Pewamo-Westphalia football cruises to victory over Cheboygan at CMU's Kelly/Shorts Stadium

MOUNT PLEASANT – Two teams, one unique venue.

On Saturday afternoon, the Cheboygan Chiefs and Pewamo-Westphalia Pirates had the opportunity to compete against each other at Central Michigan University’s Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

The Pirates easily moved to 4-1 on the season by rolling to a 44-7 victory over the winless Chiefs (0-5), but both teams enjoyed the rare opportunity of playing inside a Division 1 college football stadium.

Following the Pirates’ dominant performance over the Chiefs, here’s a few takeaways for both squads.

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Skill guys make the difference for Pirates

The Pirates have featured their fair share of great skill players over the years – and we saw more of those on Saturday.

Fueled by a 203-yard rushing performance from junior running back Brayton Thelen, the Pirates carved up the Cheboygan defense with big play after big play. Thelen’s biggest play was a 78-yard touchdown run that put the Pirates up 26-0 in the second quarter, while Pewamo-Westphalia also received a two-TD performance from senior Grant Pohl, who scored on runs of 25 and 58 yards.

Adding a 19-yard TD reception from quarterback Dylan May was Gabe Miller. One of May's two rushing TD's was from 67 yards out. William Bengel also tallied a rushing score for the Pirates, who led 38-0 at halftime.

The productive offensive day for the Pirates featured 364 total yards, with 337 of those coming on the ground.

"It was awesome,” said Pewamo-Westphalia head coach Jeremy Miller. “I’m just really appreciative to Central Michigan for hosting us, and I’m appreciative for Cheboygan coming down and playing this game. It’s always fun to play somebody you’ve never played before, and it was just a beautiful day for football and one of those fun things to do in the middle of the season.

“We’re fortunate to have some guys who are home run hitters – and they got loose today.”

Offense up and down again for Cheboygan

The injury-plagued Chiefs struggled to score points again, but they received a solid rushing display from senior Cody Lane, who led the team with 91 yards on 17 carries.

“That run game is making progress for sure,” said Cheboygan head coach Dave Schulz. “We’re getting a little better inside the tackles. Things are progressing, but we’ve just got to keep pushing, working each and every week to get a little bit better.”

But whenever the Chiefs seemed to get a positive play, it was usually a negative play, a penalty or a turnover that followed and put a wrench in things. On the day, the Chiefs had three turnovers, including two fumbles.

That’s not a recipe for success, especially when you’re trying to hang with one of the best programs in the state.

“They’re solid in every aspect of the game,” Schulz said of the Pirates. “They definitely were a big challenge for us, they definitely came out with the upper hand and made it very tough for us. They were fast getting off blocks and they stuck on their blocks a little longer than we were able to.

“That’s a quality team that’s very well coached. Hats off to them.”

Cheboygan’s next best rusher was junior Gabe Sabolsky, who recorded 51 yards and scored the lone touchdown for the Chiefs with a 19-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Cheboygan finished with 182 yards, all rushing.

Defensively, Kaleb Goodrich, Luke Munger and Hayden LaPointe led the Chiefs with five tackles apiece. Michael Beck and Sean Postula each had four, while Caden Gardner and Gavin Rose both chipped in with three.

A day to remember for both sides

While it was a tough afternoon for the Chiefs, the Pirates put on a show for their many supporters in attendance.

One of those who cherished the moment was Miller, who was thrilled to score a touchdown on CMU’s home field.

“It was sweet,” said Miller. “It’s a lot cooler than our field. The turf and everything, huge stadium, so it was sweet. Saturday games always feel different, so coming down here to CMU, it was a lot of fun.”

It wasn’t the result they wanted, but the experience of playing at CMU was special for the Chiefs as well.

“I think it’s awesome being able to be here, seeing the fans, seeing the families on this field,” Schulz said. “It’s just a nice experience and I really appreciate CMU for doing it.”

Cheboygan heads to Traverse City St. Francis for a Saturday, Sept. 30 contest. Winners of four straight, the Pirates face Fowler next week.

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: Pewamo-Westphalia gets best of Cheboygan football at Central Michigan University