Step one is out of the way for the Muskegon High School football team.
The Big Reds jumped out to a two-touchdown first-quarter lead and pulled away from old rival Lowell en route to a 35-7 victory in a Division 3 first-round playoff game Saturday at Hackley Stadium.
“Kids played hard, together and for each other. Very proud of them,” Muskegon coach Shane Fairfield said in a text message to CatchMark SportsNet.
Sophomore Jakob Price rushed for a game-high 106 yards and two TDs on eight carries to power the Big Reds (9-1), who will host Cedar Springs (8-2) in the district finals at 1 p.m. next Saturday. Cedar Springs defeated Coopersville, 45-6, on Friday.
Price scored on runs of 20 and 74 yards in leading Muskegon’s rushing attack, which outgained Lowell’s 167-87.
Senior quarterback Myles Walton hit senior Jeremiah Dault on a 21-yard TD pass, plus Walton scored on a 1-yard run. Sophomore Destin Piggee opened the scoring for the Big Reds with a 58-yard run.
Walton finished 3-of-5 passing for 37 yards. Senior Dominic Sugin paced the Big Reds’ defense with nine tackles. Brian Wright had six stops and a fumble recovery, while teammates Meshaune Crowley, Tamareon Oakes, Deanthony Fondren and Mason Hunter also had six tackles each.
Muskegon led 28-0 before Lowell (4-6) got on the board in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Tacho Gonzales.
The Big Reds got a big lift from kicker Adrian Ramos-Velazquez, who was 5-for-5 on PATs and made a difference with his kickoffs.
“Our kicker had an outstanding day. His amazing kickoffs set us up a few times,” Fairfield said.
