Butch Harmon
Sports Scene
After a hiccup in week one, the Midland High School Chemics racked up eight consecutive wins to close out the regular season. Friday, October 21, Midland bludgeoned crosstown rival H.H. Dow High School in a 38-13 win.
“We played a great game against Dow,” Chemic head coach Eric Methner said. “We were able to run the football exceptionally well, and that set up some big plays in our play-action passing game. The defense was up to the challenge and played terrific. With the exception of one long run in their first series, we did a great job stopping their running game. I was very pleased with our effort and overall execution.”
Avery Chatman led the Midland offense, as he has most of the season, running for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Quarterback Paul Lynch completed nine of 13, passing for 135 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
“I like the direction our team is heading,” Methner said. “We’ve been improving steadily as the season has progressed. Offensively, we’ve been running the football very well. The offensive line has been doing a good job up front, and all of our running backs have been contributing. Lynch has been very consistent directing our offense at quarterback. He’s made some big time throws for us.”
Methner’s offense has averaged 39 points a game this year, and just as impressive, his defense has allowed an average of fewer than eight points a game.
“Defensively, we’ve been pretty fast,” he said. “Our kids understand our schemes and their assignments within the defensive calls, so that allows them to fly around. With that said, I still feel that our best game is in front of us somewhere, so that’s exciting.”
Just how dominant the Chemics have been this year was on full display in week 8, when they topped Bay City Western (7-2) 34-7. The Warriors had given Saginaw Valley League champion Mt. Pleasant a scare in a three-point loss the week before and was predicted by many to be a tough game for Midland. That turned out not to be the case, as the Chemics scored 34 unanswered points after falling behind 7-0 early.
“Our team played pretty well against Western,” Methner said. “Defensively, we were able to negate the big plays, and we kept pressure on them. Offensively, we ran the football successfully most of the night, and that allowed us to shorten the game a little bit. It was a nice win.”
The coach also felt that the eight straight wins were even more impressive, considering the competition that teams face in the SVL.
“We play some very good competition in the league,” Methner said. “The top four or five teams have played some very good games against each other throughout the season. I still feel our league plays a good style of football from top to bottom. Even the teams that are struggling still have some outstanding athletes that our kids have to match up against. So I think the competition and talent within our league prepares our players well for the playoffs.”
The Chemics, who are readying for their 10th straight trip to the post season, feel capable of making a long playoff run.
“We have to stay healthy,” Methner said of having a good playoff run. “We’ve really been hit with a lot of injuries this year. We’re getting some kids back, so we’re optimistic. They playoffs are about playing great defense and your playmakers making plays. Anything can happen on any given night. Our team will keep the same approach we have all season, and that’s to get better every week. The kids on this team are workers, and they’re hungry. That’s a pretty good combination, so we’ll keep getting after it.”