Weater-tested win for GH

Sat, Oct 3, 2009    to del.icio.us

With a driving rain coming down sideways and the wind howling at Gene Rothi Field Friday night, even the most routine plays became an adventure during the second half of the Buccaneers' Homecoming contest against Jenison.

But there was nothing routine about Dalton Stenberg's key fourth-quarter catch.

With the home team facing third-and-long on their own 49-yard line, Stenberg reached up and made a one-handed grab, then rumbled an additional 10 yards to pick up a huge first down, allowing the Bucs to run nearly all the time off the clock to secure their 21-14 victory over the visiting Wildcats.

"The rain was coming down pretty hard, and it was hard to see the ball," said Stenberg, the Bucs' outstanding 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker who has also worked his way into the offensive backfield as the season has progressed. "I got my hands on the ball and wasn't going to let go, then I just ran for that first down like there was no tomorrow."

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Protecting a seven-point lead, the pivotal first down on a 3rd-and-18 play allowed the Bucs to run several more minutes off the clock. The Wildcats were forced to use their remaining timeouts, and when they took possession of the ball after the Bucs gave it up on downs at the 17-yard line, just 49 seconds remained in the fourth quarter.

Jenison didn't go down without a fight as quarterback Kyle Goeman hooked up with tight end Kyle Hoek on a 27-yard gain with 26 seconds left, but a draw play on the next down went nowhere, and Stenberg picked off Goeman's desperation pass as time expired.

The victory boosts the Bucs' record to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the O-K Red Conference, still one game behind unbeaten Rockford in the league race.

"We're finding ways to win," said coach Mike Farley following the game. "This conference is survival of the fittest."

The Buccaneers came out of the gates on fire, orchestrating long touchdown drives on each of their first three possessions to lead 21-3 in the second quarter. But their final possession before halftime resulted in an interception, and Jenison pounded the ball in on fourth-and-goal from the 1-foot line to make it 21-10 at halftime.

Then came the second half, which saw a rash of miscues by both teams, especially the Buccaneers, which allowed the Wildcats to claw their way back into the game.

After a Jenison kick was downed at the Bucs' 2-yard line, a penalty on Grand Haven moved the ball to the 1. On the next play, Stenberg, who scored a pair of first-half touchdowns, was hit in the end zone for a safety.

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The Bucs' ensuing kick went out of bounds, giving Jenison the ball at Grand Haven's 45-yard line, but the Bucs' defense, which allowed just 157 total yards on the night, held the visitors to a three-and-out.

Jenison scored on another safety when the Bucs lined up for a punt at their own 12-yard line early in the fourth quarter. The snap sailed over the head of punter Alec Smith, and he was forced to pick up the ball and run out the back of the end zone, making 21-14.

Grand Haven's defense forced another three-and-out, and the Bucs took over on their own 42-yard line with 7:47 remaining. The Bucs' offense, which had been so effective in the first half, had managed only three first downs to that point in the second half. But a 5-yard run by quarterback Adam Poel on third-and-1 gave the Bucs one first down, then Poel's pass to Stenberg on third-and-18 kept the drive going.

Stenberg picked up another first on an 8-yard run to keep the clock running, but two plays later, a snap over Poel's head cost the Buccaneers 18 yards. Grand Haven ran off two more plays, taking as much time off the clock as possible, before turning the ball over on downs.

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The second half saw Grand Haven commit six penalties, including several false starts on offense, along with a plethora of other uncharacteristic miscues that nearly spoiled Homecoming for the nearly 2,000 fans that braved the soggy conditions to watch the game.

"That interception before halftime was a big momentum changer for them," Farley said. "Then they got the safety, and we found ourselves in a hole the entire third quarter. But Logan (Cuddington) and Trent (Hitsman) got some big runs, then that Dalton screen was a huge play," Farley said.

Hitsman broke several nice runs in the first half and finished with a team-high 66 yards on just seven carries. He was dinged up during the third quarter, but was back on the field in the fourth. Stenberg added 49 yards. He scored on runs of 3 and 7 yards in the first half, and his backfield mate in goal line situations, offensive lineman Jordan Goetz, also added a 1-yard touchdown run.

"It's awesome. We call it the thunder formation. It's smashmouth football," Stenberg said of the Bucs' formation that puts the 6-foot, 255-pound Goetz as the up-back. Stenberg followed Goetz into the end zone twice, and Goetz made his first carry of his senior season a memorable one as he blasted into the end zone for a score.

The Bucs, who have struggled on offense the past few weeks, racked up an astonishing 149 yards in the first quarter alone on Friday and finished with 306 yards, including 200 on the ground. Poel was 4-of-8 for 106 yards passing. He hit Charlie Ainsworth on a nice 32-yard strike in the first half, and also hooked up with Smith for 23 yards. Stenberg caught a pair of passes out of the backfield and led the Bucs with 51 yards receiving.

Jenison carried the ball 33 times for just 105 yards. Quarterbacks Zechariah Keen and Goeman were a combined 6-of-15 for 56 yards.

Grand Haven now turns its attention to Hudsonville, which suffered a surprising 24-20 loss to Grandville on Friday. A victory at Hudsonville next week would give the Buccaneers six wins on the season and secure just the second trip to the state playoffs in program history.

Junior Varsity: Grand Haven improved to 5-1 with a 29-0 victory over Jenison. Cody Sualeone had 15 tackles and a fumble recovery while Sam Hayward added eight stops and a blocked punt. The offense ran behind the outstanding blocking of C.J. Moll, Mike Ginochio and Torrey Apple. Jeremy Lattig finished with over 100 yards rushing.

Freshmen: The Buccaneers held off the Wildcats, 13-8. Grand Haven's defense limited Jenison to under 100 yards on the ground, and the Bucs' offensive line paved the way for a strong ground game.