ball while Alex Eichenberg
blocks Bryon defense.
OVID-ELSIE — The host Marauders battled through the 2021 Mid- Michigan Activities Conference (MMAC) foot-ball schedule with just one loss.
Coach Travis Long’s grinders have their first-ever MMAC title share to prove it.
In three of their last four contests, O-E pitched shutouts to get it done. Check yourself: one of those was on a forfeit (Covid) gift from Mount Morris.
Yet, still, you can’t diminish what the Marauding blue-and-gold have accomplished in 2021. They moved to 6-2 over-all, and tied New Lothrop at 6-1 for the conference title, with a 40-0 shellacking of the Byron Eagles here October 15. The out-manned Eagles finished the MMAC season at 1-6, 1-7 for all games.
Logan Thompson opened the scoring at 1:57 of the first quarter on a 19 yard run, for the only points the Marauders would need. The two-point conversion pass try by Brayden Phillips was no good, and O-E led 6-0.
Max Spiess opened the 2nd quarter with a 3-yard blast to the end zone. Again, O-E failed on the two-point try, a pass from Axel Newell falling incomplete.
Next, it was the Marauder defense’s turn to shine, on a tackle for safety on Byron QB Jaen Branch.
Then, with just :56 seconds left before halftime, Eddy Evans made it 20-zip on a 3 yard plow to pay dirt. Colin Fluharty tacked on the PAT kick for a 21-0 intermission lead.
The Marauders mopped up in the second half on a 16-yard run by Evans, another defensive TD off an Eagle fumble recovered by Clay Wittenberg, and a one-yard blast by Landon Stoneman. Fluharty kicked the PAT after the final touchdown for the 40-0 final score.
The only thing close about the outcome was the number of plays ran; 46 for Byron, 54 for O-E. It’s what they did with those plays that was telling: the Eagles managed just 51 yards total offense.
Long’s Marauders amassed 366 total yards, all on the ground. Evans ran 16 times for 152 yards, Thompson 6 for 90, Perrien Rasch 9 for 75, and Spiess 6 for 26.
Jackson Wilcox led BHS with 9 touts for 22 yards. Branch connected on 3-of-7 passes, but for just 23 yards.
The ferocious Marauder “D’ was paced by Stoneman with 6 tackles, 5 solo; Wittenberg with 5 stop, Spiess 4, Fluharty 4, Rudy Ramirrez 3, Rasch 3, Hayden Pontack 3, Alex Eichenberg 2, Thompson 2, Theron Brooks 2 and Kevin Ley a pair.
Jason Schaub picked off a Branch passes for O-E.
