Saranac football adds to best start since 2017 with road win over Laingsburg
LAINGSBURG — Led by just four seniors, the Saranac RedHawks varsity football team is off to its best start since 2017.
Saranac defeated Laingsburg, 28-20, in a CMAC matchup to add to that.
Saranac (4-1, 2-1) never trailed during Friday's game — picking up its first win over the Wolfpack since 2018. RedHawks coach Kirk Jackson has been pleased with his team’s unselfishness through the first five weeks of the regular season.
“We feel like we’ve got the monkey off our back,” Jackson said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve got a full team — everybody’s back healthy... We played a full game. We played both sides of the ball well.”
The loss was the third straight since a 2-0 start for Laingsburg (2-3, 0-2). Wolfpack head coach Brian Borgman said team dealt with some injuries, but believed Saranac was the more physical team Friday.
“We were able to move the ball,” Borgman said. “We made some big plays in the passing game, which was nice to be able to open some of that up. That was great. Our defense played alright. We just got outphysicaled tonight.”
How it happened
After a scoreless first quarter, Saranac took a 2-0 lead in the second on a safety. RedHawks sophomore quarterback Silas Mulnix later found junior Chase Stephens for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Junior running back Warren Hill ran in the two-point conversion to give the RedHawks a 10-0 halftime lead.
The RedHawks extended their lead to 12-0 on another safety. Laingsburg responded with 22 seconds left in the third quarter, when senior running back Jackson Audretsch took a fourth-and-1 run up the middle for a 57-yard score. The Wolfpack cut the Saranac lead to 12-7 after the third quarter.
Saranac fumbled on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving Laingsburg the ball at the RedHawks’ 16-yard line. Two plays later, the Wolfpack fumbled — and Saranac senior Maddox Foster returned it more than 80 yards for a touchdown. The RedHawks led 20-7 after the 2-point conversion.
The Wolfpack responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Lucas Matthews on the ensuing drive. Saranac answered with a 76-yard touchdown drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Stephens and added the two-point conversion on a run by junior Carson Hardy to push its lead to 28-14.
Laingsburg scored on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Matthews to senior wideout Vance Klont. The missed extra point made it a 28-20 game with 5:11 to play. Saranac faced a fourth-and-four from its own 47-yard line on the ensuing drive, when Hardy ran for a first down with two minutes remaining. Laingsburg was out of timeouts as Saranac sealed the victory.
'Not Selfish' Saranac
The RedHawks have won three straight games. It is a young team, with only four seniors, but Jackson believes the success so far this season was built during two-a-days.
The Saranac coaching staff, which includes former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, used military tactics during the first week of practice. The seniors took command of classroom sessions. The coaches coached them up.
“We’re teaching leadership and they’re taking it,” Jackson said. “From a bunch of old Marines, we enjoy that.”
Jackson has learned through five weeks that his team is "not selfish." His running backs have been willing to split carries, and the formations he’s implemented have made it hard for opposing coaches to prepare for.
“I told (the team) it’s not a game, it’s a season,” Jackson said. “We’re playing for a longer season.”
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@sentinel-standard.com. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on Ionia Sentinel-Standard: Saranac football records CMAC victory over Laingsburg
