Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
Since 2006, the football teams from Muskegon and Lowell have met a total of eight times.
Each game has been an epic battle, with the winner usually going on to play for a Division 2 state championship at Ford Field.
Last year, the Big Reds of Muskegon won both games played between to the two powerhouses, during the regular season 36-21 and again in the playoffs, 15-13. They then went on to play in the state final, where they fell to Brother Rice 35-28.
The two teams met up at Lowell’s Bob Perry Field on September 20 and did not disappoint the large crowd, as the host Red Arrows beat Muskegon 31-20 in a battle between the No. 1 (Muskegon) and No. 3 (Lowell) teams in the state in Division 2.
It was a game of costly mistakes for coach Shane Fairfield’s Muskegon team. “It just came down to execution,” Fairfield said. “They played better than we did.”
The Lowell defense was up to the challenge, as it held Muskegon dual-threat quarterback Deshaun Thrower to a pedestrian game by his standards. He finished with just 30 yards rushing and struggled through the air as a passer.
To most coaches, a letdown after the stretch of games that Muskegon played to open its season may be acceptable. After all, the Red Arrows opened their season with impressive wins over Grand Haven (41-7), defending Division 3 state champion Grand Rapids Christian (35-13), and rival Rockford (45-0), but this is Muskegon, one of the top teams in the state, year in and year out.
“We have now played four big games,” Fairfield. “We haven’t had a chance to breathe.”
And that might not happen in the near future, as the Big Reds play unbeaten Mona Shores September 27.
*Once again, the cross-country teams from Sparta High School are running ahead of the pack. At the huge Sparta Cross Country Invitational, which was run on the campus of the old Sparta High School September 14, the girls’ team won the varsity Gold Division with 35 points, beating out neighborhood rival Cedar Springs, which was second with 68 points. Alexis Heimbaugh and Carley Andrews paced the Spartans by taking second and third in the race, respectively. Cedar Springs’ Kenzie Weiler won with an impressive time of 18 minutes, 5.67 seconds. The boys’ team came in third in the deep Gold Division with 129 points. Perennial state power Ionia won the Gold boys’ race with 60 points. Leading the Sparta boys’ team was Carter VerSluys, who finished 13th.
*The Sparta Cross Country Invitational ended a tough week for the Sparta running family, as long-time cross-country and track coach John Thomas’ wife, Nancy Brady-Thomas passed away after a short battle with cancer. It’s a big loss to the Sparta family.
*On September 27, the Kelloggsville football team will be celebrating 300 program wins with an open house for former players taking place before its game with visiting power Hopkins. The Rockets won their 300th game with an opening-night win over Whitehall. Also, Kelloggsville coach Don Galster picked up his 100th win as coach of the Rockets.