Napoleon High School quarterback Grant Bradley ran for a touchdown and threw for another in a 15-0 win over Union City on Saturday in the Big Eight/Cascades Conference Crossover Championship Football game. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
(October 22, 2022 8:44 PM) Napoleon High School football Coach Derek Shell said the Pirates played with a “chip on their shoulder” after missing the playoffs a year ago despite going 6-3.
On Saturday the Pirates knocked off the final piece of the puzzle with a 15-0 win over Union City in the Big Eight/Cascades Conference Crossover Football Championship at Union City.
Napoleon finishes the season with a perfect 9-0 record, its first since 2002.
The Pirates await to see who they will play in the first round of the districts next week.
Senior Max Gamez has been on the Pirates’ varsity squad for four seasons and says simple hard work paved the way for Napoleon.
“As a team, we made a bond and worked really hard in the weight room,” Gamez said. “We also learned to trust one another.
“You should see the photos from the varsity team three years ago … we looked like a middle school squad.”
Gamez agrees with Shell’s analysis of the finish from 2021.
“Our season was cut short so we put in the work,” Gamez said. “During the summer we lifted three times per week … really pushing one another.
“We lift three to four times per week in a weightlifting class at school.”
Neither team threw its weight around in the opening quarter as both Napoleon and Union City had 10-plus play drives that ended when they turned the football over on downs.
Napoleon scored first to begin the second quarter on a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a 36-yard bootleg touchdown run by quarterback Grant Bradley. When Union City jumped offsides on the extra point attempt, the Pirates regrouped and gave the football to Bart Laretz for a 2-point conversion.
Union City was stopped again on downs just before the half by Napoleon. A 10-play drive culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bradley to Trent Jester. The extra point by Cooper Wyers gave the Pirates all it would need.
Union City had the football for just two possessions and one play at the end of the half in the quick moving game.
Aiden Nugent recovered a fumble for Napoleon near midfield to thwart a drive by Union City to begin the second half. The drive for Napoleon stalled, but punter Napoleon pinned Union City to the 1-yard-line.
Union City moved the football but the Chargers could not score. On the ensuing punt, Union City returned the favor and pinned the Pirates deep in their own territory.
Napoleon moved the football out of the shadow of its end zone before a short punt put Union City in business on Napoleon’s 26-yard line. But the defense stiffened again and Napoleon took over on downs.
The Pirates fumbled late in the game as they were milking the clock, but Holden Van Poppel intercepted a pass for Napoleon to end the game.
Napoleon was No. 8 in the most recent football points standings for Division 7. Other local teams include Lumen Christi (No. 4), Homer (No. 19), Manchester (No. 22), Grass Lake (No. 24), and Jonesville (No. 32). The top 32 teams in each division make the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs based on wins and strength of schedule.
Napoleon Coach Shell believes the Pirates will face either Grass Lake or Manchester in the playoffs.
The Pirates have defeated each of those teams in the regular season.