High School Notebook: St. Philip earns come-from-behind win over Athens in football
BATTLE CREEK - St. Philip enjoyed its Homecoming Game week festivities just a little bit more, as they were highlighted by a come-from-behind win by the Tigers.
St. Philip rallied in the final minutes to beat Athens, 44-38, in an 8-player football contest at C.W. Post Field on Saturday.
The Tigers were down eight points with 1:30 remaining as quarterback Colt Myers found Carter Dwik for a 33-yard touchdown. The extra point try was no good, so the Tigers were forced to try an on-side kick and recovered the ball to give them another chance. St. Philip’s Myers hit another long touchdown pass for 33 yards to Nate Rapeljae for the 44-38 win.
Myers was 15-for-23 passing for 347 yards and four touchdowns. Dzwik had eight receptions for 289 yards and three scores.
St. Philip coach Marc Pessetti said it simply.
"I have always said, our kids never quit," Pessetti said.
Athens fell to 0-5 on the season, despite a standout performance from running back Landon Bennett, who had 253 yards rushing on 24 carries, including three touchdowns from scrimmage and one score on a kickoff return.
St. Philip starting running back Brady Lightfoot left the game in the first half with an injured hip and did not return.
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State Rankings
Several area teams are getting notice in the state rankings for their respective sport.
In the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association, there are three area teams listed among the best in the state - all in Division 4. St. Philip sits at No. 8 in Division 4 with Colon at No. 9 and Athens, a state finalist a year ago, comes in as an honorable mention.
Despite some graduation losses, Lakeview continues to find itself ranked in the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association poll. The Spartans sit at No. 10 in Division 2 and are among four teams in their own league in the rankings. Fellow Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference tennis teams St. Joseph (No. 8 in Division 2), Mattawan (No. 3 in Division 2) and St. Joseph (No. 7 in Division 3) are all getting noticed.
In the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association, Gull Lake continues to be one of the top teams in the state. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 1 in Division II after winning the state title a year ago. Battle Creek Academy sits at No. 15 in Division 4.
Volleyball Champs
Pennfield won the Battle Creek Central Volleyball Invitational on Saturday, with impressive performances all day.
Pennfield went 4-1 on the day and had the best record in the round-robin tournament at 4-1. Pennfield defeated Bellevue, Battle Creek Central, Paw Paw and Waverly with its only loss, coming in three sets to Galesburg-Augusta. Natalie Hensel had 18 kills, 37 assists, five blocks and four aces to lead Pennfield on the day. Abbie Patterson added 13 kills and freshman Irelynn Sedore came up with 15 kills, 20 digs and six aces. Avery Hock helped run the offense with 29 assists.
Cross Country
Lakeview's Aiden Moore broke the school record in cross country for the third time in his career. Moore bettered his own mark by finishing third in the Jackson Invitational with a time of 15:15.3.
Moore and the rest of the city cross county runners will look to put up top results at the annual All-City Cross Country Meet on Tuesday at Riverside Elementary School.
Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: High School Notebook: St. Phil earns come-from-behind win over Athens
