| Spartans damper Novi homecoming |
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BY CHRIS JACKETT October 3, 2009 Novi's hopes of repeating as KLAA Central Division football champions took a dip Friday night as the host Wildcats dropped a 14-7 decision to Livonia Stevenson. The Spartans (4-2, 4-0 Central) had a little trouble getting started on the wet grass, as senior RB Austin White fumbled and lost the ball on the first snapped play of the night, as Novi senior DB Jeremy Mims recovered the ball. However, neither team could muster much offense, combing for just three first downs in the entire quarter, with two coming from Stevenson's White in the final two minutes. “I think we made some mental mistakes. We got bogged down a little bit,” Stevenson coach Tim Gabel said. With both offenses having trouble with the wet ball, the running game became a major factor, as the two teams combined for 81 rush attempts and just 21 pass attempts on the night. A stalled Stevenson drive resulted in a 51-yard punt by senior Alex Law that was downed at the Novi one-yard line by his teammates with 6:14 remaining in the half. Failing to get a first down, Novi senior Jordan Scheffler boomed a 46-yard punt back to Stevenson's 47-yard line. The Spartans spent the next 3:25 edging closer to the end zone. A third-and-14 on Novi's 28-yard line changed the pace of the game when senior QB Brendan O'Hara hit White with a 22-yard pass to Novi's six-yard line. White rushed in over the right tackle on the next play and junior Tyler Jarosz's extra point gave Stevenson a 7-0 lead with 46 seconds left in the half. “We've been playing good defense. Those kids are having fun out there,” Gabel said. “White showed how versatile he is.” Trying to get points on the board before the break, Novi senior QB Tim Hartland tossed an interception across the middle to Stevenson senior DB Jon Gudeman at Stevenson's 33-yard line. Moments later, O'Hara threw one away to Novi's Mims at the Novi 24, but Mims' record 43-yard return ran out the final six seconds on the clock. Stevenson led 7-0 at the break, outgaining the Wildcats (3-3, 3-1 Central) 124-48 in total offensive yards. Although the second half began with a misty downpour, the Wildcats found their footing, getting a 28-yard kickoff return from senior RB Brett Kuhn and a 32-yard run from Scheffler. Moving up to Stevenson's 20-yard line, Novi senior QB Ricky Enright was hit behind the line of scrimmage and lost the ball. Stevenson junior LB Duran Onwuemene recovered the fumble, starting a 77-yard drive that would put Stevenson out of reach from the Wildcats. “We played four quarterbacks tonight,” Novi coach Tab Kellepourey said. “They don't have enough experience (at this point).” Novi senior quarterbacks Brandon Rydzewski and Jimmy Gurney were both sitting out with injuries, and Hartland injured his hand earlier in the game. With Novi's defense focused on the Wolverine-bound White, senior RB Johnny Pauley rushed for 18- and 45-yard gains, setting up senior RB Mike Beyer for a one-yard touchdown run. Beyer had the ball knocked loose as he crossed into the end zone, but it one-hopped off the ground and back into his hands, eliminating any questions that the Spartans had a 14-0 lead following Jarosz's successful point-after. Although much of the game was a grind for both teams, the fourth quarter featured one big play. Novi senior QB Jim Pitcher had a second-and-15 at his own 17. Dropping back inside his own 10, he heaved a ball up the right line, landing perfectly in the outstretched arms of Kuhn near the mid-line, who ran the ball the length of the field unchallenged for an 83-yard touchdown. “Brett Kuhn made a tremendous adjustment on the ball,” Kellepourey said. “He (Pitcher) threw that one 52 yards. Adam Paul was right front side blocker and made the block.” The extra point kick, also by Kuhn, moved the Wildcats to within seven points of Stevenson with 7:40 remaining, but Novi's offense wouldn't make it onto the field the rest of the night. Fifteen straight rushing plays by the Spartans ran out the clock and kept the chains moving, although barely. During the 61-yard drive, the referee's spot had to be measured to give Stevenson a first down on three occasions. Each was successful, as the Spartans got to Novi's seven-yard line before taking two knees to run out the final minute of the game. “Fourth quarter, we needed to get a stop in there. Stevenson was able to grind that one out,” Kellepourey said. “They're 3-3 and a very resilient group of kids.” The Spartans gained 240 rushing yards on 52 attempts (4.6 yards-per-carry average) while Novi gained just 53 yards on 29 rushes. The Wildcats earned more passing yards though, 104-52, with 83 yards coming on their scoring play. Total offensive yardage was 292-157 yards in favor of Stevenson. “I'm pleased with the way we did tonight,” Gabel said. “We've had a couple easy wins and this was not an easy win. This was a dogfight. We hung tough.” The Wildcats' defense came up big, but not big enough. Sophomore LB Alex King and senior DL Jordan Jabbori led Novi with 10 tackles each, followed by Masaru Nogami (9), LB Krister Engja (8), CB Brandy Sheldon (7), LB Tom Symanski (6) and Mims (5). “We let a few passes through that set up their first touchdown,” Kellepourey said. “I'm impressed with our kids' efforts tonight, (but) we struggled offensively.” Novi's season-long penalty troubles subsided, as the Wildcats had just two called against them for a total loss of 15 yards. “Our kids did a much better job,” Kellepourey said. With Hartland joining Rydzewski and Gurney on the sideline with an injury, Novi will look to Pitcher, Enright and Symanski to fill the quarterback position. “They're doing an amazing job with it,” Kellepourey said, noting that getting the trio reps at practice this week will be a high priority. Chris Jackett is a freelance writer and former Novi News staff writer. Additional Facts On Tap Novi (3-3, 3-1 Central) hosts Northville 7 p.m. tomorrow in a border battle for the Brown Jug. “They’re well coached. Matt (Ladach) does a tremendous job over there. We know that will be a tremendous game for both squads,” Novi coach Tab Kellepourey said. Northville (4-2, 3-1 Central) is coming off a 17-0 win at home against Plymouth Salem (1-5, 1-3 Central) and is also fighting for a share of the KLAA Central Division title. Both Novi and Northville lost to Livonia Stevenson (4-2, 4-0 Central), who will have to travel to South Lyon East (0-6, 0-4 Central) and lose tomorrow in order for the ‘Cats or Mustangs to take a share of the title home alongside the Brown Jug. |
