October 7, 2011
The Hudsonville Eagles and Jenison Wildcats rivalry has been played out 22 times coming into tonight, and it has seen dominance shift from one side to the other. Jenison won fourteen of the first fifteen matchups between the schools, but that tide has turned to Hudsonville’s favor, as they have won the previous seven consecutive games. Following tonight’s 21-7 victory, the Eagles can now boast that they have won the last eight showdowns.
Hudsonville got the ball first and from the onset it looked like a romp might be on– the Eagles marched their way down the field deep into Jenison territory. The Wildcats, however, showed that they were ready for this rivalry game, when Austin Duval intercepted a Blake Hibbitts pass in the end zone, slamming the door shut on Hudsonville’s drive. Jenison was unable to take advantage of this early momentum, though, as Hudsonville’s defense forced a punt. Both offenses sputtered on each of their next possessions, Hudsonville turning the ball over on downs just beyond mid field, and Jenison punting again. The Eagles got on the board first, however, on a 25 yard touchdown pass from Blake Hibbitts to Jake Bull, with 42 seconds left in the first quarter.
Defense took over in the second quarter, as both Jenison and Hudsonville punted on their first two possessions. Jenison did have a third possession this quarter, but the Wildcats merely ran the clock out to halftime. At the break, Hudsonville found itself clinging to a 7-0 lead.
The Wildcats took possession to start the second half but again their woes on offense arose. After struggling to move the ball towards midfield, the ball was put on the turf, only to be recovered by Dakota Prince. Hudsonville looked to the passing game in an attempt to make a quick strike and capitalize on the turnover, but Blake Hibbitts again had a pass intercepted by Austin Duval. Jenison’s offense now finally managed to put something together, driving 60 yards down the field for a touchdown. The score was delivered by Shane Roberts, as he plunged five yards into the end zone, knotting things up at 7.
With the game now tied 7-7, the Eagles showed little haste in putting together a scoring drive of their own. Hudsonville drove 83 yards to the house, relying heavily on the run, to take a 14-7 lead, with Mitch Dawes putting the Eagles up by a touchdown. Jenison was forced to put on their next possession, but managed to cling to life when Scotty Jirtle recovered a Hudsonville fumble on the Jenison 2 yard line. The Eagles clamped down on defense, however, forcing the Wildcats to turn the ball over on downs. With the game basically decided, Hudsonville found the end zone one final time, with Matt Postma running the ball in from three yards out, giving us our final score of 21-7.
Jenison falls to 1-6 overall this season, and 0-5 in the OK Red conference. They will look for their first conference victory next week when they travel to Grandville, who is also winless in the OK Red.
Hudsonville finds themselves at .500 again, sitting at 3-3 with the victory. The Eagles are also back to .500 (2-2) in the OK Red. Hudsonville will face perhaps its most difficult game of the season next week, when they host Rockford.
Speaking of the OK Red conference, have you purchased your copy of West Michigan All Star’s 2011 OK Red Media Guide? This informative publication is 80+ pages of photos, interviews and inside looks at the eight schools that compose the OK Red conference. A WMA Media Guide would be the perfect way to gear up for you favorite team’s playoff run, and is a steal of a deal at only $5. See the link on our home page to pick up your copy today!
Tyler Sigler fires off a pass in the first quarter.
Jake Bull hauls in a 25 yard touchdown reception.
Collin Nyboer wraps up Louie Diaz for a tackle.
Blake Hibbitts passed for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Austin Duval intercepted two passes in the loss.
Blake Kalawart sacks Jenison quarterback Tyler Sigler.
Steven Meekhof lays the smack on Mitch Dawes.
Blake Kalawart rushed for 126 yards in the victory.
Matt Philpott Photography was happy to bring you coverage of tonight’s game. Please visit his website to check out other shots of sports action!
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