pounds senior, and
those guard is Aiden van Dam two hundred and fifty pounds. Senior.
Linebackers are Alaska and Kellen Payne, who we've mentioned several times.
Five man secondary, he's headed by Eli Ferrell, the dominion
to five, seven hundred and forty five pounds senior, who
Marccisco calls the best tackler on the team. Last play

(39:36):
the first quarter from the seventeen first and ten for
Ben Fletcher. He has Windham in motion. He'll give to
Clarisio off the left tackle and he's met right there
at the eighteen. So far jas Clarizio has been well
contained his four yards in this first quarter, and that
brings us to the end of the first quarter. We
got a good one seven to seven Byron center. He's

(39:57):
lancing for a birth within the Ford field on here
on ninety six to one the game. Welcome back to Greenville.
Bopsack alongside buck Geno great to heavy with us on
the semi final Saturday afternoon across Michigan, one of sixteen
games determining bursts the next weekend State finals at Ford Field.

(40:17):
Here Byron Center and East Lansing deadlocked at seven, second
down and nine for East Lansing. Fletcher to throw, swings
it out on the left flat and it is diagnosed
beautifully by Byron Center. The ball was caught by Zaiah
Lot the tight end and he is wrapped up immediately.
First two reach him was Aiden van Dam, that noseguy
moving over from his interior line position to corral the runner.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
Oh, good job there by Byron Center. Good pursuit there
a lot Kevin h back tight end hybrid. They swing
him out to the wide side, but just don't have
any blocking that they can wall off Byron Center and
they end up losing area. Now third and long.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
For the Trochan secondary for Byron Center has Bainbridge and
Fair with the safety spots robbing Conrad and Isaac Lee
the other in that Nickel package. Third down and ten
from the left, hass Clarizio on the laid handoff and
he is dropped right at the twenty on a terrific
defensive surge by Byron Center. It was Kellen Payne first duke,

(41:19):
stand them up there and three and out. We'll bring
in the East Lansing Putton team here from the twenty
yard line.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
Well, they run just kind of a get back or
an orbit motion. They tried to get the defense to
move and then they just run Clarisio right up in
the middle and he gets a couple. But just great
job there again by Byron Center. Defense. Fuck.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
I know it's early, but you're talking about a guy
who's the Michigan State commit also being recruited by Alabama.
With just six yards on four carries in the first quarter,
Mark Cisco's defense has him dialed in. Thus far low
liner kick is is bobbled back at the forty, grabbed
by Will Lake or checked that Isaac Lee. He's got

(41:58):
a rumor on the left sideline. He spreating down the
left sideline and said the thirty to the twenty has
just one man to beat the punter, and Armstrong pushes
Am out of bounds at the ten yard line. Great
return by Isaac Lee of sixty yards after he bobbled
that low liner and then just headed to the left
and had plenty of green grass.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
Well it's only sixty yards because he bobbled the ball.
But a great job there by Lee against a called
these third year seniors. Lee has been started for three
years and just calm and make sure that he secures
it and then uses his great speed to get to
the outside. Good blocking by the special teams of Byron

(42:39):
Center that set themselves up nicely.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
Here first and goal to ten. Tong Gate gives the campaign.
He's got a hole over the left side and barrels
his way down to the two before he's up ended
there by Jeff Bridges a gain of eight on that
first and goal run from the ten.

Speaker 1 (42:55):
One thing Byron Center has done in this game, Bob
is they've done with a quick kidence. They are not
winning East Fancing now because of that movement had been doing.
The counteraction of that has been a quick cadence. So
they're not letting East Fancing dictate what they're going to call.
They're getting up to the line calling it before they
can shift.

Speaker 2 (43:11):
Campaign the sophomore Bulldozer averaging eight and a half yards
of carry, He's set off the left tip of tong
Gate lasking motion as a blocking back toung Gate will
keep it over the left side, touchdown Byron Center, landing
tong Gate with his second touchdown of the day and
his twenty first rushing touchdown of the season. Byron Center

(43:33):
cashes in on that big sixty yard punt return by
Lee and moves quickly into the end zone to take
the lead thirteen to seven.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
Just really, I mean, it wasn't an impressive drive because
there's only two players, but set up beautifully by the
Lee putt return. But just getting back to basics pounding
the football. But like Byron Center likes to do.

Speaker 2 (43:57):
Hill here to attempt the extra point, punches it through
with nine thirty six to go, bullth of doubling up
the Trojans fourteen to seven. You're listening to the Drive
to Ford Field presented by Vanderlin Home Improvement on ninety
six to one. The game back in Greenville, nine thirty
six to go in the second quarter, Byron Center is
cashed in on a big putt return by Isaac Lee.

(44:19):
And I'll tell you what, sometimes buck those long punts,
and really that's what this was. It was a short
pump at a roll than another twenty five yards sort
of throw off kilter the punt coverage team, and I
think that's what happened and gave me all that running room.
Hilliards high end over end kick taken by Windham at
the right hash of the five straight up the field.
He goes, has an alleyway outside the left hash and

(44:41):
has finally slung down at the thirty one yard line
thereby Loud and Tilma again. After that touchdown drive that
was very short.

Speaker 1 (44:53):
Two plays ten yards, set up, of course, by the
Isaac Lee putt return, Ton Day cashing it for his
second touchdown run of the afternoon hill, you're at the
pat fourteen to seven in favor of the Bulldogs, and
if you're East Lansing now, coach Farako is gonna have
to find something here because outside of the seventy one
yard play to win them, it's been pretty barren as

(45:14):
far as the Trojan's getting anything going.

Speaker 2 (45:17):
Clarizzio comes into this game with nearly sixteen hundred yards
of rushing eight yards of carry thus far. He has
been held in check play action. Fletcher has time to
throw standing back in his twenty five good coverage, he'll
be flushed out and rolled to his right. Nice throw
along the right sidelent, but stepping in front of it
was Isaac Lee. It was intended for Owen Fortman, and
that ball was sailing a bit off the throw of

(45:40):
Fletcher and Lee almost picked it off and could have
returned it for six.

Speaker 1 (45:43):
Play action there. They tried to get him on first down.
I like the play call there, but excellent defense by
Byron Center, good pressure. They flush Fletcher from the pocket
and he sees Fortman there, but Isaac Lee almost comes
up with a crippling interception if you're if you're easily supporter,
but it goes for not informed. Actually had to play
a little defense there because he came over the top

(46:05):
and I think he knocked the ball out of Lee's head.

Speaker 2 (46:07):
Lee at the boundary corner, Will Lake on the other
side in that secondary Eli Farrow the strong safety inching
up showing blitz on the left side. Fletcher a throw
on second down. The ball's tipped as he tried to
quick out to wind them, and I think the guy
getting a pawn it was Bainbridge.

Speaker 1 (46:26):
Yeah, it could have been Bainbridge over there. Well. Wyndham's confused,
he because Isaac Lee just buried him. He's like, what's
going on Well, the ball is tipped, so of course
the pass interference rule goes away after that. And so
just right now, real metless approach to defense for Byron center.
They are feeling it. You're gonna pin the years back

(46:48):
here on third and long. If you're Fletcher, you know
that you're gonna have to get the ball in your head.

Speaker 2 (46:52):
Here third and ten from the thirty two yard line,
the ball to the left, hash three receivers split to the right.
Fletcher out of the gun, has time. Here comes if
the rush throws deep over the middle to win him
and he sails it over his head at the forty
five yard line. Pretty good coverage by Land and Conrad,
the safety you had come over to defend on that
throw in a terrific defensive stand by Byron Center.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
Well, Fletcher knew that he had to get it out
of his hand. The good pressure there got knocked down
as he threw also probably forced him to not be
able to throw that ball on the line. He kind
of sat on the back foot and kind of lofted
it down the middle of the field, which it sailed
down him a little bit there because of that, and
Wyndham couldn't come down with the ketchup it with.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
Another punt for the Trojan three and out on three
consecutive incompletions by Ben Fletcher. They're now zero for three
on third down. Four. On fourth down, Armstrong sends another
booming but low line drive kick that'll drop back of
the eighteen. Flag comes in. I think this one's going
to be a illegal block in the back of the

(47:53):
eighteen yard line.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
Well, I'm the far side there. The gunner and the
punt team or the putt receiving team player for Byron
Center were kind of tangled up. Don't know if we're
gonna get the hands of the face or maybe a
face mask or something along those lines, because they were
both wrestling around on the ground and might have appeldy

(48:15):
on Byron Center here. But we'll find out.

Speaker 2 (48:19):
Holding on they Bulldogs, that'll move it back to should
be the nine yard line, and that's where Land and
ton Gate will start first and ten from his own
nine leading fourteen to seven.

Speaker 1 (48:30):
Well, one thing that's been going well for he's fancying
his Armstrong two solid puns. This one's flipping the field
even further. Of course, we counteracting that with his big return,
But that was a good puns on that one, and
then this one even better, that low line drive that
it's kind of unreturnable, it gets a good hop. So
definitely flip the field for the Trojans as they try

(48:51):
to find something to get the momentum.

Speaker 2 (48:53):
Back Ton Gates. Since Carter Ricketts why to the left
in the slot. The whistle blows this play dead offside
encroachment on East Lansing.

Speaker 1 (49:05):
Well, all you gotta do in high school ball is
entering the neutral zone and it's not like college or
the prow where you can get back. And somebody for
East Lansing tried to jump the snap count at that time.
They go on to long count. So now Byron center
varying the cadence keeping East Lansing off balance.

Speaker 2 (49:23):
First down and five from the fifteen yard line for
Land and Tonggate, he'll turn out of the gun and
give to Campaign who probes the left side. Not much there.

Speaker 1 (49:35):
It was.

Speaker 2 (49:37):
Justin Let's hel Jari first to meet him, dropped them
for no game be second and five.

Speaker 1 (49:41):
Yeah, Justin Aljari, who's played a tremendous game so far
for the Trojans, one of the best players on the
defense and big, tall defensive tackle. They kind of run
like a tilt four three here, Bob. They've got really
three defensive tackles in one edge, depending on they're alliance.
And so far the running game for Byron Center, even

(50:04):
though it's been clicking, al Jari has been playing well.

Speaker 2 (50:06):
Were they twenty to go here in the first half,
it's second and nine. Ton Gate out of the gun.
He'll keep it all the way works the left side
has a first down over the twenty to the twenty two,
finally wrestled to the ground by Armstrong and Duate SAMs.
That's what Logan ton Gate gives you is ability to throw.

(50:27):
And he's really another running back there with evens out
the blocking schemes and evens out to the blocking numbers.

Speaker 1 (50:32):
Yeah. Ever since he's been the freshman, Brett and I
the we did one of his first games when he
played against Forrest Hild Central had to come in down relief,
and ever since the land and Tungate has grown into
the player that we see today.

Speaker 2 (50:45):
From the twenty two. He'll take it again, this time
around the left end out over the twenty five, tripped
up by Jeff Bridges who's slow to get up tackled
at the twenty nine.

Speaker 1 (50:58):
We got a man.

Speaker 2 (50:58):
Down seven more for Land and ton Gate Bridges slow
to get up.

Speaker 1 (51:05):
Yeah. I don't know if he got hit by his
own player, because one of those own players was coming
order to talk to him. But we'll hope mister Bridges
is okay. Rapid radio score update all around the state,
of course, six West Michigan teams eight if you want
to count school Craft Indicatur, they're on the west side too.
We'll count that. But six in the Grand Rapids Moschigon area, Rochester,

(51:27):
Adams and Hunsonville tied at seven. Zealand West twelve to
wit seven, Catholic Central down to franken Moth now twenty
one to seven. Millington has taken the lead over North
Muskeig in fourteen to seven, and then Niles has taken
the lead on South Christian eight to seven.

Speaker 2 (51:44):
All those games, give me your give me your geno gents.
For the best finish of the day.

Speaker 1 (51:49):
I think Zealand wessond Win. I mean that game I
think is going to come right down to the wire.
Two very well coached, talented, experienced teams, and I think
that one's going to be back in as we see
right now, four out of those five games either tired
or within one score, so almost all of them could
be down to the finish.

Speaker 2 (52:07):
Who's the West Michigan team that surprised you most by
playing on semi final Saturday.

Speaker 1 (52:11):
Well, I hate to tell you this because I got
two South Christian guys with me right now, but I'm
telling you based on their performance, I'm South Christian I
think is the biggest surpriss I mean not only because
of their but also the teams that they have beaten,
I mean beating Unity, beat them fifty to twenty one
in the regular season, and they were able to beat
them in the playoff.

Speaker 2 (52:30):
Ton Gate on second down and three gives it a
campaign who crashes into the left side of the line
as a first down dropped by Grover Patterson that side
of that offensive line doing some Yeoman's work for Byron center.
First and ten for the Bulldogs at their own thirty
four ton Gate with a reverse to Luke Glasco and

(52:54):
Alaska is able to pick up three more around the
right end a little hitting ball.

Speaker 1 (53:00):
Yeah, the wrap round draw there by Alaska, and I
wonder if I mean those are the wrap round draw
and the double handoff. I mean those are, like I said,
that's the Ralph Munger playback. I wonder if Mark called
it this week. It's like, hey, you guys think that
I could use because I'm kind of running a little
white ideas and so far they've run a couple of
those and they've worked so well, and man byrons that

(53:23):
are just really going to work on that front. Seven
of East Lansing running the football.

Speaker 2 (53:27):
Second and seven from the thirty seven. This time it's
Kellen and Payne trying to get to the edge. Can't
do it. East Landsing strings it all well with Fortman
and Wyndham driving him out of bounds at the thirty
seven the line of scrimmage. So third down now and
seven for Landing. Tong Gate checking into the game for
the Bulldogs. I last played Chase Schwartz and a wide receiver.

(53:51):
Bulldogs have been perfect on third downs this afternoon, and
this one is their longest one. Most of the third
downs have been inside of five hours. It's third and
seven here with six minutes to go in the second quarter.

Speaker 1 (54:01):
Oh, this is also pivotal because you're looking at the
scoreboard here, it's getting under six minutes start to think
about that last possession of the first half, and Byron
Center got the ball to start this game. So if
you want to keep East Wanson been getting a two
for one possession, see if you can get this one converted,
they're gonna call a time out.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
And no, I think I'm talking about it right defensive
n jump, but I think he didn't cross the line
of scrimmage and in doing so, that little shift caused
some movement on the left side of the Byron center
Oh line and it's a five year illegal procedure penalty.

Speaker 1 (54:33):
I didn't see that one, But good e there, and
boy well, third and seven was gonna be tough. Third
and twelve obviously gonna be tougher when Landon Tunggate does
have the ability to make it. If you're East Lansing here,
you gotta be careful. Can't let Isaac Lee go get
lost in the defensive secondary because we haven't called his
name a lot on offense, but you never want to

(54:55):
be making it the first time to hear his name
out of spectacular play.

Speaker 2 (55:00):
When it's third and twelve, he leads the Bulldogs and
receiving play action pass Tonggate to throw swings it out
in the right fat flat complete to Bainbridge the tight
end and he is cut down right there at the
thirty seven on a good defensive play by Darryl Jeter.
And here's the first fourth down coming up for Byron Center.

Speaker 1 (55:18):
They ran a little clear out again kind of the
same concept is when we got the first down conversion
on that. This one clearly a lot longer to gain,
but a good read there by the defensive backs. Jeter
comes off of his guy very early and is able
to make the tackle on Bainbridge and Netal force the
first punt. Excuse me, yes, the first punt. No second

(55:39):
punt for Luke Glaska today.

Speaker 2 (55:41):
Fourth and nine from the thirty five, Alaska kicking deep
to twin safeties. You don't see that very often. Bj
Windham will call for a fair catch of the thirty
three and that's where East Lansing will take over down
by seven with four forty two to go. That's where
I don't think I've seen that a long time. To
win safeties on a punt return.

Speaker 1 (56:03):
I mean usually see that, Bob, when the other team
thinks you're gonna fake it, or you know, pull something
out that you didn't really expect. But I mean down
in their own territory fourth and ten. Didn't think that
was the time there, But either way it works for
East Lanson to get the ball at their own thirty five.
They've got to find something here on offense because Clarizio
has been stuck in the mud all game and Fletcher,

(56:25):
aside from the one play to wind up, has equally
been frustrated and shut down.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
From the thirty five. Their own thirty five, first and
ten owned fort minute in motion right to left for
Ben Fletcher out of the pistol, It'll fake to Clarizio,
Fletcher a roll to his right, swinging out there to
Fortman in the right flat chop down right at the
forty yard line. The numbers on a good tackle by
Eli Farroll gain of five yards. Farah just one hundred
and forty five pounds five to seven buck. But he's

(56:54):
the leading, really the leader of that secondary. He's he's
had four interceptions and again and Marccisco calls him the
best tackler on that team.

Speaker 1 (57:03):
Well, he demonstrated it there, just comes up and makes
a solid tackle on Foreman. Play action again on first
down for East Lansing. This time they go with the
underneath route, but a good job there by Byron Zerra
to keep it to five yards.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Out of the pistol second and five from the right
hash at the forty yard line, Fletcher turns, gives it
to Clarizio. He runs hard and right through a defender
Kellen Payne at the forty fives. Finally dropped at midfield
by Isaac Lee. That's the kind of run we expected
to see from Jay's Rizzio.

Speaker 1 (57:34):
Yeah, obviously his best run of the afternoon. And Kevin
Payne there was some tire tracks going right by where
he was standing. He just got bowled over by Clarizio.
And I will say Clarisio did get knocked a little
bit off course there, Otherwise he could still be going.

Speaker 2 (57:52):
On first and ten. Clarizio jump cuts to the right side,
flag comes in, He's able to wiggle his way back
to the line of scrimmage. Swarm of Black Shirts nail
them there, led by Nolan's stubble Field. But I think
this is gonna be a holding call. Buck On Yep.

Speaker 1 (58:09):
The Trojans, well, there was a couple of candidates, I'll
just say that, but there was that was pretty obvious
that they finally got Of course, all the unpaid officials
in the stands let everybody know that there was a hold,
but it was pretty obvious there in Claris, even with
the hold, was all able to get back to the
whitest scrimmage. So Byron Zener, just do it. A great
job of corraling number zero today three.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
And a half to play in this second quarter, it's
settled down a little bit. It was seemed like an
offensive fireworks show in the first quarter despite just seven
points for each team, and now both defenses have sort
of settled in.

Speaker 1 (58:45):
I thought we were in for a little bit of
a shootout, but really, you know, it's been a special
teams the defense type of game since then.

Speaker 2 (58:51):
At the forty first and twenty play action Fletcher to
throw guns that at the fifty complete on en route
to Owen Fortman the angles is way over field and
picks up a good chunk of that before Land and
Conrad spilled them there at a forty eight more manageable
now second and eight good throw by Ben Fletcher. I
like this quarterback Fletcher, nice drop back passer, stands tall

(59:13):
in the pocket. He's throwing some good balls here in
this first.

Speaker 1 (59:17):
Half well, and when he has the time, he can
set his feet and throw a really nice football. It's
just the pressure from Byron Center's kind of for us,
and he just some bad throws. But what he's given
time and given the space, I mean, he's a very accurate,
depressive passer.

Speaker 2 (59:32):
He'll operate under center. Here on second and eight from
the forty eight, the late hand off to Clarizio runs
to his left and then is hit by stubble Field
at the forty six picked up a cup ball. Third
down and six, and this will be an interesting play
call here. But do you look at it as third
and six or do you say we're gonna run two

(59:54):
plays and chew the clock a little bit and go
for a four down territory.

Speaker 1 (59:59):
Yeah. Well, you know, if I'm Bill Farako, I'm looking
at this saying I'm gonna get the ball back to
start the second half. So I don't want to do
something that can give Byron Center momentum. So I'm saying here,
if I don't get it, if it's gonna have to
be really, it's gonna be fourth and one. I think
if for him to go for it, they don't get
it here, I think you'd have to play the field
position game with the way this this half has gone.

Speaker 2 (01:00:21):
On third and six, Fletcher rolls to his right, flips
it along the right sideline down to the thirty yard line.
Intended for Darryl. Jeter just overthrew him and it's fourth
down and six from the forty six.

Speaker 1 (01:00:35):
Well, he had Clarisio on a similar route to the sideline.
He decides to go to Jeter, who is a lot
tighter to the sideline, and also he had to throw
over a defender. I think if he wanted that one,
we got to do that one again. I think he'd
probably go to Clarizio and see if he could get
it with his legs. But he goes awright, they're gonna

(01:00:56):
punk the football.

Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
These Lancing's Isaiah Armstrong, I'm standing in his own forty
will kick it deep to Isaac Lee, who's retreated back
to the tin. Left footed boot another high, wobbly but
effective kick that's gonna hit at the tent and bounce
all the way down to the one yard line. What
a boot buy is? Saiyah Armstrong forty five yards of

(01:01:20):
perfection on the coffin corner. Kicked the kinda checked up
kind of like your.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
Golf yeah shot, it's like it's like it's like playing
in Augusta. He kept hit it into the bank and
it rolled all the way down to the hole. Just
a terrific punt there by Armstrong. It was forty six
yard line and he got that like forty five point nine.
I mean they literally down to inside the one with
the tail of the football hanging just by the goal line.

(01:01:46):
So now, Byrons, center gotta be careful here because you
don't want to give up a two point safety to
have to give them the ball back with two timeouts
and still over a minute to go. So I think
if your Byron said here is this be very conservative.
I wouldn't be surprised if they just ran Tonggate under
center and just try to sneak it out for a
couple of yards.

Speaker 2 (01:02:06):
East Lansing has two timeouts remaining. Stay with us at
halftime for the Hulst Jepson Physical Therapy halftime show. I'll
tell you more about that in a moment. On first
and ten from the one foot line, ton Gate sneaks
out of the left side, spins out of a tackle
right at the line of scrimmage, and then just falls
forward to about the three and that's what they needed
to do. It was Aljari again underneath the bottom of

(01:02:27):
that pile. It looks like Bill Farako is gonna let
that clock run.

Speaker 1 (01:02:31):
A little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
Hulse Jepson Physical Therapy Halftime Show brought to you by
Hulse Jepson. Tonight's plot. Today's players have worked hard to
get their bodies ready for competition, and Hulse Jepson Physical
Therapy wants you to stay in the game no matter
what level of activity you desire it. They get patients
in within twenty four to forty eight hours. That's Hulse
Jepson Physical Therapy, restoring body, reviving spirit. Time out and

(01:02:55):
take in Actually an injury timeout by east Land. It's
saying a halftime. Joe Aeron back in the studio. Catch
up on all the scores from the NHSA semi final Saturday,
as well as college football, Big day of college football
in high school football as a Saturday before Thanksgiving, all
usually as a bluck. Is there a better time of

(01:03:17):
the year right now for football and college football, pro football,
high school football.

Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
Right in the main swing of things with the playoff
push now starting for NFL teams obviously, you know big
games in the Big ten Ohio state in Indiana today,
that one's gonna be a good battle. And of course
the semi final Saturday here for high school eight player
finals up in the up. So yeah, this is prime

(01:03:43):
time for football. And I think it was number seven
for east Land. Thing that was Owen Fortman, that was
the injured player, and he looked to be under some distress.

Speaker 2 (01:03:58):
Fats is getting help. That's a big loss if they
lose Fortman. He's a key player on both sides of
the ball. It was true.

Speaker 1 (01:04:05):
I mean it was something that happened. He the play
was done and then he kind of ran toward the
sidelines and collapse. So don't know exactly what it was.
They're helping him off. We hope he is able to return,
but he is not putting any weight on that left leg.

Speaker 2 (01:04:24):
So neither team was charged a timeout. That's why the
clock now has begun to run against sixteen seconds on
the play clock, sixty seconds on the game clock with
soul in a fall start on Byron Center.

Speaker 1 (01:04:36):
Well, if you're going to do it, it's inside the five.
Is a good way to do it because you're just
only there's only so much so far fire that they
go back, but unfortunately it puts them back in the
position that they were in, which is still in the
hole in the shadow of those goal posts. So still
I think you're gonna be extra conservative here.

Speaker 2 (01:04:54):
Well, on a positive note, that resets the play clock
that twenty five land and Tonggate can let that roll
down or he'll take the snap with a minute to go.
He breaks a tackle right at the goal line, gets
outside the ten. He's galloping down the left sideline, cuts
it back toward the middle of the field at the thirty,
and finally chased down at the forty six yard line
by Jeff Bridges for a forty three yard scamper That

(01:05:14):
changes the complexion of this final minute of the first half.

Speaker 1 (01:05:18):
Well, still a conservative play call, but Tanya just goes
around the left hand and all of a sudden there's
nobody in the second level, turns on the Jets and
now gets it out near midfield.

Speaker 2 (01:05:30):
Ninety yards on the ground for tong Gate. On first
and ten, he's back to throw, fires a left sideline
at the fifty, caught and dropped by Carter Ricketts. It'll
be in complete pass with forty two seconds to go.

Speaker 1 (01:05:43):
I tried to run a little bit with tempo there, obviously,
and Ricketts just couldn't hold on. Again, we're talking about
guys coming in for receiver. It's still cold outside and
guy's coming off the bedge. It's still a little little tight.

Speaker 2 (01:05:56):
On second and ten, three receivers out to the right,
the wide side of the field to get out of
the gun straight back to pass. Throws a complete at
the forty nine to the tight end that is Will Lake,
the slot back, picked up seven met there immediately by
Avon Smith on a time out taken by Byron Center.

(01:06:19):
Now on third and three from the forty eight yard line.
That is the second time out spent by the Bulldogs,
and they now have one left and first they have
to pick up the first down.

Speaker 1 (01:06:31):
Well, third and three here, and so they called the
time out, and you're thinking, you're gonna call two plays
in the huddle here, Bob. So they're gonna get the
play that they hope they can get the first down to,
and then they're gonna have another one coming out of that,
so they don't have to waste time getting that one in.
So I think that's what they're gonna set up for
And also, you know the first down only stops the

(01:06:52):
clock to spot the chain, so you don't want to
waste another time out by getting everybody around the ball.
So I think that's what they're gonna do here. And boy,
so far offensively the first half running the football for
Byron Center just impressive stats. But now with thirty four
seconds it's probably gonna have to be done through the air.

(01:07:13):
If you want to get in a position for a score.

Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
You just joined us. A couple of Land and ton
Gate touchdown runs sandwiched around a seventy one yard TD
pass for East Lansing to bj Windham has a said
of score fourteen to seven, ton Gate to throw the
balls tipped and then picked off at the forty two
yard line. It was tipped at the line. I think
the one who got it was Gus Greenwald, and the
interception was by Grover Patterson as he caught the ball

(01:07:39):
falling down with the forty two My goodness, the complexion
of the first half and changes again, buck Man.

Speaker 1 (01:07:46):
And that's just how the season has gone, not just
today but season for Land and ton Gate. The fifth
Maybe it's just me right, Maybe it's just me, I
have say five interceptions this year, so maybe I don't
get to do any more Byron's enter games because and
four of them have been tips. Yeah, I mean it's
it's just incredible bad luck and a great play there

(01:08:07):
by Greenwall just to get his arm up. And now
another big shift in momentum.

Speaker 2 (01:08:11):
From the forty one is where they'll market Ben Fletcher
out of the shotgun straight back to throw throws it
over the middle. It's too high intended for bj Windham.
Down at the Byron Center forty He's had a few
balls sail up and that was another one that was
too tall for Windham twenty three seconds to go here
in the first half two timeouts for East Lansing.

Speaker 1 (01:08:30):
It's been the ones down the middle, Bob, which means
that he's not driving his foot forward into the middle
when he's thrown to the perimeter to the numbers, or
even in the flat good ball when it's been over
the middle. He's let that one sail He's got to
drive his arm through. He's got to get all the
way through it. And part of that's the pressure that the
Byron Center is bringing. They're not letting him get into

(01:08:50):
rhythm on those deep middle throws.

Speaker 2 (01:08:52):
You mentioned that a little uncomfortable early on back to
throw gun. Here comes that rush. He eludes to throw
fires over the middle high again, but Windham sky's the
ball at the forty two of Byron's center. Great catch
by b. J. Windham and an equally good elusive move
there by Fletcher to avoid that sack. He'll spike the
ball with fifteen seconds to go, and now the timeouts

(01:09:17):
really allow them to maximize two, maybe three more plays
here from the forty one.

Speaker 1 (01:09:22):
It's kind of surprised they didn't spend the time out there.
Fifteen seconds up now fourteen after the clocking of the ball,
but they still have the two left with fourteen seconds,
but they're at the forty one, so they're gonna have
to bob. They're gonna have to maneuver their way down
I think inside the twenty to have a chance that
maybe a field goal if that's what they're looking for.
Otherwise they're gonna have to get way downfield on this

(01:09:44):
one to have a chance at the end zone. It's
gonna be tough to take two cracks from here.

Speaker 2 (01:09:50):
Three receivers out to the right the wide side of
the field for ben Flescher back to throw. Here comes Paines,
gotta beat on him and drops them back at the
forty seven yard line. Kell and Payne just grabbed his
shirt slung him to the ground in this time like
Bill Farrocco. Well, now he'll spend the time out here.

Speaker 1 (01:10:08):
Yeah, he will spend the time out with one seven
seconds and now I think they have time for two
if they get a short one, Bob. But I mean,
how much really does that benefit you? Now the wind
has picked up a little bit, it's starting to blow
to the east. But now again nothing that should affect
a ball going down field that much. But man, I

(01:10:32):
feel like you could have taken a time out there,
set up something and then set up another play, but
instead they choose to clock it go under the forty
second play clock and Kellen paying a big play there
for Byron center to sack them and really make it
tough sliding for the Trojans get anything on the board
to end this first half.

Speaker 2 (01:10:50):
Our first half scoring summary presented by MKD Funeral Homes.
A couple of land and ton Gate touchdowns. The first
one was on the second drive of the game for
Byron's that made it seven to nothing but East Lancing
answer with a seventy one yard strike from Ben Fletcher
to bj Windham Byron Center would cash in after a
sixty yard pump return by Isaac Lee Toungate plowing it

(01:11:13):
in from three yards out. It's our MKD scoring summary
and every story, every moment, every day since nineteen thirty
seven through four generations. From the forty six third down
and sixteen Fletcher to throw. Here comes the rush again.
They're gonna dump him back at the thirty nine and
that is the way the first half will end. Terrific
pressure by Kellen Payne, two straight quarterback sacks for the

(01:11:35):
senior linebacker and that brings us to the end of
the first half. It's a good one Byron Center. Fourteen
East Lansing seven.

Speaker 1 (01:11:45):
Stay with us the.

Speaker 2 (01:11:46):
Halftime show with Joe aarn Back of the Studios coming
up by ninety six won in the game you listening
to the Drive to Ford Field presented by vander lon
Holm Improvement on ninety six to one. The game.

Speaker 3 (01:11:59):
Joe are back in ninety six won the game Studios
in downtown Grand Rapids.

Speaker 1 (01:12:03):
We are at the half of our.

Speaker 3 (01:12:05):
State semi final high school football game of the week
between Byron Center and East Lansing, a couple of land
and Tongate touchdowns have been the story as the Bulldogs
of Byron Center lead East Lansing fourteen to seven. Let's
check out the rest of West Michigan in action on
this State semi final Saturday.

Speaker 1 (01:12:21):
In Division one.

Speaker 3 (01:12:22):
At the half, Hudsonville and Rochester Adams are knotted at seven.
In Division three, Zealand West up on DeWitt twenty to seven.
In Division four, nearing halftime, it's all Niles in this one.
They lead South Christian thirty two to fourteen, and at
the half. In Division five, Frankenmouth all over Grand Rapids
Catholic Central twenty eight to seven. In college football, last night,

(01:12:46):
Michigan State held on to defeat Purdue in East Lansing
thirty four or excuse me, twenty four two seventeen. Currently
in action right now in Big Ten football, the big
one of the game Number two Ohio State hosting number
five Indiana. They are in the third quarter. It was
fourteen to seven Ohio State at the half. Ohio State
has added a touchdown in the third quarter. They lead

(01:13:09):
Indiana twenty one to seven. Coming up in about fifteen
minutes on our sister station, Wood Radio thirteen hundred AM
one oh six nine FM. Michigan football is getting set
to take on Northwestern. That will be the pregame show.
They'll kick that one off at three point thirty. Of course,
that'll set up in the matchup next week between Michigan

(01:13:29):
and Ohio State. Michigan still needs one more win to
become Bowl eligible. In Division two, Grand Valley State is
in action in first round play versus Indianapolis. Forty three
seconds to play in the second quarter, Grand Valley leads
Indianapolis seven to nothing. When we come back, we'll head
back out to Greenville High School for a first half

(01:13:51):
recap and also keys to the second half with Bob
Sak and Buck Gino. Don't go away. We have all
the action right here live on night the game. That'll
wrap up our halftime show. Let's head back out to
Greenville High School for second half action in the Division
two State semifinal, once again Byron Center leading East Lansing

(01:14:11):
fourteen to seven. Here's Bob Sack and Buck Gino.

Speaker 2 (01:14:15):
Gentlemen, Thank you Joe erin all he scores and updates
at the Hauls Jepson Physical Therapy halftime show provided by
Joe back at the studio. Here at halftime it is
Byron Center fourteen East Lansing seven, the MKD scoring summary

(01:14:35):
and Byron Center striking first landing toung Gate with a
one yeard TV run that kept off a forty three
yard drive after a fourth down fumble recovery by the Bulldogs.
The East Lancing Trojans responded on the next play from
scrimmage though a seventy one yard float of a beautiful
pass from Ben Fletcher to bj Windham that made it

(01:14:57):
seven to seven. And that's how we ended the first quarter.
Started the second quarter, ton Gate ran in from two
yards got the ten play or timber of the ten
yard two play drive after a sixty yard punt return
by Isaac Lee. So a football game that's being led
by Byron Center right now, Buck Geno. But they're statistically

(01:15:17):
have early dominated in the first half.

Speaker 1 (01:15:19):
Yeah, if you read the statistics, which I'm going to,
you're gonna look at fourteen to seven and say, boy,
it's seems like a misprint. But Byron Center indeed only
up seven points, but clearly had most statistical categories thirteen
first downs to three, one hundred and forty rushing yards
to negative four. Now, of course, a lot of that
sack yardage with Ben Fletcher being caught behind the line

(01:15:40):
of scrimmage, so we have to take that into account.
But Jays Carizio only six Russians for eighteen yards, so
they are keeping that ground game in check. Are at
the Bulldogs one hundred and five passing yards for East
Lansing but total one hundred ninety two for Byron Center.
They also have two interceptions and the East Lancing has
won a fumble. Of course, that was a turnover on downs,

(01:16:02):
so I don't know if they're going to consider that
a turnover or if they're going to consider that just
a turnover on downs, which wouldn't go in the official
stand But either way, two turnovers for Byron Center, which
is really what's probably kept this game, I think, closer
on the scoreboard than what it could be for Byron Center.
Penalties pretty even third down conversions Byron Center four or five,

(01:16:25):
East Lansing four to one on fourth down conversions. The
leaders for the rushing aspects, of course, Clarizio the leading
rusher for East Lansing, As I mentioned, before Landon Tunggate
two touchdowns on thirteen carries for ninety yards, and the
leading receiver for the Byron Center Bulldogs it looks like

(01:16:48):
number twenty three for them and that is will bomb
back and he's got sixteen yards. So really, overall, I
think for Byron Center, they feel like they probably could
have played a little bit better. Clearly, the two turnovers
hurt them for the interceptions which have kept the game
a little bit close. But if you're East Lansing, you

(01:17:08):
have to feel fortunate because your defense did create those turnovers.
They were a tipball, so they weren't just thrown right
to yet, so you did have to do something to
get there. But you've got to find a way to
get that offense on track. We're gonna do our Vandelon's
keys to the second half here, and my key for
Reese Lancing is they gotta find some way to get
Jason Carrizzio on tracked, but they also have to try

(01:17:30):
to get other guys going because it can't just be
number zero. They're going to key on him. Everybody knows this,
and Byron Center really the first team that's been able
to contain him this year. And then if you're Byron Center,
the key for them they can just get away with
having to clean second half. No turnovers, Bob, they could
really start to open this one up, so you just

(01:17:50):
have to really clamp down. Can't have the turnovers, and
they can win this one going away.

Speaker 2 (01:17:56):
That first half scoring summary is statistical review. MKD Funeral
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seven through four generations. That respective family tradition continues at
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(01:18:17):
home dot com now with eight locations in West Michigan
to serve you, including Jamestown, Hudsonville. All right, the kickoff
will be received by East Lansing. And I think you
hit a nail right on the head. Bucket's Jace Clarizio.
And how do you get the guy on track? Get
this against Dexter in that thrilling district final game, he

(01:18:39):
rushed for two hundred and twenty four yards and four touchdowns.
You would never know that by watching the first half
of this one. The way Byron Center has hemmed him in,
tacked and I also tackled him well every time that
initial He's only broke one tackle from my account here
in this first half. That's some really good defense.

Speaker 1 (01:18:56):
Well, I I said, it's a team game. You've got
to make sure that you get here him in a
situation where he doesn't have a cutback lane, and also
just good form tackling. That's what Myron Center has been
able to do so far. Now, if they could just
erase the turnovers on their own side of the offensive plays,
then they, like I said, they can really get in
front of here, but they just have to minimize the turnovers.

Speaker 2 (01:19:18):
Dawson Hilliard has it teed up, ball, meets leather and
sends DeVante Sam's back to his ten yard line. That
catch the high end over end kick jingles towards the
left Sideline's running the bounds at the thirty one, and
that is where these lanching Trojans will start. Ben Fletcher

(01:19:38):
comes into this game having completed just around seventy percent
of his passes for seventeen hundred yards seventeen tds, and
he's today been contained as well by that I think
a really good secondary for Byron center as well as
some pressure from the front seven. On first and ten,
the give is to Claris running to his right, now

(01:20:01):
cuts back to the middle and tracks Kellen Payne with
him all the way to the thirty nine. A pickup
of eight on that play Boys acceleration out of the
backfield as good, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:20:11):
Yeah, it doesn't take long to get the tom speed.
Good blocking there though, probably the first time we've seen
him with a clear path past the line of scrimmage
before he was able to get touched, and we had
five six yards before he was able to get even
first contact. So good blocking by that right side.

Speaker 2 (01:20:27):
Second and eight from the thirty nine. He's got it again.
Busts through the right side of the line, hanging on
for dear life is Kellen Payne drops him with the
forty three that's enough for a first down. Mark Cisco
talked about Jays Clarizio HARKing back to the days of
Tico Duckett, little John Flowers, great backs that he's been around.

(01:20:52):
This guy's got that same ability. He's got it again.
Sweeps around the left end, drags Luke Alasko with him,
out to the thirty nine. And I wonder what Bill
Farroco talked about at halftime, because it's pretty clear, like
we said, what the Trojans are trying to do to
start the second half.

Speaker 1 (01:21:06):
Well, it's not just Clarizio. I mean the line getting
great push up front, picked.

Speaker 2 (01:21:11):
Up seven more second and three from midfield. This time
he slams his way into the right side of that line,
just drove Luke Alaska back. Laska gets a little help
though from his teammates. He'll mark him at the forty seven.
That's another first down. A stead he died of Jace
Clarizio to start this third quarter.

Speaker 1 (01:21:27):
And also some tempo here. They're not wasting too much
time by getting to the line and getting set, not
letting Byron center react.

Speaker 2 (01:21:34):
This time out of the gun goes Fletcher. He'll throw
a quick out route right side complete to Fortan. Good
to see him back in the game after that injury
in the first half. Short game of a couple of
yards along the right sideline in front of will Lake.
Second and eight.

Speaker 1 (01:21:49):
They tried a little change of pace there, a quick
swing pass. Try to keep the defense on us this.

Speaker 2 (01:21:54):
Time out of the pistol third different formation we've seen
here in the second half. Quick pitch to Clarizio looking
to get to the edge on the left side the
wide side, gets a good block, turns the corner at
the forty five and has booked out a bounds at
the forty one. Good block there on the left side
by Gus Greenwalt that sprung them free.

Speaker 1 (01:22:12):
It's just the old Packers sweep there. They just pull
everybody over and just try to wall off the defense
and Byron tires strings out a little bit, but Clarizio
does enough to get a pretty decent game.

Speaker 2 (01:22:22):
Third and four from the forty one. Sam's in a
running back, flags come in fall start, likely on East Lansing.
That changes the complexion of this big third down play.

Speaker 1 (01:22:34):
Yeah, it makes it third and nine, which is gonna
put you not where you're want to be in relation
to the sticks, especially after that short first down game.
And now, like you said, it changes the dynamics because
now it's probably gonna be Ben Fletcher throwing the football
third and four. You can do either or especially at
the spot of the field that they're in. But now

(01:22:56):
have to be careful here because almost at midfield.

Speaker 2 (01:23:01):
Dante Sam's the running back off the right hip of Fletcher.
On third down to nine from the forty five. Fletcher
has time deep over the middle. It is better wait
the last second by Will Lake on a great defensive
play intended four Darryl Jeter down at the ten yard line.
Lake came over from his corner spot and just stepped
in front of the ball to deflect it before Jeter

(01:23:21):
was able.

Speaker 1 (01:23:22):
To grab it incompleate and that rambled off Jeter a
little bit, but the Lake clearly gets over there. Makes
a tremendous play because Jeter was behind the defense and
Fletcher had him for a split second with the Lake
a great play to keep that one because that's in
the end zone, Bob. If he doesn't make that play,
that's a touchdown all the way. Instead, it's going to
be a punt.

Speaker 2 (01:23:44):
So the Bulldogs stiffened. After a couple of first down
runs by Jason Clarizio, Isaiah Armstrong, standing at his forty
left footer, booms it down to the six where it's
caught by Isaac Lee dances around the ten and then
dropped to the numbers at the fifth. Good punt coverage

(01:24:04):
by Jalen Gillespie lane first and ten at the fifteen
for Byron center nine to fifty three to go here
in the third quarter.

Speaker 1 (01:24:11):
Well Armstrong doing a great job of flipping the field,
or at least pitting the Byron center bulldog's back. You
might wonder why is Lee catching a punt inside the ten. Well,
the last one died literally a couple of inches before
the end line for the first use before the goal line.
So even though it doesn't that much yardage, it's much
better than taking a stamp from your own one.

Speaker 2 (01:24:31):
Ton game with an empty backfield on first and ten
quarterback keeper right up the gut much there maybe a
couple out to the seventeen at the bottom of the
pile or first dominium was Mario Montez, the junior nose guard.

Speaker 1 (01:24:47):
The Byrons are going to try to do what they
did the first half is wear down that front seven
of East Lansing. Early in the game, East Lansing was
shifting around, getting different fronts looking in there. But now
we start to see a little bit of a hole
that it's taken a couple guys that go both ways
ALJII and Greenwalt there, so guy watch for them to

(01:25:10):
start cycling in and out, try to keep them fresh.

Speaker 2 (01:25:12):
Second and seven from the eighteen yard line. Out of
the gun again, tong Gate will keep it around the
left side, cuts back up the middle as a first
down into the secondary. Now reverses his feel over to
the right side outside the numbers, still on his feet,
hit the forty five of East Lancing before he's run
out of bounds by Jeff Bridges. Great run by London

(01:25:35):
by Landon Tongate, a forty yards scamper to put the
ball in. He's Lancing territory.

Speaker 1 (01:25:41):
A little bit of a slow developer, and then he
reverses his field, but land and Tungate just keeps his
legs moving. Great vision to get into that cutback and
then there's just nobody home. But also good blocking down
field by the receivers. You don't see that a lot, Bob.
You don't see guys hold their blocks, especially on the
perimeter that well. But that's what really set up Tudgate

(01:26:03):
for success.

Speaker 2 (01:26:03):
First and ten from the forty two on the Jets sweep,
they give it to Alaska. He's got a lot of
room around the left side, busts his way into the
secondary all the way down to the twenty six yard
line of East Lansing. Bo He almost since that was
a bit of a backbreaker, that forty yard run by
tong Gate and then Alaska follows it up with a
sixteen yard scamper Ton game out of one hundred and

(01:26:23):
thirty three on the ground first and ten from the
twenty sixth.

Speaker 1 (01:26:28):
And Laska then going to work on the edge there.
He's a big guy, get running down hill.

Speaker 2 (01:26:33):
He's lined up as an h back to the left.
Isaac Lean motioned to the right, but they give it
to Campaign running to his left, snowed under the twenty
five PJ Windham there along with Justin Aljari Isaiah Armstrong
also the bottom of the pile. Slow to get up.

Speaker 1 (01:26:57):
You got to watch those guys defensive ends and meet,
like I said, a couple of them going on both
sides of the ball, Al Jerry and Greenwell all Jerry
already hands on the hips after this first series of plays,
So gotta watch to see if they'll start to cycle
some guys.

Speaker 2 (01:27:12):
In on second and eight. Ton Gate Wiggles is way
behind the right side of that offensive line. Good blocking
by that's been Batdorf and Ben kitchen and a lot
of them to get three or four, setting up a
manageable third down on a long five at the twenty two.

Speaker 1 (01:27:33):
This will be an interesting call here because third and five,
actually third and six are gonna make market. Not really
sure about Hillard's range today. I think he's probably at
the very edge. So interesting to see what they try
to do here.

Speaker 2 (01:27:49):
Twin setbacks the pain Brothers. There's that double handoff again,
big hole on the left side for Alaska. He motors
his way inside the fifth for a first down onto
the twelve yard line. Double handoff. That's the second time
they've run that play and it's been effective.

Speaker 1 (01:28:08):
At that time, gotten the defense out of the position.
Nobody stayed home. They thought Kellen Payne was gonna go
over the right side and said, it goes Luke Glasket
to the left and very little resistance on that side.
He's able to pick up the first down.

Speaker 2 (01:28:21):
Forty two yards today on the ground for Luke Alaska.

Speaker 1 (01:28:27):
Good for him, like I said, he's been dinged up
a lot this season. The senior running.

Speaker 2 (01:28:31):
Back Balta left hash first and ten. They give us
to campaign behind that right side, bolts his way inside
the ten down to the eight. Six more for the
big sophomore campaign.

Speaker 1 (01:28:44):
Well, like you said, Bob, that big run by ton
Gate took a little bit of the start. Shout of
that trojan the defense and now even though they're not
picking up in as big of a chunk, really just
consistent games on the ground, going to work on that defense.

Speaker 2 (01:29:00):
Down in four from the eight, Tonguate fakes to Alaska
and out darks right up the middle near the first
down marker at the three, stood up by Armstrong. He's close,
gonna be maybe just a half yard shot. It will
be third down in less than the yard.

Speaker 1 (01:29:13):
Looks like they're gonna mark him short, so they're gonna
bring in Kevin Payne take out we and Lake.

Speaker 2 (01:29:22):
Six minutes to go here in this third quarter, key
moment here is Byron Center. Wi stood the first drive
by East Lansing forced a punt thanks to the legs
of Logan Tongate. They're knocking on the door again. Third
down from the four, one yard to go. Tong Gate
keeps over the left side, breaks a tackle of Armstrong

(01:29:43):
at the two and dances into the end zone. Touchdown
Byron Center.

Speaker 1 (01:29:50):
Third rushing touchdown of the contest, and an just a
big hole over that left guard. It's Caden Krause over there,
and he comes off to handslaps a high fives and
landed tongate darts into the end zone to expand the lead.

Speaker 2 (01:30:09):
Ben Kitchen the right guard pulling and opening the hole
as well. Hill, you're down for the extra point with
five forty to go, Snap is good spot as perfect
and he boots it home twenty one to seven Byron
Center on top five forty to go. We'll step aside
when we return Based Clarizio back on the offensive end.
You're listening to the drive to Ford Field presented by

(01:30:31):
vandel On Home Improvement in ninety six to one in
the game, Hey brought to you by a Kids Food Basket,
our official nonprofit for the LMCU high school football Game
of the Week. In this regular season, every touchdown scored
near our games of the Week, we'll see LMCU generously
donate fifty dollars to Kids Food Basket to nourish local
kids to reach their full potential. Bob Sack back with

(01:30:53):
Buck Gino after that impressive scoring drive by Byron Center
to take a twenty one to seven lead, Dawson Hilliard
has a team up. Kick it deep to Darryl Jeter
and bj Windham bend over end drives Jeter back to
the four. The right hash a'll angle to the middle
of the field, now bounces it outside the left can't
give out of the grasp of Connor Neelan, who makes

(01:31:15):
a good special teams tackle the twenty and that's where
Eastlantic's start.

Speaker 1 (01:31:20):
After the TV drive, nine plays eighty five yards for
Byron Center, four minutes and thirteen seconds off the clock,
easily their most impressive drive of the day. Tong Gate
a forty yard run. Keyed that drive at his three
yard run capped it off twenty one to seven. After
the Hilliard pat in favor of the Bulldogs.

Speaker 2 (01:31:37):
Good time to set that Byron Center defense again. Up front,
it's double field Chris Brown eight and Van Damn Matt Orange.
We haven't called his name. He's in at the defensive end.
Spot Mark Cisco figures there's sixteen or seventeen guys that
rotate through that defensive lineup. You keep those black shirts fresh.
On first and ten, play action over the middle and

(01:32:00):
it's almost picked off. Great play by Eli Pharaoh to
step in front of Fortman and really turned to the
fender there.

Speaker 1 (01:32:09):
I mean that was picked off playing the quarterback there
because there's nobody that was going to catch that box
up for Pharaoh underthrown and Pharaoh just smelled that out,
took away the leverage that Fortman was going to be
able to get inside on that slant. And great play
there and kind of baited Fletcher into that a little bit,
and they're lucky that it wasn't picked off.

Speaker 2 (01:32:32):
Second and ten from the twenty one armstrong in motion
right to left. He gave us to Clarisio and he
is met right at the line of scrimmage on a
terrific what's by campaign who knife threw from that linebacker
spot and dumped them for no game?

Speaker 1 (01:32:50):
Well, I'm just the pinetration and the gap control that
Byron Center has had up front is really stymied Clarisio.
He just doesn't have an lanes not only at the
point of attack, but also he's had very few cutback lanes.
So hats off to the defensive front of Byrons Tyer.
They just have not given Corizio very much room to

(01:33:11):
operate at all. Today.

Speaker 2 (01:33:13):
Third and ten for East Lansing at their own twenty one.
They desperately need to stay on the field. Fletcher to
throw over the middle. He's got his man at the
forty two on a good catch by Jeter, and no,
they'll call it incomplete. I thought he had it, but
as he was hitting, he was hit hard by Bainbridge
and Logan, Conrad, Land and Conrad. They drilled him at

(01:33:36):
the forty and I think he just bobbled it and
came to the ground and it hit the turf well.

Speaker 1 (01:33:39):
And the East Lansing coaches are protesting because they felt
that Jeter had a couple of strides in there before
he was hit and went to the ground. But he
did lose control of the football and it did touch
the ground. I mean that was that was clear from
our vantage point. I think their contention is that he
had the in possession and it should have been ruled

(01:34:02):
to fumble and recovery.

Speaker 2 (01:34:03):
That would definitely be instant replay review, replay review on.

Speaker 1 (01:34:07):
What this game? What is a catch anymore?

Speaker 2 (01:34:10):
Really something about a football move I've heard. I'm trying
to figure that out. Armstrong's kick it's the bounce and
drives Lake back to the thirty eight hillegal to his
left along the sideline. He's still on his feet inside
the forty and then dragged down at the twenty seven
yard line on a horse collar tackle by Caden Belvin.
That'll add another twelve yards eleven yards onto the play,

(01:34:33):
and all of a sudden, after that thirty five yard
return back Byron, Center's got a ch just to blow
this one open with four to twenty to go.

Speaker 1 (01:34:40):
Well, it's been to the same side of the field too,
a boy, Both of the big returns have been to
our side, the near side of the field. They'd set
up that return and you've seen it both times, so
clearly something they saw on tape. They're gonna call it
a face man had a horse cower. Either way, it
was gonna be a fifteen yard penalty or half the distance.
So I'll get them even closer and you can feel Bob,

(01:35:03):
especially after that Jeter drop that was ruled in complete.
That could have been a big swing. Instead it's a
punt and now another the large return inside the twenty
east Flansy holding on by their fingernails here.

Speaker 2 (01:35:19):
First and ten at the fourteen with four to twenty
five to go, land in toungate sends Isaac Lee and
will lake wide to the right. He has campaign off
his left hip. Luke Alaska wind up as the h
back to the right. Both the left hash on first
and ten. Tong Gate will run to his left. They

(01:35:40):
string them out, but he's able to slip through just
a bit of a crease there. Upended by Baylor Shansky
at the nine and bj Windham picked up five more.
But he's good at hitting the hole, isn't he well?

Speaker 1 (01:35:53):
And also very patient letting his blocks develop. He knows
that if he gives them some time, a crease will
come and that time. Good job by east Fancy to
string it out, but just one guy gets taken out
of the lane and tongue Gate knife's in there.

Speaker 2 (01:36:08):
Good pick up second and five at the nine. Balta
left Hash two receivers out wide to the right. They'll
throw that way. Tong Gate fires it right at the ten.
He's got his man, Isaac Lee, who spins out of
a tackle at the six as a first down at
the two and in his wake leaves two injured Trojans

(01:36:28):
get up slowly. Nice play by Isaac lieda pick up Yak.

Speaker 1 (01:36:31):
Well that was also a very tough catch by League.
His tong Gate throwing that across the field from the
near hatch of the fire side numbers. So Leaf swoops
in and makes a great catch, but dead he's got
all the momentum in the world, so he just turns
it up field and it's able to cut against the
grain of the defense and get it in for first
in gold. That's why we're gonna have an injury timeout

(01:36:53):
or a full timeout. I don't know which one it is.

Speaker 2 (01:36:55):
Special's time out for an injury. I think it was
Datte SAMs.

Speaker 1 (01:36:59):
Yeah, I saw, well, there was one player that limped
off the field, and that was number two Jeff Bridges.
But he was able to get off under his own power,
which next Sampson fortunately was not, so they're going to
attend to him.

Speaker 2 (01:37:13):
Three thirty two to go here in this third quarter
Byrons center rolling along landed Tony had one hundred and
forty eight yards on the ground.

Speaker 1 (01:37:22):
Rapid radio scoreboard update around the States Hudsonville twenty, Rochester
Adams seven, Zealand West twenty, Duet thirteen and actually they
just added another touchdown. I believed him. Twenty six to thirteen,
is that correct? So twenty six to thirteen for John
Shilade and the Ducks. Franklin was still holding that twenty

(01:37:45):
eight to seven edge over Catholic Central. The Cardinals of
Millington have gone ahead of the Norsemen of North Muskegan
twenty to fourteen, and Good Richard was up on Harper
Woods at last check twenty one to six and Niles
steaming in front of South Christian. Really dominating performance by
the Vikings so far thirty eight to fourteen over the Sailors.

Speaker 2 (01:38:06):
First and goal from the two tong Gate will keep
it over left guard touchdown Byron Center. Land and ton Gate.
Yeah for this fourtd plunge, putting up gaudy box score
numbers here today and the Bulldogs in control twenty seven
to seven with three seventeen to play in the third quarter.

Speaker 1 (01:38:24):
Speaking of impressive or dominating performances, Land and Tonggate, if
you have came in today's game and so landon Tunggate
is gonna out and gain Jason Clarizio by over eighty yards,
people would have looked at you funny, But man Land
and Tungate just playing a tremendous game so far.

Speaker 2 (01:38:42):
Hell you're down for the extra point. Well, this time
he hooked it left. That looks more like my golf
and the score May is twenty seven to seventeen. Take
a break when we come back. Ben Ben Futcher back
on the offensive end for He's Lansing. They trail twenty
seven to seven, three seventeen to go on ninety six
one the game, Bob Second buck Gino back with you

(01:39:03):
here in Greenville beautiful Legacy Field. What a gorgeous facility.
Thanks to Brian Dankowski for his hospitality here at Greenville.
They regularly host a game on Semi Final Saturday, the
home of the Yellow Jackets, and today the Division two

(01:39:24):
matchup between Byron Center and East Lansing. He sciding to
see the Bulldogs pull away a bit twenty seven to seven.
Dawson Hilliard this time pooches it grabbed at the twenty
four and with room to run. Angling from left to
the middle of the field. Is Bayler Shansky in the

(01:39:47):
backup running back goodfield position first to ten from the
forty two. After that TD drive.

Speaker 1 (01:39:51):
Three plays fourteen yards, another short one set up by
Isaac Lee on the putt return plus penalty thirty five
yard putt return with the face man got them inside
the red zone, and no, he took three plays to
cash in ton Gate his fourth rushing touchdown of the game,
not covering him on the ground. I mean he's got one, two, three,
and two yards, but they all count the same. Hilliard

(01:40:13):
missed the extra point and that made the score of
twenty seven to seven overall in the day though one
hundred and forty nine yards rushing for a landon Tounggate.

Speaker 2 (01:40:21):
Bob fuck Gino. If you're Bill Faraco here, what do
you do? I mean, your your offense is predicated on
Jayce Clarizio butt. You're down by three scores.

Speaker 1 (01:40:32):
Gotta find a way to get him in space, whether it.

Speaker 2 (01:40:34):
Be through the air, Fletcher throw. He's got a man
opened down with the thirty yard line along the sidelines.
That is Darryl Jeter, who had little in and up
rout Uh had shed him of the cornerback on a
twenty three yard pickup. I guess that's how you get
back in the game, right there.

Speaker 1 (01:40:51):
His best throws have been to the outside, even though
the ones that have fallen incomplete. His best throws are
outside the numbers down the field. So you have to go,
oh that way, now, you can't do that every time.
But what that does is it's going to stretch the defense.
It's gonna get them off the way, have scrimmage a
little bit, and it's gonna, hopefully if you're gonna look
at it, open up some way in for Clarisia.

Speaker 2 (01:41:11):
Fletcher goes under center on first and ten from the
twenty five, gives the Clarizio. He barrels over the left side,
drop by pain at the nineteen, picked up six. That
was a good hole he's been. There's no doubt that
the blocking scheme here in the second half has been
more effective for East Lansing. The point of attack has
seen some alleyways for Jays. Clarizio second and ten from

(01:41:35):
the second and five from the twenty, Clarizio running to
his left hemmed in and then spins forward to the eighteen.
Will Isaac Lee first to hit him, along with Landon
Conrad brings up a big third and four, but probably
four down territory here with two and a half to go.

Speaker 1 (01:41:50):
Yeah, especially down twenty seven to seven. I don't think
field goals are gonna do anything for you here. So
it's two plays to get four yards or more. This
is the one where though, if you're Fletcher, now you
can look at trying to find somebody in the end zone.
This is a good spot to do it, simply because
of the spot of the field that you're in.

Speaker 2 (01:42:11):
On third four, it's Sam's in the lineup now at
running back spot, replacing Clarizio. He takes the hand off
from Fletcher and slices his way through the middle of
that line for a first down down to the fourteen.

Speaker 1 (01:42:26):
Yep, Clarizio is still on the sideline. Clearly he's not hurt.
He's he's ready to go. It's just they're good to
bring in SAMs. Give Byron Center a little different look
also of Clarizio, a little bit of arrest. He does
play defense too, and now he doesn't play all the
snaps on defense, but he is out there quite a bit,
so trying to get him a little bit of arrest.

Speaker 2 (01:42:47):
First down, in ten yards to go from the fourteen,
he's lancing in the red zone. Out of the shotgun
is Ben Fletcher with SAMs behind him. Fakes to SAMs,
drops back to throw now he's gonna run, takes off
and slides just inside the tenth the nine yard line.
First time we've seen Ben Fletcher scamper for big yardage

(01:43:08):
year five yard game.

Speaker 1 (01:43:09):
Yeah, he had Fortman go into the back corner, but
the pressure just flushed him out of the pocket too soon.
And if you'd have been able to set his feet
and maybe take a look, Fortman did beat his man
back to the pylon, but no way for Fletcher to
get in tune with him because the pressure was just
too much and he had to bail out.

Speaker 2 (01:43:25):
Early inside of a minute here to go in the
third quarter twenty seven to seven Byrons center Clarizio back
in the lineups that eight setback as Fletcher goes under
center on second and five, since Windham in motion, they'll
pitch to Clarizio around the right sidey stretch him out,
and he's chopped down at the eight yard line on
terrific defensive tackle by Isaac Lee sliding over from that

(01:43:47):
secondary spot. Picked up just one third down and four
from the nine with thirty seconds to go in the third.

Speaker 1 (01:43:54):
Kin, I surprised he didn't cut that up earlier, Bob,
and I know that he's tried to get to the outside,
but with his side is in the strength, I feel
like he'd be a little bit more confident, especially as
he gets out to the perimeter defenders and turn that
upfield and get a couple with his shoulders square. But
you know, hey, full credit to Byron Center's defense. They
strugg that out perfectly.

Speaker 2 (01:44:14):
From the eight, third down and three, Fletcher under center,
two receivers out to the left. The wide side in
motion is Jeter Fletcher fakes to Clarizio back to throw
slings it left flat incomplete. It was landed Conrad again
stepping in the front of that pass. Check that Tate
Bainbridge checking in and if that safety spot stepped right

(01:44:38):
in front of Isaiah Lot knocked it away for a PBu.
And that's the way the third quarter ends. When we return,
it's fourth and three. Perhaps the play of the game
coming up to start the fourth quarter on ninety six
won the game twenty seven to seven Byron Center over
in East Lansing after three Welcome back to Greenville, Bob

(01:44:59):
Sack alongside Buck Geno's we start the fourth quarter, and
we started with a pivotal play, perhaps the game on
the line here for East Lansing. They have fourth down
and three yards to go at the Byron Center eight
yard line, trailing by three scores. They need a first
down and need to keep this drive alive. Jace Clarizio
set to Ben Fletcher's right, Isaiah Lott in motion from

(01:45:23):
left to right, Jeter in motion at the wide side
back to throw his Fletcher has time throw short over
the middle to Fortman. He's got it at the four.
Pushed back to the sixth, but I think his forward
progress we'll get him. The first down was Eli Farrow
in there to make the stop. Good patience by Ben
Fletcher to find Fortman for the first down.

Speaker 1 (01:45:42):
Well kind of that's that play developed. Good protection though
by these defense didn't let pressure get to Fletcher and
flesh him out of the pocket.

Speaker 2 (01:45:52):
And Fortman is able to work his way free and
pick up a big first down. Trojan Stalei first and
goal from the three. They give us to Clarisio up
the middle. Well, he is sandwich right at the three.
Luke Alaska was there, so was Campaign. They dropped him
for no game sixteen carre. He's fifty one yards. This
is the guy who ever eight yards of carry coming

(01:46:14):
into this game in a pretty good league buck the
Capitolaria Conference. Yeah, they played some good competition.

Speaker 1 (01:46:21):
They play bigger school they do. I mean they play
hold and man ledge and you know they I mean
they played some pretty tough schools and man Byronsy are
doing the job today getting great penetration. And I guess
said that gap control they've had has been superb today.

Speaker 2 (01:46:35):
Out of the pistol. Now, second goal from the three,
Fletcher fakes to Clarsy, He'll roll to his right, lofts
it towards the right corner attendant for a lot threw
it over his head out of bounds. Coverage on the
play tightly was by Luke Alaska in its third goal
from the three.

Speaker 1 (01:46:50):
Yeah, that one by Fletcher, he just throws that one away.
There's nothing there, nobody running to the other side of
the field. That was really the only one that they
were hoping for on that route, and so you just
had to throw it away.

Speaker 2 (01:47:05):
To general with our statman for today tells us that
East Lancing is zero for eight on third downs, one
for two on fourth. They just converted that key fourth
down to keep this drive alive. Now they've got a
big third down obviously four down territory here base formation
and single setback is clarisio and motion window left to

(01:47:26):
right strong side to the right side. That's where the
play will go. Clarizio has the football on the handoff
and plows his way into the en zone for the touchdown.
Jase Clarizio with a three RTD plunge keeps East Lancing alive.
They cut the gaptain twenty seven to thirteen with just
under eleven minutes to go in this fourth quarter.

Speaker 1 (01:47:44):
One of the few times Clarizio has been able to
get that momentum and get those pads into the defender
instead of taking the contact, he gives the contact that
time and bowls his way into the end zone.

Speaker 2 (01:48:00):
Isaiah Armstrong on to tempt the extra point out of
the Fletcher hold snap is a good one. Ball spotted
kicked through the uprights twenty seven to fourteen Byron Center
on top. Big defensive possession coming up for East Lanson.

(01:48:25):
They try to hold and get the buff football back again.
I guess that Byron Center offense that's coming up. As
you are listening to the Drive to Ford Field presented
by vander Lohn Home Improvement on ninety six to one
the game. Welcome back to Greenville. Time now for our
wing Doozy fan of the game your caller eight or nine,

(01:48:47):
you will win a twenty five dollars gift card to
Wing Doozy. So listeners call six one six, four, five,
four three seven seven six six one six four, five
four three seven seven six take color number eight for
a Wing Doozy fan of the game. Twenty seven to
fourteen Byron Center on top by a couple of touchdowns.

(01:49:10):
Armstrong's left footed kick taken by bomb Back at the nine,
all the numbers right up the sideline. He goes out
over the thirty five to the thirty eight, dragged down
there by killing lock. Good return of twenty seven yards
by will Bomback, good field position at the thirty nine
for LaMDA Tounggate to start. After that TD drive.

Speaker 1 (01:49:31):
Really good returns both in punk game and the kicking
game for Byron Center to set them up with good
field position and a couple of these drives in bomb
Back after East Lansing scores and gets a little bit
of momentum, Back just takes it right out near the
forty and gives the Bulldogs a little bit shorter field
to work with. Here and now, if you're Byron Center,
this is the drive where you can put it away.

(01:49:53):
You don't even need points, really, you just need to
take some time off the clock and really work the field.

Speaker 2 (01:49:59):
From the thirty thirty nine, rather Luke Laska first down
sweep around the right side, I was able to turn
the corner and scoot his way out over midfield to
the forty five of east Lands like a sixteen yard
scamper by Luke Laska. Well, he's a load coming around
that end, isn't he buck Yeah, I mean pounds.

Speaker 1 (01:50:18):
He's battled injuries, but he's starting to get fully healthy
and comes around there at full speed and it's a tough,
tough job to bring him down by yourself. Fans out
there might have been a face mask either way. A
good tough run by Luke Alaska to get it across
the midfield.

Speaker 2 (01:50:35):
Sixty seven yards last week against Portage Nordon and then
in a touchdown on his way to eclipsing that tonight
on today on second down the first and ten, rather
from the forty five campaign angles his way behind the
right side of that offensive line, is able to fall
forward to the forty game of five and exactly what
you said, they're moving the football and really this is

(01:50:56):
really the drive of the game. I think a three
score margin with six or seven is gonna be tough
to overcome for East Lancing.

Speaker 1 (01:51:02):
Well, you have to go to work on the clock.
I mean they're breaking the huddle with with twenty five,
but you know, really not, shouldn't be in a hurry.
Just take as much time as you can't off this clock.

Speaker 2 (01:51:11):
Four man front, three linebackers, ton Gate surveys, he'll keep
it on second down, spins his way up the middle
for two or three, thrown to the ground by Anthony
Green and the sophomore he's Lancing rotating a few of
those guys in on that front line, Anthony Green and
as a sophomore, Daniel Luckett also. But I think you

(01:51:34):
called it earlier that Byron Center, the interior offensive line
is wearing down the Trojans throughout this afternoon.

Speaker 1 (01:51:42):
Yeah, ol Jari and Greenwald, the two way starters, as
you mentioned there, really giving it all today and it's
starting to wear on.

Speaker 2 (01:51:52):
Third and three from the East Lansing thirty eight Ton
Gay with twin setbacks. We'll give it to Kellen Payne,
a sweeper on the left side, us through the first
line and it's into the secondary all the way down
to the nine yard line. Shoe string tackle by Darryl
Jeter saved the touchdown twenty seven yards on that carry.
What a great hole by the left side of that

(01:52:12):
line picking down. I think it's pain Kellen Payne.

Speaker 1 (01:52:19):
It's just cram up, yeah, which go down. Well. You know,
the thing is that people kind of forget to drink
water when it's cold, and they forget they're going to
sweat because they're gonna have layers on, and sometimes that happens.
I will say that it's it's fortunate that it's just
a cramp. So we're gonna be hopefully happy to report

(01:52:42):
that he's gonna be able to come back in the
game at some point. Fortman made it back in the
game after that injury in the first half, so we're
glad to see that. So no big injuries so far,
because that's one of the things we talked about that
with teams, Bob. At this point of the season, injury
is just so heartbreaking this far and then you get

(01:53:02):
hurt and you can't play, you know, potentially a state
final game. So pay walking that one off and looks
like he'll be back to full health shortly.

Speaker 2 (01:53:11):
Eight fifty three to go first and goal to go
for Byron Center at the ten yard line. They lead
twenty seven to fourteen. They have never trailed today. The
game was tied at seven. It was fourteen to seven
at the half.

Speaker 1 (01:53:25):
Bulldogs Rapid Radio scoreboard update. Franken mooth in Catholic Central.
That has gotten a little bit more interesting. Franken move
up thirty four to twenty one on Great Rapids Catholic Central.
Up there at Mount.

Speaker 2 (01:53:38):
Pleasant Campaign off the left hip of ton Gate. Tong
Gate'll fake to him to the right now. Tonggate keeps
and slithers around the left side down near the goal line.
Broke a couple of tackles at the five, got out
of the hand the arms of Armstrong and Sam's and
he's all the way down to the one yard line
with eight ten to go, nine yard game.

Speaker 1 (01:54:00):
Well, Tim Chawick mentioned, he said, there's another change. This
one made it less interesting though, So I don't know
if that really counts, but Hudsonville has now had a
less interesting game because they are throttling Rochester Adams thirty
nine to seven. So if you want to talk about surprises,
but I think that's right up there with today as well, with.

Speaker 2 (01:54:18):
Putting a lot of points on Adams second of goal
from the one here Byron Center looking to score again,
and who else landing Ton Gay with his fifth touchdown
run of the game. Another one yard plunge for the
senior quarterback and eighty five pounds uses that strong body
to lunge into the end zone. And it's thirty three

(01:54:40):
to fourteen, And boy did the Bulldog's answer, Well.

Speaker 1 (01:54:43):
If it broke, don't fix it. So when you get
real close, just run Land and Tonggate. That's his fifth
touchdown of the game, none of them covering more than
twelve feet, but still, I mean they count just the same.
And Land and Tonggate caps that one. And with seven
forty three to go, Bob, you never say it's over.
You never want to do that, But it's getting increasingly

(01:55:04):
apparent that Byron Center is going to be going to
the finals for the first time in programmed history.

Speaker 2 (01:55:10):
Extra point by Hilliers is true. Seven forty three to go,
thirty four to fourteen, Byron Center, stay with us back
half of the fourth quarter coming up. Be listening to
the Drive to Ford Field presented by vandal On Home
Improvement in ninety six to one. In the game back
in Greenville, Byron Center scored again for the fifth time today.
Landing Tongate squirms his way into the end zone gives

(01:55:35):
the Bulldogs a thirty four to fourteen lead. Short kick
taken at the twenty and dumped immediately at the twenty
six was Baylor Shansky to tackle down there by Hunter Polowski,
the backup linebacker. First and ten from the twenty six
to for Ben Fletcher. Hey O Wing Doozy winner is

(01:55:55):
Pat Lane. He's a winner of a twenty five dollars
gift card from Wing Doozy, named the best chicken wings
in West Michigan three years running, and all those fries
locations in Wyoming Metro Health Village off of Byron Center
Avenue just off Chicago Drive in Hudsonville by Gimmons, that's
Wing Doozy.

Speaker 1 (01:56:13):
Six plays sixty one yards that latest screen drive by
Byron Center covering three minutes in three seconds. Surprise was
we ended gate end in toung gate touchdown. His fifth
of the day extra point was good by Hilliard thirty
four to fourteen in favor of the Bulldogs.

Speaker 2 (01:56:33):
From the twenty six their own twenty six left hash
first and ten for Ben Fletcher fakes to Clarizia. Now
he'll roll to his right as a man open. He's intercepted.
Stepping in front of that pass of the twenty nine
was Eli Farrell with his fifth interception of the year.
I don't think Fletcher ever saw him, and he returns
it right up the middle of the field down to
the fourteen. Eli Fara with his fifth pick of the season.

Speaker 1 (01:57:00):
Again, not in a position that East Flansing is used
to having to navigate, which is throwing the football often
and really abandoning the run, which is bender bread and
butter because of Jays Carrizio and Fletcher just makes a
bad decision there. Pharaoh just sneaks under it. Man, such
a good instinctual player, like you said, not big, but

(01:57:22):
they can tackle, and just sneaks under there and Fletcher
throws it right into his arms. And boy, what a
great play there by Pharaoh.

Speaker 2 (01:57:30):
First and ten from the fourteen ton Gate give it
on the jet sweep to Alaska. Tries to get to
the edge, can't do it. As Jeter's struck that one
out ran. Amount of bounds at the ten yard line
was seven twenty to go. You know, Buck, there's a
term that's been used a lot in the last few
years in football that we hear every week from a
coach here there, and that's complimentary football. It seems overused

(01:57:50):
at the time, but when you really think about it
is really true. And I tell you today Byron Center
has exhibited that they have one on all phases of
the game. Their defense is been stifling, their offenses has
been relentless, and you said it earlier. Their special teams
has been astute all afternoon.

Speaker 1 (01:58:06):
Well set them up for two very short scoring drives offensively,
So yes, you have to include that.

Speaker 2 (01:58:11):
From the chan first and tenth, ton Gate trying to
throw it out in the left flat, Big Justin al
Jari leaped up in the air and almost picked that
off right out of the air four yards from ton
Gate incomplained Center. Fortunate there, boy, and al Jari just
came across the line of scrimmage completely unblocked and almost

(01:58:31):
came up with the interception. Third and seven from the
ten yard line.

Speaker 1 (01:58:41):
Oh that's one guy, you know, East fancying probably losing today.
But Justin al Jari, I mean, we have said his
name way too many times on the defensive side of
the ball if you're a center supporter, because he has
been everywhere, tackles pressure and then almost an interception. They're
a great game individually by Justin Elie's.

Speaker 2 (01:58:59):
Part of a four man front Tongue. It'll faked Alaska
and then keep it right up the battle for his
six touchdown a ten yard scamper by London Atlanta Tuggett.
And that was great ball handling. Is he faked that
hand off to Alaska on a jet sweep right to
left and the Sea's parted block right up the gut
Landon Toungate walked into the end zone.

Speaker 1 (01:59:20):
Well it's again East Land saying just the amount of
play as they've been on the field and the punishment
that Byron Center has been able to give them on
the ground starting to take its toll. You say the
Sea's parted, I think it's just really they're really worn
down up front and Tonggate makes them pay.

Speaker 2 (01:59:39):
Ill you're on for the extra pointy It says six
thout of seven. Check that five out of six, and
it was seven to eleven to go. It's forty one
to fourteen Byron Center all over East Lansing listening to
the Drive to Ford Field presented by vandal On Home
Improvement on ninety six won in the game back in Greenville,

(02:00:02):
the complementary football of Byron Center, rolling the Bulldogs near
and closer to Ford Field for the first time ever
in school history and avenging a tough loss last year
at the hands of East East Lansing Trojans. These two
teams met in the regional finals last year and East

(02:00:24):
Lansing prevailed forty two to twenty. Today, that has been
reversed high end over and kick taken by Windham at
the left hash at the six angles to the right sideline,
and then it's crunched at the thirty at the twenty
seven yard line by Land and Pullman. Tell you what,
two buck. Whether it's special teams or on the defensive

(02:00:47):
side of the football, Byron Center has tackled well today.
They are sticking ball carriers all afternoon.

Speaker 1 (02:00:52):
There's got a lot of broken tackles that you're seeing
from East Lancing. That's just a credit to coach Cisco
and his staff and they knew they had to come
with that today and that's how they've gotten to this point.
Just good, solid, fundamental tackling, you know, going out there
trying to arm tackle guys or take bad angles. It's
just square up and hit them. And so far, I mean,

(02:01:14):
they've just been completely dominant in that phase of the game.

Speaker 2 (02:01:19):
Out of the pistol, Fletcher delayed handoff to Clarissio, starts
to his right, now reverses his field, gets to the
left side, along the left sidelines, big Ginner out to
the forty six yard ninety flag down though comes in
from the back. Judge dropped it away. Wait, I would
think of hold, and indeed it is referee signals that call,

(02:01:47):
so that on the gate the run, I don't know
that it's gonna be all the way back to the twenties.

Speaker 1 (02:01:51):
It's a spot foul foul, Yeah, if it's past the
way of scrimmage, it's a spot foul.

Speaker 2 (02:01:56):
That would have been buck Gino the longest run of
the game for Jace Clarisi.

Speaker 1 (02:02:02):
And then it looks like they were to mark him
out the forty seven So an eighteen yard game wiped out.

Speaker 2 (02:02:06):
For those that just join us or don't quite know
who Jace Clarizio is, he is a Michigan State commit
who is being wooed by Klin de Boor down in
Tuscaloosa these days, so a recruiting battle for this three
star running back. He's obviously hyped coming into this Saturday
semi final, but it has been Byron Center's defense and

(02:02:28):
the containment of Clarizio that has been the real story today.
Penalty marks it back to the thirty flectereral throw on
first to nine, slings it right sideline incomplete, too far
for Jeter, couldn't grab it inbound, so it'll be second
to nine with a thirty with six and a half
to play in this fourth quarter.

Speaker 1 (02:02:49):
Just kind of the story of the day for East Flansay.
Anytime they can get something going, Bob, they've had something
else happened. They've stubbed their toe, whether it be a
penalty flag or it's her over or some sort of
negative play. They just haven't been able to keep much
momentum going. And that's kind of been the story today
as Byron Center has played not a fallless game. I

(02:03:12):
mean the first half they had two turnovers themselves, but
just consistent and an adequate pressure on both sides of
the ball.

Speaker 2 (02:03:20):
Second and nine Fletcher to throw. Here comes the rush,
He's scrambling for his life. Safety valves it out in
the left flat to Clarizio. He's got it to thirty two,
but then slips down right there where he caught the football.
Sets up third down and seven from the thirty two.

Speaker 1 (02:03:36):
Yeah, and he couldn't turn to the field side because
he was being pressured from there, so he couldn't square
his shoulders and get it across the middle where he
did have a receiver, but wasn't able to throw it
out there. Instead, just had to dump it down to Clarizio,
who swept on the turf.

Speaker 2 (02:03:52):
From the thirty two clock. Inside of six minutes, that's
the first catch of the day from or for Clarissio.

Speaker 1 (02:04:04):
I think that was for me the biggest surprise. I
thought they might try to get him out in that
space a little bit more.

Speaker 2 (02:04:10):
Back to throw his Fletcher. He's got a wide open
Fortman who drops the football on the right sideline. Good
read by Ben Fletcher, but just could not hang on
he being on Fortman. And now that third down plague continues.
That's the tenth third down play that East Lansing has

(02:04:32):
run today and they have yet to convert a third
down into a first down.

Speaker 1 (02:04:37):
Well, and that one foreman has the first down, he
just looks up field, takes his eyes off the ball,
tries to concentrate on the sideline, and also running before
he catches it. And that's just boy. If you can't
really sum up the day in one play, that's been
it for East Lansy, just not going right.

Speaker 2 (02:04:54):
Isaiah Armstrong, A lit'll shake it off his side of
his foot. I think that was Mark Cisco actually who
caught that football off.

Speaker 1 (02:05:06):
That's not the first one he's caught in his career.

Speaker 2 (02:05:11):
Drew quite the rousing applause from the byrons Sea Faithful.

Speaker 1 (02:05:14):
You can't drop that one, if your coach, Cisco, if
you drop that one, you're never going to hear the
end of it. So you make sure you catch that one.

Speaker 2 (02:05:20):
Then that's akin to a third base coach having a
dribblet go through his legs on a foul ball baseball
new quarterback for the Wyrons Center.

Speaker 1 (02:05:32):
It's gonna be East Uh coming in to finish the
game out of the bullpen.

Speaker 2 (02:05:38):
Good segue there, man, that's from one baseball analogy to another.
Whitress comes in, he's throwing the ball just five times
this year for completed one for eleven yards. Junior heir
apparent to the quarterback spot. He'll give to campaign on
first and ten spins out of a tackle at the midfield.

(02:05:59):
Stripe fly comes in late. I think they're gonna get
Ben Kitchen for a hold.

Speaker 1 (02:06:05):
They got somebody ice run by Pain.

Speaker 2 (02:06:07):
He'll be back next year just as sophomore campaign. But
he's campaign if he ever he goes to college boy.
There's an easy heisman right line, isn't it the campaign
for Heisman? Yeah, you know I've been winning all.

Speaker 1 (02:06:22):
Day, all saying it. I mean there's multiple opportunities with
that last name and his brother. I mean they're just
sitting there for the taking.

Speaker 2 (02:06:31):
The penalty will market back to the thirty three. So
the flag was thrown citing the infraction at the forty
three first down and seventeen.

Speaker 1 (02:06:43):
Now begins the cast of thousands. As we start to
see some subs come in. Carter Rickett's coming in, also
Cooper Hickson.

Speaker 2 (02:06:54):
Easton White cheers. They running back to his left, then
hands it off to Hunter Pulowski, backup linebacker. I think
part of that defensive rotation.

Speaker 1 (02:07:08):
I think they're gonna get to get the starters out
a little by little here, try to get them their
own moment does Yeah, Billy Butler, the center is going
to come out down.

Speaker 2 (02:07:20):
Give a lot of credit to the offensive line man
b Via a great job today, whose brother, by the way,
is a starting offensive lineman on Hope College's NCAA playoff
bound team. Kayden Krause, Billy Butler, Ben kitchen Espen Baddorff.
You think Thatspen's named after the network? I would spelled

(02:07:40):
just like I was right on it. Second down to
twelve from the thirty eight Whitchers will keep. It's got
to crease over the right guard near the forty six
yard line, where he's dropped by Jeter Clock inside of
four minutes, as Mark Cisco's team starts to count this
one down. The school's first ever trip to downtown Detroit.

(02:08:03):
But Gino and Brett Pakita will be there next Saturday.

Speaker 1 (02:08:08):
No, it's Friday. That's Friday, yep. I think that will
be hot in Bratt, I don't know how that's good.
We gotta work that out. We gotta get we got
you know, the union has to get together. And as
in Missus Geno divided, No no, no, I think it's
just the Union of broadcasters. We have to get together
and divide those up, because it looks like we're gonna
have a lot of games based on the scoreboard updates.

Speaker 2 (02:08:29):
Here they're down to four from the forty six Whitchers
to Pulowski running to his right, sandwiched at the forty
nine by forty minute Jeter short of the first down.
See if Mark Cisco keeps the offense.

Speaker 1 (02:08:45):
On the field. Yeah, you go for it here. I
mean it's forty one to fourteen. You're not trying to
rub the Trojans nose in it. You're really just trying
to get this game over with by converting the first down,
and that'll take some time off the clock. But it
looks like East Lansing is gonna Oh no, there is
an injured player. That's uh Shansky, sophomore safety cramp up,
cramping up.

Speaker 2 (02:09:06):
In the secondary.

Speaker 1 (02:09:10):
Rapid radio scoreboard updates, looks like the Millington Cardinals have
extended their lead over the Norsemen of North Muskiga in
thirty thirty five to twenty one. And it looks like
this has gone final. We've gotten a couple different scores,
but it really doesn't matter. H Hudsonville winning this one
twenty seven to seven. That's what we've been given as

(02:09:34):
a score, thirty nine twenty seven. It doesn't matter. They
had more than seven, so they're gonna go to Ford
Field for the first time in a long time. Also,
a final looks like Zealand West has gone final thirty
two to twenty. No, it's gonna be thirty two to
thirteen over de Witt and then you have Catholic Central

(02:09:54):
and Frankenbas still going. Catholic Center is cut into the lead.
It's thirty four to twenty eight at Mount Pleasant and
Niles leading a South Christian fifty four to twenty two.
That one also went the fourth. And then the other
side of this bracket, we were told Orchard Lake, Saint
Mary and Birmingham Groves went to ot tied at twenty one.

(02:10:15):
So both tickets right now still to be punched.

Speaker 2 (02:10:20):
In Division two, clock resumes inside of three minutes. Fourth
down and one from their own forty nine, White Chers
barks out, the signal gives to Pulaski, runs to his rights,
got a first down, breaks the tackle unto the secondary
and is down to the forty and that'll allow Iron
Center to move to victory formation. Also today that Niles

(02:10:42):
Soft Christian score course marks at the end of a
stellar career from Carson VISs that big state championship final
two years ago as a wide receiver, moved to quarterback
last year, broke all kinds of records in the D
four final last year against Harper Woods. Is spectacular season.
This year comes to an end, and now he shifts
the cleats for the sneakers and gets ready for a

(02:11:04):
season on the hardwood, as many of these athletes will
do here in this month of November. From the forty
first and ten two minutes to go, Pulowski take the
handoff shot down by Isaiah Armstrong right at the forty
no game. Happy for Brett Pakita. The guy's lived in

(02:11:26):
Byron Center all these years, right, he's been They've broken
the curse. Yeah, he's been hoping for this for many
many years. As a neighbor to the school out there.
I know he and I have talked about the Bulldogs,
and I remember him saying, you know, five ten years ago,
when Mark Cisco came along, this was a program on
the rise. Yeah, for sure, the school district has grown, right,

(02:11:46):
this the longevity and the consistency of Cisco has.

Speaker 1 (02:11:50):
Been there and well, just I'm happy for not only
the kids, but also coached Cisco. He's built this program
from really, I mean, they had some lean years after
you know Casper Jarmo, the the legendary Byron Center coach.
In between he and Cisco, they had a couple of
lean years and when coach Deesco got here, he wanted
to build it right and he wanted to do it

(02:12:12):
his way, and he's done so. And now the culmination
of that is gonna have them in ford Field next week.
Still don't know the opponent, but happy for Byron Center
in the community. It's gonna be great to see the
Orange and Black in ford Field for the first time.

Speaker 2 (02:12:27):
One more play to run and this Western sideline will
absolutely erupt. You can hear them pent up demand buck,
I think that's what they call it. Many many years
hoping for a run to ford Field and Byron Center
is gonna have their victory delayed. Eastlancing takes a time out.

Speaker 1 (02:12:49):
Yeah, they're gonna get everybody in and want to you know,
let everybody that hasn't been in the game or then
they can get into the game. I mean, it's not
gonna change anything. They took it with forty seconds left,
so no matter what happened here, this will be the
last snap.

Speaker 2 (02:13:03):
But stay tuned the post game show coming up next,
we'll uptown cheapskate player of the game.

Speaker 1 (02:13:13):
I wonder who that will be. Who could it be?
What choices do we have?

Speaker 2 (02:13:20):
I don't know. You pretty regularly you see somebody score
six touchdowns in a game. I mean that's a fairly commonplace.

Speaker 1 (02:13:26):
I mean, I don't think I've seen anybody have six.
I remember in my days of doing the East Grand
Rappens games, I remember a couple of fivers by the
Glendenning boys, and I think once uh by Kevin Grady.
I think he had a fiver, but I don't know
if they any of them had six that I was
pressing for.

Speaker 2 (02:13:45):
The thing that impressed me today two Buck was not
only landed tong gates running ability. You can throw the ball,
There's no doubt about it. He's an accurate he could
be an accurate passer. But I think just his command
of the offense saw a quarterbacks total control, as whiers
will take a knee and that'll do it. Byron Center
is headed to Ford Field. The Bulldogs thrash East Lancing

(02:14:07):
today forty one to fourteen and punched their ticket to
a trip to Detroit next week against either Orchard Lake,
Saint Mary's or Birmingham Grove. Stay with us the postgame
shows coming up. You're listening to the Drive to Ford
Field presented by vanderal On Home Improvement on ninety six
to one the game. Welcome inside the postgame show. Pop

(02:14:28):
Sack back here in Greenville after a raucous crowd here
on the western sideline celebrates Byron Centers forty one to
fourteen triumph over East Lancing to earn a spot next
week's State finals at Ford Field. It's all BC today,
As the MKD Funeral Homes scoring summary tells us, Byron

(02:14:50):
Center struck first to the first quarter on a land
and tongate one yard run. That's going to be a
familiar refrain on this scoring summary. That made it seven
to nothing at that moment, though, that's set up the
really the most exciting play of the game, a seventy
one yard TV pass. On the ensuing possession by East Lansing,

(02:15:10):
Ben Fletcher hit BJ Windham down the right sideline that
made it seven to seven in the first quarter. That's
why the first quarter ended. Byron Center would score one
more time in the first half thanks to a Isaac
Lee sixty yard punt return shut up set up a
short field from the ten yard line. Ton Gate plowed
in for a second TV they made a fourteen to seven.
That's the way we went to the break at that time.

(02:15:31):
It was a pretty competitive game. East Lansing mustered a
couple of first downs to start the third quarter, but
then the Byron Center defense stiffened and forced a punt.
The offense went back to work, moving eighty five yards
and nine plays, capped off by Ton Gates three yard
TV run and set up by Ton Gates forty yard

(02:15:52):
run that made it twenty one to seven. In the
third quarter. Was twenty seven to seven when Isaac Lee
returned to punt thirty five yards to set up another
short field, this time of fourteen yard drive, with ton
Gate capping off on a two yard TV run. Twenty
seven to seven Byron Center would yield a touchdown from

(02:16:13):
Jayce Clarizio, the best drive of the day and really
the only drive of the day. Forest Lansing they moved
fifty eight yards and eleven plays, Clarizio capping the drive
with a three yard TV run, and with ten to
fifty three to go in the fourth quarter, it was
still somewhat in doubt. We see up twenty seven to fourteen.
They iced it though with a couple of strong drives
and an interception by Eli Farrow. Two more Ton Gate

(02:16:36):
TD plunges made it thirty three to fourteen, eventually forty
thirty four to fourteen, eventually forty one to fourteen the
final It all adds up to six touchdowns from Land
and Tonggate, all on the ground. But Buck Gino, the
stats will point out much more than that. Yeah, he
had big numbers, but defensively, offensively and in special teams,

(02:16:58):
this Byron Center Bull team was dominant this afternoon.

Speaker 1 (02:17:01):
I mean, you look at the rushing yards three hundred
and twenty four to forty and total yarded three hundred
and eighty three to one hundred and eighty six, and
of course seventy one of those on that first touchdown
that you described, So really just a dominating performance by
Byron Center on both sides of the football. The penalties
were relatively even, but a big stat that hangs out

(02:17:23):
is zero of ten no third down conversions for East Lansing.
You're not gonna win many football games, right getting off
the field every time that you touched the football. So
unless you can avoid third down, it's gonna be tough
if you can't convert. And that was really the story
of the game is Byron Center just repeatedly turning East

(02:17:43):
Lansing away on offense and then going to work on
them on the ground on the offensive side of the ball,
with Landon Tongate and Campaign really the two biggest contributors
to that. Lukelaska also with a nice game, I think
he ended up with around sixty ish yards, but man,
just a complete team effort by Byron Center and they
really put it to East Lansing and Jason Clarizio sealed

(02:18:07):
him off, kept him off the scoreboard until late in
the game, which is a huge accomplishment, and that what's
getting thing to them to move on to Ford Field
next week.

Speaker 2 (02:18:17):
A final scoring summary and final stats presented by MKD
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(02:18:39):
to mkdfuneralome dot com now with eight locations in West
Michigan to serve you, including Jamestown and Hudsonville. We'll step
aside one final time, and when we return here on
the Michigan Credit Union Game of the Week, Buck Geno
will pass out the awards from today and get you
thinking about next Saturday, next weekend at Ford Field. That's
all ahead in the postgame show on ninety six to

(02:19:02):
one in the game from our Game of the Week
schedules to show and game podcast, standing scores and more.
With a link to West Michigan okasports dot com. Find
the Trinity Health Michigan High School Football page at ninety
six to one, the game dot com, one O seven
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Trinity Health Improving our communities by going beyond our hospital walls.

(02:19:23):
Bob Sack and Buck Gino back with you one final
time here today after an impressive forty one to fourteen
victory by Byron Center over East Lance and East Lansing
closes their campaign with a nine to four record and
Byron Center powers on the Ford field now improving to
twelve and one after the victory. Today, time now for

(02:19:46):
our Uptown Cheapskate Player of the Game, brought to you
by Uptown Cheapskate with locations in Granville, Kentwood and Holland.
Uptown Cheapskate, we buy what you loved yesterday and sell
what you want today. Clean out your closet and earned
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Insider and get monthly deals at uptown cheapskate dot com.

(02:20:07):
Bug Gino Player of the Game. You've done a lot
of games. I'm not sure there's too many of that
are easier than this one this afternoon.

Speaker 1 (02:20:15):
Uptown Cheapskate Offensive Player of the Game. Six touchdowns Land
and Tounggate by your entire Bulldogs. There's not much else
to say about it other than that, just to command
performance by the senior quarterback, three year starter, four year
varsity player, just at the biggest stage, one of his
biggest games, so a big moment for him and his

(02:20:35):
family and the team. So congratulations to Land and Tonggate
clearly the offensive player of the game today, and on the.

Speaker 2 (02:20:42):
Other side of the ball, that's I think as big
of a story. Sir tong Gate patrolled that offense and
moved his bulldogs up and down the field virtually at will.
But I'll tell you what, as hyped as Jason Clarizio
was coming into this game and a solid of a
QB that you know you talked about before the game
better Fletcher was this was a Byron Center defense today.

(02:21:03):
There was absolutely relentless on their pursuit of Fletcher, and
I thought from the moment the game started said that
Jason Clarisio were coming at you. They hit him hard,
and they hit him off and and that leads us
to our Montel Construction defensive player of the Game for
this afternoon.

Speaker 1 (02:21:20):
Well, I mean, you look at the the effort that
the defensive line put in, and you can go you
can go to pretty much anybody on that defensive side.
But I think, like you mentioned it to, campaign really
just controlled the gaps and kept them or kept to
Jays Clarizio from really finding any space. And I think

(02:21:44):
he just a great job by all players. But I mean,
really we talked about paying a lot just because he
was in on most of those tackles with Clarizio. He
was just there, omnipresent, and the Byron Sentry Bulldogs as
a whole, their defense did a great job, but Campaign
stood out, so he'll be our Mantel Construction Defensive Player
of the Game.

Speaker 2 (02:22:03):
Kids Food Basket is our official nonprofit for the LMCU
high school football Game of the Week. It's regular season.
Every touchdown scored during the gamesmc you generalistly generously donated
fifty dollars to Kids Food Basket, which leads us to
our Kids' Food Basket Play of the Game. In this
forty one to fourteen blitzing by Byron Center, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:22:24):
We talked about landing county six touchdown runs. None of
them super spectacular, right, I mean, they're all kind of
boiler plate quarterback runs, you know. Terrific accomplishment, of course,
but nothing that stood out more than one. The key
play for me really was in the third quarter Isaac Lee,
a thirty five yard punt return. Exclamation point was a

(02:22:46):
fifteen yard face mask penalty that set up Byron Center
in a short field. Gave them the ability to go
in and make it a twenty seven to seven game
and really broke this game open. It was still in
doubt at that point. East Lansing had to hunt the
football on their first possession and that turned into a
score that really put this game starting to be out

(02:23:06):
of reach for East Lansings. To our play of the game,
Isaac Lee, he had two great put returns today, but
the thirty five yard to set up a short field
to really put the Byron Center Bulldogs in the driver's
seat will be our play of the game today.

Speaker 2 (02:23:20):
Lee averaged forty two yards of return coming into this game,
so we knew he could motor from that punt return spot.
And indeed those were just part of the outstanding special
teams efforts on the part of Byron Center that complemented
that offense and defense so well. So all told, the
forty one to fourteen Bulldogs win sets them up for
a trip to Ford Field next week, and buck as

(02:23:42):
you look ahead and get ready for Brett Pakita and
Jason Hutton and all the guys to call these state
finals games your thoughts first of all on Byron Center
and then sort of set us up for the rest
of Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field.

Speaker 1 (02:23:55):
Well, congratulations again to the Bulldogs. A tremendous accomplishment for
their program in their community. Be the first time that
they've been to ford Field in school history. But you
look at this the overall weekend, South Christian probably is
not gonna be coming back. They're down sixty two to
thirty against Niles with five p fifty to go in
the fourth quarter, So chances are we will not have

(02:24:17):
a Division four representative. Division six, we will not have
a representative. So really on Friday, it looks like there
might only be one game for everybody to call, and
that's gonna be the Byrons Center in the winner of
Orchard Lake Saint Mary's and Grows with Joe Errett will
tell you who that is. But setting up for a
tremendous Saturday, look like we're gonna have a couple of

(02:24:40):
games here. We're gonna have Hudsonville in its first visit
to ford Field in quite some time in Division one,
and then Zealand West in Division three beating DeWitt today,
so they're gonna make the trip to ford Field. But
Catholic Central and Division five, this one's still tight, but
it looks like this has gone final. They fall to

(02:25:01):
Franken moveth today forty two to thirty five. So out
of the six possible West Michigan teams from Muskegon and
Grand Rapids. I said it this morning, I said we
were gonna get half, and when you know, it looks
like we got half of the teams there, three out
of the six. Still an amazing accomplishment for all of
those teams today just to get to the semi finals,
but three of them moving on today. So I'm gonna

(02:25:22):
have some fun down there in Detroit calling the Division
three and the Division Ie finals.

Speaker 2 (02:25:27):
All right, Buck Gino, always a pleasure to work with you.
Thank you for your great work today. Tim chennow with
Hunter Spotter Work, appreciate all his effort today at Spotder
and Statistics. Also want to thank John Ilk and Joe
Aron back at the studio for spinning the dials for
this semi final Saturday. It was a lot of fun
to bring it to you and exciting for Byron Center
to reach the finals for the first time ever. That'll

(02:25:49):
do it for this afternoon. Stay tuned. Joe Aaron is
standing by with more scores, but for now, Bob Sacks saying,
so long everybody, Once again the final from Greenville. It's
Byron Center, forty one East Lansing fourteen