Ben Murphy
Sports Scene
Midland High gave up 49 points in its district football final against Grand Blanc, which resulted in a 49-35 Bobcat win and an end to the Chemics’ 9-2 season.
“It’s always tough to see seniors play their final game,” head coach Eric Methner said. “This year’s group was no exception. They were totally committed and provided great leadership from winter conditioning through our final game.”
The Chemics trailed 35-7 at the half, but they used second half touchdowns by Toby Wilson (two-yard run), David Walter (33-yard pass from Paul Lynch), and Travis Patten (one-yard run) to cut the gap to 42-35. However, a 62-yard touchdown pass on the Bobcats’ ensuing possession closed the door on Midland’s season.
“Defensively, we gave up too many big plays in the first half,” Methner said. “Grand Blanc has some tremendous athletes, and I think we were a little overwhelmed early in the game. Offensively, we made some mistakes that we hadn’t been making during the season. As a result, our third down conversion was poor and we couldn’t keep our defense off the field. It was a bad combination.
“I was pleased with the way our team fought back,” he added. “They showed what our program is all about. We were not able to finish the comeback, but I was proud of them.”
The Chemics reached the finals with a 42-12 first round win over Carman-Ainsworth. T.J. Wilson ran for three scores and Avery Chatman rushed for 105 yards and one touchdown to help pace the Chemics’ offense.
“We played well against C-A,” Methner said. “We did a nice job on Shane Barron defensively. We made some big plays on special teams as well. Any time you can block a punt and return a kickoff for a touchdown in the same game, that’s big.”
The Chemics graduate 31 seniors from this year’s team and expect to bring back 29 juniors next year.
“Overall, I am proud of this year’s team,” Methner said. “They were an extremely hardworking group, and they did everything we asked of them in terms of preparation and representing Midland High School. We will certainly miss this year’s seniors; they are great kids and excellent leaders.”
As for the juniors coming back, Methner believes they have plenty of potential for an 11th straight playoff appearance, if not a Saginaw Valley League title.
“We’ll soon be starting our preparations for next season,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for the next class to step up and provide leadership for our program. I think our current junior class is hungry. The bar will be set very high for them as well.”