Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
NORTH MUSKEGON — North Muskegon football coach Larry Witham said that Norsemen kicker Owen Booth is as calm as they come.
Yet, moments after Booth hit a clutch 24-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining to lift North Muskegon to a thrilling 17-14 season-opening win over Pewamo-Westphalia Friday night, the junior could not stop shaking.
After the classic high school football game at Fred Jacks Memorial Stadium, maybe the adrenaline and the moment finally caught up to Booth.
Hear from Booth and Witham in the video at the bottom of this story and watch highlights from the entertaining matchup kicking off the 2023 season for the strong small-school programs.
Here are more details and notables from the game:
- This was only the third all-time meeting between North Muskegon and P-W, and the first time the teams met at Fred Jacks Memorial Field. In the previous two meetings, P-W defeated North Muskegon 18-17 in the 2020 Division 7 district finals and 35-0 in a 2019 Division 7 playoff opener.
- Pewamo-Westphalia has won four Division 7 state championships since 2016, the last one coming in 2021.
- North Muskegon struck first Friday night, on the opening series of the game, as junior quarterback James Young rolled right and found wide-open senior Ben Meyers in the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown pass. Booth hit the PAT to put the Norse up 7-0 with 4:05 left in the first quarter.
- P-W answered with 4:06 remaining in the first half when senior QB Dylan May scored on a 3-yard keeper up the middle. The PAT was wide right, so North Muskegon held a 7-6 lead that it took into the halftime break.
- The score remained 7-6 into the fourth quarter, when Young connected with senior Landon Christensen on a beautiful aerial strike covering 38 yards. Booth’s PAT was good and North Muskegon led 14-6 with 9:14 left in the contest.
- Pewamo-Westphalia did not go away — the Pirates never do. They mounted a late drive and tied the game at 14 on junior Brayton Thelen’s short TD run and May’s ensuing conversion run with 1:25 left.
- On the ensuing kickoff, North Muskegon senior Alec Newville ran it back past midfield and put the Norse in business inside the Pirate 40.
- North Muskegon managed the clock well and moved into field-goal range, thanks largely to a big pass play from Young to junior TJ Byard.
- P-W tried to ice Booth with a timeout, but he calmly hit the game-winning field goal and left no doubt.
- Newville recovered the ensuing kickoff for North Muskegon, which had 1 second to kill and went into victory formation.
- Young finished 16-of-27 passing for 195 yards with two TDs and no interceptions for North Muskegon. He also ran 10 times for 35 yards.
- Byard paced the Norse receiving corps with six catches for 76 yards. Christensen made four grabs for 53 yards. Junior Landen Grimm had one reception for 23 yards.
- Meyers led North Muskegon’s defense with eight solo tackles and three assists. He also ran 10 times for 35 yards.
- North Muskegon freshman Cullen Bartos notched five solo tackles and an assist.
- North Muskegon junior Tristan Thomas had five solo tackles and three assists.
- North Muskegon senior AJ Larkin made four solo tackles, added six assists, and made a nice interception of a tipped pass.
- North Muskegon senior Talan Thompson had two solo tackles and four assists.
- North Muskegon junior Chuck Meyers had three assisted tackles and an interception.
- Next up: North Muskegon visits Muskegon Catholic Central on Thursday (Aug. 31) looking to avenge last year’s 24-22 season-opening loss to the Crusaders. Pewamo-Westphalia begins Central Michigan Athletic Conference play next Thursday with a visit to Bath.
Finally, don’t miss these TikToks featuring North Muskegon football players continuing their “Careless Whisper” tradition plus the student section and cheerleaders getting hyped up.
