LUDINGTON – On the backs of the Father-Son duo in Cam and Charlie Gunsell, Ludington won seven games and earned a spot in the Division Four playoffs. However, the postseason didn’t go as the Orioles had hoped. Still, any season in which you score over 400 points is a success.
In the 2023 season, Ludington narrowly missed the playoffs with a (5-4, 3-3) record. The team was led by sophomore (now junior) Cam Gunsell.
Gunsell entered his junior season planning to ramp up Ludington’s passing attack. He did that—and then some. Gunsell threw for 1,916 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also led the Orioles in rushing, picking up 1,321 yards on the ground with 25 touchdowns.
The Orioles had some dawgs on the perimeter as well. Gunsell threw to seven different receivers consistently. Sophomore Taj Williams was the number one receiver, accumulating 513 yards on 24 receptions and nine touchdowns. Senior tight end Andre Waldon caught 18 passes for 402 yards and seven touchdowns. Jonah Peterson, Maks Flanery, Brody Kaminski, and Zac Graham all caught at least one touchdown during the season.
On the other side of the ball, junior linebacker Cooper Holmes recorded 71 tackles. Waldon, playing linebacker on defense, posted six sacks on the season.
The Orioles opened the season against Alpena, the first time these schools had met. However, the game was over before it even started. Gunsell scored seven total touchdowns—four on the ground and three through the air. Williams caught two touchdowns and picked up 115 yards. Ludington dominated the Alpena Wildcats in blowout fashion, winning 67-0.
Week two was the complete opposite. Mason County Central stormed into Oriole Field and ambushed Ludington. After beating the Spartans for eight straight seasons, the Orioles were stunned at home. Despite the loss, Gunsell still scored seven total touchdowns. MCC secured a big non-conference win, 50-43.
Ludington went on to win in weeks three and four, which put them at a 3-1, 2-0 record heading into their game against Montague.
In yet another high-scoring affair, Ludington lit up the scoreboard with 45 points to Montague’s 34. Six different Orioles caught passes that night. Messiah Himes picked off a pass from Montague QB Eli Peterson late in the third quarter, which ultimately allowed Ludington to control the clock and win their third conference game of the season.
Sitting at (4-1, 3-0), Ludington was in a comfortable position to win the Lakes title. A narrow win against Manistee in week six kept them undefeated in conference heading into what was presumed to be the conference championship game against Whitehall.
Whitehall opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run from Gavin Craner. Jonah Peterson then knocked down a field goal for the Orioles, cutting the lead down to four for the Vikings. Craner added another touchdown to the stat sheet, this one from 13 yards out. After a Camden Thompson touchdown run, Ludington finally scored its first and only touchdown of the night—a pass from Gunsell to Graham. Whitehall then sealed the game with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, winning 47-10 and securing their fourth straight Lakes title.
The Orioles closed out the regular season with blowout wins against Orchard View and Tri-County, finishing with a (7-2, 5-1) record heading into November.
Big Rapids, who hosted the pre-district game, was the favorite to win the district. Ludington got on the board first after forcing a turnover. Gunsell ran into the end zone from five yards out, putting Big Rapids on its heels early in the game. The Cardinals tied the game at 7 apiece when tailback Garrett Foster plunged in for a one-yard touchdown run. A wild sequence of events occurred early in the second quarter when Taj Williams intercepted a pass for the Orioles. Then, the Cardinals took the ball right back with an interception of their own. Big Rapids scored on that drive with four minutes left in the half. However, Gunsell didn’t need the full four minutes to answer, throwing a 33-yard strike to tight end Graham.
Coming out of the half, the game was tied at 14. Big Rapids scored twice, pushing the lead to 28-14. Gunsell rallied down the field with his offense and punched it in, making it a one-possession game. The Orioles’ defense held strong and got the ball back to its offense. With just 17 seconds remaining, Gunsell fired a pass into the end zone, but it was intercepted, sealing the deal for Big Rapids.
Although the Orioles could not make it out of the first round of the playoffs, they had a successful season that put their offense in the record books for the most points scored in a single season in program history.
With Gunsell and his top target Williams returning next season, the Orioles will be a strong contender for the Lakes Division title.
Final Season Results
- Week 1 – Ludington defeated Alpena 67-0
- Week 2 – Mason County Central defeated Ludington 50-43
- Week 3 – Ludington defeated Fremont 43-12
- Week 4 – Ludington defeated Oakridge 31-15
- Week 5 – Ludington defeated Montague 45-34
- Week 6 – Ludington defeated Manistee 39-38
- Week 7 – Whitehall defeated Ludington 47-10
- Week 8 – Ludington defeated Orchard View 66-12
- Week 9 – Ludington defeated Tri-County 51-31
- Pre-District – Big Rapids defeated Ludington 28-21
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