Dan Stickradt
Sports Scene
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
DETROIT — Sometimes crushing defeats can eventually lead to glorious days.
It most certainly has for Clarkston’s football program.
Top-ranked Clarkston trimmed down first-time state finalist Saline, 33-25, Nov. 29 at Detroit’s Ford Field to capture its second straight Division 1 state title. The back-to-back title runs come on the heels of three Final Four defeats in a span of less than 15 years and 14 postseason appearances in 16 seasons.
“It’s amazing what we have been able to accomplish,” said senior quarterback DJ Zezula. “Clarkston has always been good, but they never could get it done. And now we’ve won two in a row.”
Clarkston lost in the state semifinal round in 1999, 2000, and 2009 — and in each of those games held the lead in the last minute and a half. The Wolves, who capped their 12th straight winning season, have now won an Oakland Activities Association record 27 straight games and finished with their first-ever undefeated season.
Clarkston was 13-1 last year. It dropped its season opener to Rochester Adams before ripping off 13 straight wins to cap the campaign and defeat Detroit Catholic Central in the finale.
“I think we’ve learned over the years. We haven’t changed what we’ve done,” said 28th-year Clarkston head coach Kurt Richardson. “This is a special group of kids. They are all homegrown. They have been playing together since the fifth grade, and they believe in each other.”
Saline, which entered the postseason ranked seventh, became the first team to grab a halftime lead on Clarkston all season when William Breen kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give the Hornets a 10-7 advantage at the half.
Clarkston outscored Saline (12-2) by a 26-15 margin in the second half.
“I think we had to go out and score on one of first two drives of the second half,” admitted Saline coach Joe Palka. “We weren’t able to [capitalize] in the third quarter and we fell behind 27-10. When you are playing a team the caliber of Clarkston, that is really difficult to do. We gave it a great effort. We cut it down to eight points at the end. If we score on one of those drives, who knows? It could have been different in the end.”
Zezula, who ranks in the top five in several single-game, season, and career passing categories in the school record book, hit Merrick Canada with a 52-yard bomb with 10:09 left in the third for the Wolves’ first lead of the game. The missed extra point left Clarkston with a 13-10 edge, and the Wolves never relinquished the lead.
Clarkston scored again with 47 seconds remaining in the third when Nolan Eriksen scored on a 2-yard plunge and Alex Kessman nailed the PAT for a 20-10 advantage.
Zezula scored again when he found a gap near the line of scrimmage and raced 70 yards for the end zone with 8:17 to play.
Saline, which had never made it past the regional final until this season, cut Clarkston’s lead to 27-17 when Josh Jackson scored on a 1-yard plunge with 5:15 to play.
Clarkston responded when Eriksen capped a swift eight-play drive with a 22-yard touchdown run for a 33-17 lead with 1:57 remaining.
With a last-ditch effort, Saline marched back down and scored one final time, when Kevin Gross scored on a 2-yard run and Cameron Cole caught Jackson’s two-point conversion pass with 1:09 left.
The Hornets could not get the ball back, and Clarkston ran out the clock to celebrate its second state title in as many years.
Jackson completed 20 of 31 passing attempts for 237 yards and added 82 rushing yards on 17 carries for Saline. Jeb Palka finished with eight catches for 74 yards, Chris Mercer added 69 yards on four catches, and Gross had eight rushes for 60 yards for the Hornets.
Zezula capped his fine three-year career at Clarkston with 100 passing yards on a 6-for-9 performance while playing hurt. He added 120 rushing yards on 17 carries, while Eriksen — who scored three touchdowns just like his older brother Ian Eriksen did in last year’s state title game — compiled 172 rushing yards on 28 carries.
“It’s the system that we run,” offered Zezula, who finishes 38-2 as a starting quarterback at Clarkston behind a talented offensive line and an arsenal of weapons. “Nobody really cares about stats and who scores or does what. We all care only about winning.”
Cole Chewins blocked a field goal, batted away three passes, and finished with four tackles for Clarkston. Jack Selke and Austin Egler both had eight tackles to lead the Wolves, who outscored the opposition 454-250 this season.
“I think what made this possible is that we all did our parts,” said Chewins, who has signed with Miami (Ohio) University. “We care about each other and don’t care about playing for ourselves.”
Saline scored on its third drive of the game for a 7-0 lead when Gross scampered home on a 27-yard run with 8:28 left in the second quarter.
The Wolves, who were held off the scoreboard in the first quarter for the first time this season, tied the contest with 33 ticks remaining in the first half on Eriksen’s 4-yard run.