Getting there was most of the fun for the Harrison football team.
The Hornets finished the regular season with an outstanding record of 7-2 to qualify for the Division 5 playoffs.
They drew Kingsford in the first round and made the trek to the Upper Peninsula in style, only to bow out with a 25-0 loss.
“The school was great about everything,” said Harrison coach Mike Petrongelli. “They got us a nice bus, they set up a pregame practice for us up at Gladstone, and we stayed at the Best Western in Escanaba.
“It was a nice trip, I just wish the outcome of the game could have been different.”
The Flivvers would have none of it, shutting down the Hornets at every turn.
”We played pretty well defensively,” said Petrongelli, “but we could not move the ball at all. They were very physical, like all of the Upper Peninsula teams, but they were quicker than we expected, and they stifled everything we tried.
“They put nine in the box and did a good job defending the things we’d been able to do during the year. We couldn’t get outside at all on them. They took that away from us.”
The abrupt ending did not completely obscure an outstanding year for Harrison, and it didn’t damper hopes for the future, either.
“It was a little disappointing, because there were a couple of games we wish we had a chance to play over, but it was a good season,” Petrongelli said. “A 7-3 record isn’t bad at all, and I think we should be competitive again next season. Our JV was undefeated, and we should have a good mix of seniors coming back and juniors coming up.”