Ben Murphy
Sports Scene
Standish-Sterling made easy work of visiting Tawas Area Sept. 19 giving the Panthers their sixth victory of the season.
The 41-6 win put the Standish football team in the playoffs for its second consecutive trip to the post-season. Matt Crawford ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns and Austin Fletcher ran for 56 yards and two touchdowns.
t Low numbers in AuGres’ and Arenac Eastern’s football programs forced the schools to combine into one team. So far the results have proven the endeavor to be successful.
AuGres (the host of the dual team) topped Oscoda 50-12 on Friday, Sept. 19 to pick up the team’s sixth win. For AuGres it’s the first time since 2008 that it has made the playoffs while it marks the Arenac player’s first trip to the post-season since 2000.
The team shared the North Star League title with Mio, with their only loss in league playing coming in a week three forfeit to Hillman. AuGres had to forfeit that game after several players were injured in a car accident two days before the game.
t Ogemaw Heights won its last four games of the season, including a 42-13 thrashing of Alpena on Friday, Sept. 19 to clinch a post-season berth with six wins.
Brandon Benac highlighted the Falcon offense with 185 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries.
The Falcons led just 14-13 late in the game but a Benac 38 yard touchdown run put them up 21-13 at the half. Benac scored on a fourth down run in the third quarter to put Ogemaw up 28-13, and Jerome Hunter caught an 84 yard touchdown pass to make it 35-13 and Ogemaw added another late rushing touchdown to account for the final.
SOCCER
t Tawas Area won the Huron Shores Conference regular season and league tournament this season, and wrapped up back-to-back district titles with an 8-0 mercy win over Houghton Lake on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Tawas opened district play with a 5-0 win over county rival Oscoda on Sept. 16 then topped Pinconning 6-0 on Sept. 18.
The Braves (20-4-1) play in the Elk Rapids regional, looking for their second regional championship in the last four years.
VOLLEYBALL
tThe Mio Lady Thunderbolts appear to be headed to another North Star League championship. After Thursday, Oct. 18 3-0 win over host Hillman Mio is 8-0 in NSL play, with just two league contests to go. Mio won that contest 25-13, 25-22 and 25-16.
tJohannesburg-Lewiston finished its Ski-Valley SouthConference 6-2 with a 3-0 win over Bellaire on Tuesday, Oct. 18. A key win for the Lady Cardinals included a win over league power Pellston on Oct. 11. Onaway was the Ski-Valley South conference champion.
CROSS COUNTRY
t Boyne Falls swept the Northern Lakes Conference championships on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The Loggers boy’s and girl’s teams won their first league championships by winning the fourth and last league jamboree.
The girl’s team finished the meet with 34 points with Ellsworth coming in second with 61. The boy’s team won with 26 points and Alba came in second with 54.
Marcus Matelski led the boy’s team with a first place finish and time of 18:49 with Taryn Rozema took third to lead the girls with a time of 23:51.
t Both of Clare’s teams swept all three Jack Pine Conference cross country jamborees, with the Pioneers winning the latest on Oct. 17 at Gladwin.
Hunter Nivison was the league champion for the boys, running the last jamboree in a time of 17:30. Victoria Harper was league champion for the girls, running a time of 20:35.