RAVENNA — Cramps to several members of the team came up and bit the Ravenna Bulldogs in a gut-punch, season-opening football loss to Beal City last week.
They weren’t going to be denied this time.
Ravenna bounced back in a big way with a 14-7 victory over visiting Montague in the North Grove Brewers West Michigan Conference Game of the Week Thursday night at Citizens’ Field.
In a hard-fought, sometimes chippy contest, the Bulldogs hung tough and followed the lead of senior playmaker Hunter Hogan. Last week, Hogan was among a handful of Bulldogs who cramped in the second half and missed key parts of a 22-21 last-second loss in which their team had led 21-0 at halftime.
Against Montague, Hogan set the tone all over the field. The senior led all rushers from his quarterback spot with 116 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown run, on 19 carries. As a free safety, he notched a co-team-high 6.5 tackles and an interception. Hogan was 2-for-2 on PATs and he also handled kickoffs, punts, kickoff returns and punt returns.
A 4-yard TD run by Ravenna junior Clay Schullo with 1:16 left in the third quarter proved the difference.
Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
Here are notables and more details from the game:
- With 10 minutes left in the game, Montague appeared poised to tie it at 14 but the Wildcats fumbled inside the Bulldogs’ 10. Senior Juan Castillo hopped on the loose ball for Ravenna on the 10 to thwart Montague’s scoring chance.
- The game was chippy at times with some pushing and shoving on both sides. One Montague player was ejected at the end of the first half on what was called a targeting call and another was ejected early in the third quarter when a scuffle broke out following a late hit on Hogan on the Ravenna sideline.
- Hogan finished 6-of-15 passing for 75 yards with one interception.
- Ravenna junior Drew Mabrito recorded a co-team-high 6.5 tackles.
- Ravenna junior Chase Thomas notched 5.5 tackles with two stops for lost yardage.
- Montague senior quarterback Chase Gowell finished 15-of-21 passing for 160 yards with one TD and one interception.
- Montague senior Owen Petersen scored his team’s lone TD when he outmaneuvered a Ravenna defensive back for the ball on a 27-yard toss from Gowell with 1:58 left in the first half. That tied the game at 7.
- Petersen made five receptions for 63 yards, while senior Izac Jarka had five catches for 52 yards to pace the Wildcats receiving corps.
- Montague senior Michael Moore led his team defensively with five solo tackles and four assists.
- Montague senior Silas Jancek had four solo tackles and six assists, while Jarka notched four solos and three assists.
- Ravenna outgained Montague in total offense, 241-173, including a gaudy 166-29 edge in rushing yardage.
- Ravenna possessed the football for 28:52 compared to 19:08 for Montague.
- Ravenna improves to 1-1 overall after the WMC nondivisional victory, while Montague also is 1-1.
- In Week 3, Ravenna visits Holton (0-2) in a WMC Rivers Division opener, while Montague hosts Orchard View (0-2) in a WMC Lakes Division opener.
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