Complete display lifts Inland Lakes football past Hornets; Onaway falls on Homecoming
INDIAN RIVER – The Inland Lakes football team appears to be hitting its stride at the right time.
While the playoffs aren’t here just yet, the Bulldogs now look poised to qualify once again after throttling the Pellston Hornets 48-0 in their Homecoming clash at Shanley Field on Friday.
“It was great to be able to go out and execute as planned,” said Inland Lakes coach Travis Meyer. “Our defense did a really great job of shutting down their threats. Our offense did a really good job of doing some different things and making them work. Overall, it feels good to be able to play this well with a lot of young guys in our lineup. They're getting the experience they need to help get us places over the next few years.”
It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs (6-1, 3-0 Ski Valley 8-Player Conference) to get rolling, as junior quarterback Aidan Fenstermaker scored two touchdown runs that helped Inland Lakes build a 16-0 lead after one. Fenstermaker then connected on a one-yard TD toss to Wyatt Hanel and the Bulldogs led 24-0.
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By halftime, the Bulldogs held a commanding 32-0 advantage.
Fenstermaker added rushing scores of 40 and 48 yards in the second half to seal another important win for the Bulldogs, who captured their third straight victory.
Fenstermaker led the Bulldogs with 179 yards rushing and 66 yards passing while Andre Bradford rushed for 78 yards and Mitch Crawford had 55 yards on the ground. Inland Lakes racked up 337 rushing yards for the game. Hanel caught two passes for 37 yards and Cash DePauw registered 28 yards on two receptions.
Defensively, the Bulldogs were excellent in the shutout display, allowing just 67 total Pellston yards. Recovering a fumble and scoring a TD was Eli Foldenauer, who also intercepted a pass and made multiple pass breakups. Others recording interceptions were Landon Perkins, Fenstermaker and Hanel, and Shane Crawford forced three fumbles.
It was another difficult night for the Hornets, who struggled to find a rhythm on either side of the ball.
“The boys fought hard, but we just had some untimely mistakes that bit us in the butt,” said Pellston coach Vince DeAgostino. “I feel for our seniors. They really wanted to go give these guys their best shot. Our young guys won’t forget these last two weeks and we’ll be better for it. I feel for these guys because they work their butts off. We’re going to look to channel this feeling and finish strong these last two weeks.”
Brach Taylor finished with 16 tackles and a fumble recovery to lead Pellston defensively.
Inland Lakes continues Ski Valley play when it travels to Bellaire for a 7 p.m. game on Friday, Oct. 13.
Pellston (1-6, 1-3) hosts Onaway (3-4, 1-3) in conference action at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13.
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Onaway puts up fight, but upset bid falls short at home
ONAWAY – The Onaway Cardinals put on a terrific offensive performance against the Central Lake Trojans.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Trojans were slightly better on the night offensively.
As a result, the Cardinals fell short in their upset bid and dropped a 52-40 Homecoming contest on Thursday, Oct. 5.
Despite the setback, the Cardinals received a sensational offensive display from senior Jackson Chaskey, who carried 27 times for 222 yards. He scored touchdowns of 55, 25 and 14 yards. Passing-wise, Chaskey was a solid 10-of-12 for 121 yards, recording TD tosses of 60 and 17 yards.
Justin Kramer-St. Germain had eight catches for 61 yards, including a 17-yard TD reception. Brendon Brewbaker chipped in with a 70-yard kickoff return for a TD, and Luke Lovelace tallied a 60-yard TD reception.
Lovelace was also strong defensively, finishing with 7.5 tackles and a sack. Lelin Splan had 6.5 tackles, Gavin Green recorded five, Brewbaker added four, and Levi Rigot registered a sack.
“Jackson (Chaskey) had a great game,” said Onaway coach Eddy Szymoniak. “Our offensive line, along with Justin (Kramer-St. Germain) lead blocking, gave (Chaskey) opportunities to make some big plays. He does such a great job of reading the block and cutting. Once again, turnovers and two (Central Lake) kickoff returns were costly.
“Our guys played their hearts out and left everything on the field, which I am super proud of. Ultimately, our defense couldn’t come up with a big stop when we needed to. It's not the outcome we wanted, but I wouldn’t rather be on any other sidelines than the one I’m on.”
Onaway (3-4, 1-3 Ski Valley 8-Player Conference) travels to Pellston (1-6, 1-3) for a 7 p.m. game on Friday, Oct. 13.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Inland Lakes football hammers Pellston, Onaway falls to Central Lake
