Montague gets back on track with win over Orchard View; ‘Battle for the Bell’ next

Photos by Kiara Mikkelsen for CatchMark

MONTAGUE – Thanks to the explosive combination of Adam Baird and Chase Gowell, Montague’s football team got back on track with a 42-6 home victory over Orchard View Friday night.

The Wildcats won their West Michigan Conference Lakes Division opener and regrouped following last week’s tough 14-7 loss at Ravenna.

Montague gained back some momentum entering next Friday’s “Battle for the Bell” showdown at arch-rival Whitehall.

Here are notables and more details from the game:

• Gowell was a crisp 9-of-10 passing for 174 yards with two touchdowns to guide Montague’s well-balanced offense.
• Baird led Montague on the ground with 117 yards and three TDs on just nine carries.
• Baird and Owen Petersen were the recipients Gowell’s TD passes. Baird had two receptions for 75 yards, while Petersen made two catches for 30 yards.
• Silas Jancek and Austin Cook led Montague’s defense with nine solo tackles apiece. Michael Moore finished with six solos to reinforce the contain unit.  
• Orchard View’s Chris Ashburn scored his team’s lone TD of the night with a 28-yard rush in the second quarter. Ashburn paced the Cardinals with 48 yards on nine attempts.
• Orchard View rushed for 186 yards, only 20 fewer than Montague.
• Montague was playing a little shorthanded against Orchard View. A couple of key players had to sit after being ejected from the game against Ravenna for flagrant penalties.
• Montague is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the WMC Lakes Division. The Wildcats head across the bridge next Friday for their “Battle for the Bell” showdown against Whitehall, which is 3-0. Whitehall won last year’s matchup against Montague, 34-14, at Whitehall.
• Orchard View slips to 0-3 on the season.
• At halftime, Montague honored the 1972 and 1992 football teams. The 1972 squad finished 8-0 and outscored opponents by a combined 187-9 tally. The 1992 team was the first in school history to advance to the state finals, finishing 12-1 after a tough loss to Detroit St. Martin dePorres in the Class CC finals at the Pontiac Silverdome.