Click the thumbnails to see photos taken by Brady Trudgeon, video highlights, and to hear post-game comments from Hunter Robinson, Brady Mercier, Kaden Malone, and Coach Leo Gorzinski.
Also click the AUDIO buttons for Max Nason and Spencer Willa player spotlight interviews, and to hear a radio replay of the game.
POSEN---It turns out that the demise of the North Central Jets football team has beem greatly exaggerated. The three-time defending Eight Man state champions, who had to win on the road in Week Nine just to make the playoffs as a No. 4 seed, dominated the top-seeded and undefeated Posen Vikings, 54-20, on Saturday in a game that wasn't even that close.
For one week, anyway, it was just like old times for the Jets, who routinely mercied every team they played nearly every week during their historic state championship streak.
This time, the Jets put the running clock in effect late in the second quarter, before the Vikings scored a pair of late touchdowns against mostly NCA freshmen and sophomores.
It was Mission Accomplished for the Jets, who not only won, but did so decisively, and apparently got back across the Mackinac Bridge without any more injuries while beating back Posen's no-huddle offensive schemes.
"We wanted to play fast, and the defensive looks they gave us allowed us to stay in our fast re-sets, and the young guys stepped up," NCA Coach Leo Gorzinski said. "This time of year, if your team isn't conditioned, down after down, you've obvously done something wrong along the way. They had some good sets and we had a little bit of a struggle containing their outside runs because of their motion and our gutys got confused, but our tean adjusted pretty well."
NCA, playing without a hobbled Lane Gorzinski on offense (hamstring), had to rely even more than usual on Jake Gorzinski. And he delivered, with 187 yards on 23 carries and three rushing touchdowns. He also threw three touchdown passes, to seniors Hunter Robinson and Evan Hancheck, and to freshman Kaden Malone.
In fact, it was Malone who was the "next man up", filling in for Lane Gorzinski in certain situations. Malone ended up with a touchdown run, touchdown receptrion, and ended up with 64 rushing yards to go along with 43 receiving yards.
"Coach tols us at the start of the season that we weren't gonna have much of a role (on varsity)," Malone said. "But stuff happened. We lost Adrian Mercier, and that was big, because I've had to come into his spot. And I had to step up (for Lane Gorzinski). But I've got to hand it to the line. None of my runs would be anything without the linemen."
Indeed, the Jets offensive line, anchored by senior Max Nason (offer, Michigan Tech University), manhandled the Vikings all afternoon long. NCA had 25 first downs and rolled yp 434 yards of total offense. The Jets scored 34 points in the second quarter to turn a 12-8 game into a 46-8 running clock score heading into halftime.
Another of the young guys who had to step up was sophomore Brody Mercier, who played on both sides of the ball, catching one pass plus a two-point conversion grab.
"It was quite an experience out there, being a part of this team, line up with my brothers, and go kick some butt, so it felt pretty good," Mercier said. "Coaches told us younger guys to work hard, and I feel like we did a good job filling in those places. Like the Swiss Army knife, you know. Being able to be a warrior. Being able to be an athletic fast dude. All that hard work pays off."
It wasn't just the NCA offense that dominated. The defense made a huge goal line stand early in the game with the Jets ahead, 6-0. The Vikings moved from the 45-yard-line to the Jets one yard-line, but on fourth and goal, Lane Gorzinski tackled Posen's Jack Romel for a three-yard loss. After the change of posession, NCA drove 96 yards in 15 plays to score on another Jake Gorzinski touchdown. Instead of Posen possibly taking the lead, ot was 12-0.
Also on defense, Aidyn Burton had a 32-yard pick-six interception for a touchdown, and he helped Robinson team up on a ten-yard sack of the Vikings quarterback Romel.
Robinson, who's main sport is basketball, says that he had to step up in football during this senior season.
"I feel, at parts, we were shaky," Robinson admitted. "We weren't doing quite as well as we'd like to start. They stuck with us. We had mental errors, some miscues. But, overall, throughout the game, I feel like our linemen, we did what we had to do."
The Jets will need to pick it up on two-point conversions if they're going to make another championship run. On Saturday, they made only three of their seven two-point attempts. Coach Gorzinski says that's mostly because coming into the season, they counted on Adrian Mercier to make another 40-or-so extra kicks.
But then Mercier got a season-ending shoulder injury.
"So, there was not a lot of (practice) time to put into it," Coach Gorzinski said. "I've got to get it into these kids' heads about how important that play is. I think, when you score a touchdown, that's a little bit of a high, and they don't push for that extra (two points). Stop running for the goal line and start running for the goal posts. Once they get taht mentality, and we're going to stress it, they'll start to finish that out."
While Posen entered this game with a perfect 8-0 record and as the top seed for the playoffs, the Jets felt confident that they could do exactly what they did on Saturday.
"I think it says, you know, that we're still here," Robinson said. "Everyone knows that we lost a lot (of talent) from last year. Being a part of that team last year, I didn't have to play as much, only one side of the ball. But I'bve stepped up this year, and so have all of us seniors, and even the young kids. I think we're kind of like the Hoosiers (underdog) team. We're small, but we're mighty."
Posen got a a 49-yard touchdown run in the first quarter on a well-executed fake to the outside with quarterback Jack Romel, who scored while three of the eight NCA defenders were tackling guys who didn't have the ball. But the Vikings did not score again until the Jets had their youngest guys in there.
We will see just how mighty the Jets are next weekend in the regional final when they have to make another long bus ride. This time, it will be to Lake Linden-Hubbell, for a rematch with a Lakes team that ended NCA's historic streak earlier this fall with a 28-25 win in Powers.
"I consider myself really good friends with that (coaching) staff up there," Coach Gorzinski said. "They've got good, quality football players, and they're a solid football team, one of the storied teams out of Upper Michigan. They've got match-up issues for us. But I think last time they played us, they showed us a lot more than they wanted to get the victory. And now we've had the chance to see what kind of sets they run. We'll put some safeguards in."
Next Saturday's regional semifinal will start at 12:30 CT'/1:30 ET in Lake Linden, one of the few high school football fields that does not have lights.
Also click the AUDIO buttons for Max Nason and Spencer Willa player spotlight interviews, and to hear a radio replay of the game.
POSEN---It turns out that the demise of the North Central Jets football team has beem greatly exaggerated. The three-time defending Eight Man state champions, who had to win on the road in Week Nine just to make the playoffs as a No. 4 seed, dominated the top-seeded and undefeated Posen Vikings, 54-20, on Saturday in a game that wasn't even that close.
For one week, anyway, it was just like old times for the Jets, who routinely mercied every team they played nearly every week during their historic state championship streak.
This time, the Jets put the running clock in effect late in the second quarter, before the Vikings scored a pair of late touchdowns against mostly NCA freshmen and sophomores.
It was Mission Accomplished for the Jets, who not only won, but did so decisively, and apparently got back across the Mackinac Bridge without any more injuries while beating back Posen's no-huddle offensive schemes.
"We wanted to play fast, and the defensive looks they gave us allowed us to stay in our fast re-sets, and the young guys stepped up," NCA Coach Leo Gorzinski said. "This time of year, if your team isn't conditioned, down after down, you've obvously done something wrong along the way. They had some good sets and we had a little bit of a struggle containing their outside runs because of their motion and our gutys got confused, but our tean adjusted pretty well."
NCA, playing without a hobbled Lane Gorzinski on offense (hamstring), had to rely even more than usual on Jake Gorzinski. And he delivered, with 187 yards on 23 carries and three rushing touchdowns. He also threw three touchdown passes, to seniors Hunter Robinson and Evan Hancheck, and to freshman Kaden Malone.
In fact, it was Malone who was the "next man up", filling in for Lane Gorzinski in certain situations. Malone ended up with a touchdown run, touchdown receptrion, and ended up with 64 rushing yards to go along with 43 receiving yards.
"Coach tols us at the start of the season that we weren't gonna have much of a role (on varsity)," Malone said. "But stuff happened. We lost Adrian Mercier, and that was big, because I've had to come into his spot. And I had to step up (for Lane Gorzinski). But I've got to hand it to the line. None of my runs would be anything without the linemen."
Indeed, the Jets offensive line, anchored by senior Max Nason (offer, Michigan Tech University), manhandled the Vikings all afternoon long. NCA had 25 first downs and rolled yp 434 yards of total offense. The Jets scored 34 points in the second quarter to turn a 12-8 game into a 46-8 running clock score heading into halftime.
Another of the young guys who had to step up was sophomore Brody Mercier, who played on both sides of the ball, catching one pass plus a two-point conversion grab.
"It was quite an experience out there, being a part of this team, line up with my brothers, and go kick some butt, so it felt pretty good," Mercier said. "Coaches told us younger guys to work hard, and I feel like we did a good job filling in those places. Like the Swiss Army knife, you know. Being able to be a warrior. Being able to be an athletic fast dude. All that hard work pays off."
It wasn't just the NCA offense that dominated. The defense made a huge goal line stand early in the game with the Jets ahead, 6-0. The Vikings moved from the 45-yard-line to the Jets one yard-line, but on fourth and goal, Lane Gorzinski tackled Posen's Jack Romel for a three-yard loss. After the change of posession, NCA drove 96 yards in 15 plays to score on another Jake Gorzinski touchdown. Instead of Posen possibly taking the lead, ot was 12-0.
Also on defense, Aidyn Burton had a 32-yard pick-six interception for a touchdown, and he helped Robinson team up on a ten-yard sack of the Vikings quarterback Romel.
Robinson, who's main sport is basketball, says that he had to step up in football during this senior season.
"I feel, at parts, we were shaky," Robinson admitted. "We weren't doing quite as well as we'd like to start. They stuck with us. We had mental errors, some miscues. But, overall, throughout the game, I feel like our linemen, we did what we had to do."
The Jets will need to pick it up on two-point conversions if they're going to make another championship run. On Saturday, they made only three of their seven two-point attempts. Coach Gorzinski says that's mostly because coming into the season, they counted on Adrian Mercier to make another 40-or-so extra kicks.
But then Mercier got a season-ending shoulder injury.
"So, there was not a lot of (practice) time to put into it," Coach Gorzinski said. "I've got to get it into these kids' heads about how important that play is. I think, when you score a touchdown, that's a little bit of a high, and they don't push for that extra (two points). Stop running for the goal line and start running for the goal posts. Once they get taht mentality, and we're going to stress it, they'll start to finish that out."
While Posen entered this game with a perfect 8-0 record and as the top seed for the playoffs, the Jets felt confident that they could do exactly what they did on Saturday.
"I think it says, you know, that we're still here," Robinson said. "Everyone knows that we lost a lot (of talent) from last year. Being a part of that team last year, I didn't have to play as much, only one side of the ball. But I'bve stepped up this year, and so have all of us seniors, and even the young kids. I think we're kind of like the Hoosiers (underdog) team. We're small, but we're mighty."
Posen got a a 49-yard touchdown run in the first quarter on a well-executed fake to the outside with quarterback Jack Romel, who scored while three of the eight NCA defenders were tackling guys who didn't have the ball. But the Vikings did not score again until the Jets had their youngest guys in there.
We will see just how mighty the Jets are next weekend in the regional final when they have to make another long bus ride. This time, it will be to Lake Linden-Hubbell, for a rematch with a Lakes team that ended NCA's historic streak earlier this fall with a 28-25 win in Powers.
"I consider myself really good friends with that (coaching) staff up there," Coach Gorzinski said. "They've got good, quality football players, and they're a solid football team, one of the storied teams out of Upper Michigan. They've got match-up issues for us. But I think last time they played us, they showed us a lot more than they wanted to get the victory. And now we've had the chance to see what kind of sets they run. We'll put some safeguards in."
Next Saturday's regional semifinal will start at 12:30 CT'/1:30 ET in Lake Linden, one of the few high school football fields that does not have lights.
