Traverse City Central clings to playoff hopes after TC Patriot Game loss

Oct. 20—TRAVERSE CITY — There's a glimmer of hope at the end of Friday's tunnel.

Traverse City Central lost 17-8 to rival Traverse West in the TC Patriot Game at Thirlby Field. Both squads end the regular season with identical 4-5 records.

Central (4-5, 3-3 SVL-Blue) has 49.57 playoff points, while West (4-5, 4-2 SVL-Blue) sits at 46.125. The Trojans aren't a sure-thing to make the postseason field, but losses by Oak Park and Livonia Churchill make for two fewer teams that could pass them up.

"I hope we play next week," Central quarterback and linebacker Brayden McCoon said. "I did not want this to be the last game. We'll find out Sunday."

Midland lost to Midland Dow, but the Chemics still stay ahead of Central with 50.666 points and moving Dow up to 51.444. That means the Trojans could be the fourth seed in a district with top-seeded, Saginaw Heritage (7-2), Midland Dow (5-4) and Midland (5-4).

"Any chance I get to put the pads on again, it's going to be a great time," Central linebacker and receiver Jackson Dobreff said. "I know that our seniors will come out of this and we're going to all be great men. We're all going to be friends for life. If we get that playoff opportunity, we're going to take it and do something with it."

Dobreff plays lacrosse for Traverse City United, a co-op team of Central and West. On that team, he plays alongside West football players Brady Vaughn, Connor Swank and Coleton Ritola.

"All three great guys," Dobreff said. "I love them, but sometimes it's hard to be friendly with them on the football field because it's just not that type of sport. We're going to get on the lacrosse team and they're going to give me crap for it. But it's all good because I gave them just as much crap last year after we beat them by one point and I blocked the kick."

Several big plays turned the tide in West's favor — an early kickoff return fumble that led to a touchdown, a Drew Esper interception deep in West territory, a personal foul late in the game as West was punting on fourth-and-15 that gave the Titans a first down, and Isaac Kelsey's interception in the end zone that allowed West to run out the clock.

"This stings, man," Central head coach Eric Schugars said. "This hurts bad for the kids."

"They came out and ran the ball down our throat for a couple series," he added. "And there's a huge penalty and we couldn't overcome that. We get the stop and then that penalty happens and all of a sudden they have the ball again. That's just demoralizing."

Alumni came back and enjoyed the opportunity to gather and reconnect around a football game. TC Central's 40th reunion for the class of 1983 is this weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge.

Joan (Kundrata) Sperandio, a 1983 grad who now lives in Rochester, New York, tailgated with classmates Colleen Cooledge-Salone of Plano, Texas, and Sally Erickson of Traverse City. The cold, rainy weather didn't deter them.

"We're here from all over," said Sperandio, who lived in Seattle for 15 years. "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear."

The group of friends reminisced and enjoyed a few beverages while standing around cars with "'83" balloons decor.

"I got my first first kiss in there," said Sperandio, pointing to Thirlby Field.

West outgained Central in yardage, 217-163, including a 143-114 advantage on the ground.

"It was so lopsided if you really watch the first half," Schugars said. "They had the momentum, and our kids came out and stuck it to them (in the second half) and forced a bad snap — and all of a sudden we're in the game."

The Titans led 14-0 at halftime, but Central found new life after a third-quarter safety and the ensuing possession that ended in a McCoon touchdown pass to Dobreff to cut the deficit to 14-8 after West's Noah Dumon blocked the extra point.

"We definitely answered back," McCoon said. "We needed that safety and that touchdown on the board. Obviously, things didn't go our way, but our team fought together and fought hard."

Central finds out its playoff fate Sunday when the Michigan High School Athletic Association's playoff selection show airs on Bally Sports Detroit Extra at 6 p.m.

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