Memorable run highlights thrilling football season for Cheboygan Junior Chiefs team

CHEBOYGAN – Just over a month ago, the Cheboygan Junior Chiefs fifth- and sixth-grade football team was beaten soundly by the Oscoda Colts, a tough and physical opponent.

But coach Kevin Baller always believed his players were capable of going on a special run.

One month later, he was proven right as the Junior Chiefs – in front of an energetic crowd at Western Avenue Field – were playing for the big trophy on Saturday night.

While the Junior Chiefs fell short in a 14-13 loss to the Colts in the Northwest Youth Conference Super Bowl, they made their community proud and put on a performance to remember.

“The kids did a great job,” said Baller. “We had a bye last week and they worked the last two weeks and tried to get ready for whoever they were going to face, and it ended up being Oscoda, and the kids worked really hard. We worked hard at trying to master some new plays, and at the same time, we tried to work on Oscoda’s offense and what they tried to do, and the kids did great.”

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Long before Saturday, the Junior Chiefs had to show they could overcome adversity after the first Oscoda defeat. Over the next several weeks, Cheboygan built momentum by earning victory after victory against opponents like Sault Ste. Marie, Alpena and Mancelona.

Then came two weeks ago, when Cheboygan punched its ticket to the Super Bowl with an emphatic triumph over Sault Ste. Marie in Grayling. Not only did the Junior Chiefs make the big game, but they found out they would be hosting as well.

As for how Cheboygan got there, Baller knows.

“They didn’t quit, they came to work,” Baller said. “They continued to work even when things got tough. At practice, they really got after it. This group of boys in third and fourth grade – and granted, we had some new faces that showed up – they had no wins and one tie. Just for them to show the amount of improvement they’ve made over the course of the last few years is pretty phenomenal.”

On Saturday, the Junior Chiefs found themselves in a 14-0 hole against Oscoda. But right before the half, Cheboygan quarterback Cooper Vieau hooked up with Braden Runstrom on a 10-yard TD pass that helped get the Junior Chiefs within striking distance.

The second half was a defensive slugfest, but Cheboygan provided one more dramatic moment when Vieau connected with Runstrom again on a 31-yard TD toss to get the Junior Chiefs within one with under a minute to go. However, Cheboygan didn’t tie the game after being stopped just a yard short on a one-point conversion attempt.

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It wasn’t the result they wanted, but Baller knows his team left it all out on the field.

“I think even with the loss, we learned a lot of valuable lessons from that game, and it was about continuing to battle when things don’t go your way,” Baller said. “For the Junior Chiefs program, just seeing that many people there and supporting these boys was great. Some of these people might not even know these kids, but they were just there to support, and I think it was great.”

Cheboygan finished with a 6-2 record, including two wins apiece over Alpena, Sault Ste. Marie and Mancelona. It was the first time a Cheboygan youth team played in a Super Bowl in over 10 years.

In addition to Vieau and Runstrom leading the way this fall, Reid Schryer, Tate Baller, Beau Ecker, Dylan Wheelock, Jakoby Moore, Kaiden Wollangur, Brody Redmond and many others all played their respective roles in helping transform Cheboygan into a winner.

Even as Oscoda celebrated with the Super Bowl trophy following the narrow win, the Cheboygan players and coaches, as well as the Junior Chiefs cheerleaders, made sure to acknowledge their many supporters before they left the field.

“The kids absolutely loved (the support),” Baller said. “That’s pretty true of the town of Cheboygan. Cheboygan does a great job of getting out and supporting our kids, and this group of boys had a lot of success this year, and I think a lot of people want to see what their success was all about. We ended up on the short end of the stick but hats off to the community of Cheboygan.

“The community was phenomenal, great crowd, great atmosphere.”

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: Cheboygan Junior Chiefs football team competes in Super Bowl against Oscoda