Author: Andy Hawley | Page 32

Spring Arbor’s Ashley Timmons selected NAIA National Women’s Soccer Player of the Week

September 21, 2016

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Spring Arbor University goalkeeper Ashley Timmons (Toledo, OH / Lake HS) has been selected as the NAIA National Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, announced the national office on Tuesday. It is the second consecutive week a member of the Cougars has been recognized with the national award after Aubrey Schierbeek received the honor last week. Timmons finished with a career-high seven saves to help lead No. 1 ranked Spring Arbor past No. 8 Martin Methodist College 3-0 on Friday (9/16). Martin Methodist is one of the best attacking teams in the country and features one of the NAIA’s leading scorers, but Timmons and the Cougars were up to the task, holding the Redhawks scoreless. “Ashley has been very solid in goal for us this season,” said head coach Jason Crist. “She is hard-nosed, sure-handed and vocal, all great qualities in a goalkeeper. Her performance against Martin Methodist was crucial in neutralizing one of the best attackers in the country so far this year.” Timmons, who also earned her second Crossroads League Defensive Player of the Week honor this week, has registered four shutouts this season, and has allowed just…

Week 5 High School Football Schedule

September 21, 2016

Grand Ledge at Jackson - JTV Lumen Christi vs. Marshall (At Albion College) - JTV Northwest at Coldwater Western at Hastings Grass Lake at Vandercook Lake Addison at Michigan Center East Jackson at Manchester Hanover-Horton at Napoleon Concord at Athens Columbia Central at Blissfield

Bell scores four TDs, defense shines as Lumen roars past Northwest 33-0

September 19, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — The defense had its most-complete effort of the season. Bo Bell handled the rest on the offensive side of things, and in a game the Lumen Christi football team absolutely had to have, well, the Titans did. Bell scored four touchdowns Friday night and the Titans defensive group pitched its first shutout since the opening week of the 2014 season as the guys in green and gold rolled past Northwest 33-0 on the road. “Most complete game we’ve played all year long,” coach Herb Brogan said after. “We played more physical, and for the first time all year, we showed pressure on the passer.” Northwest had one of its best drives on the night on the opening possession of the game, but eventually stalled out and turned the ball over on downs. Four plays later, Bell had covered 47 yards and scored on a 3-yard run. On the Titans next drive, Bell carried the ball eight times for 65 yards, capping the sequence with a 14-yard score and 14-0 lead after the first. The Titans best drive of the opening half came near the end,…

Golden Eagles embracing great challenge for tonight’s home opener

September 16, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Brooklyn — After consecutive wins to the start the season, the Columbia central football team came back to Earth a bit in a Week 3 loss to Hudson. Even so, when asked about the 26-14 setback, coach Josh Kubiak did his best to keep things in perspective. “The Hudson game really came down to too many mental mistakes,” he said. “But we knew we’d have a tough schedule to start the year. Our focus is breaking the season down into thirds, and in each third, we want to win at least two games. We accomplished our first goal. Now, we want to do the same over the next three.” The Golden Eagles get that chance starting tonight, in their first home game of 2016, against Ida. The Bluestreaks come in at 3-0, having outscored their opponents by nearly 40 points per game so far. This is also a team that went 12-1 a year ago, ending the fall in a 28-26 Division 5 semifinal loss to River Rouge. “We have to stop the run, that’s the key thing,” Kubiak said about the Ida offense, which is scoring 52 points…

Northwest junior makes her college hoops choice verbally official

September 14, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — She said it took one visit for everything to feel right. And while most high school juniors have yet to give college a serious thought, Northwest junior Ella Bontrager, having just turned 17 recently, was ready to commit to where she’ll be in two years. Verbally commit, that is. “As soon as I went for a visit, I knew it was for me,” Bontrager, one of the top players on the Northwest girls hoops team said this week about her decision to verbally commit to Lake Superior State University. “The girls were amazing. The coaches were great.” Bontrager can back out of the commitment until she officially signs with the Lakers next year, but all signs point to her moving to Sault Ste. Marie when the next level beckons. “Originally didn’t want to go somewhere that far from home,” Bontrager said. “But again, as soon as I went there, I knew it was right.” Bontrager played with former Mounties’ standout Lexie Khon, who is currently a freshman on the Lakers’ roster. “Lexie and I have always been great friends,” Bontrager said. “The chance to play…

Big win has Western football looking to build on confidence and momentum

September 14, 2016

Photo by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — In the simplest of terms, this was a season ender turned to a season saver. The Parma Western football team was starring into the abyss last Friday night, with an 0-2 record and facing a Marshall team that anyone not wearing a Panthers uniform expected to run the score up from start to finish. And then a funny thing happened. The Panthers were the ones that ran the score up early, and hung on late. The Panthers were the one who laughed at said abyss, and came out on the other end with a thrilling, and surprising, 32-30 victory. Season saved. “It was huge. It meant the world to us, really,” coach Dave Mifsud said of the two-point win. “We were 0-2 and making a lot of rookie mistakes. They were mistakes due to inexperience and youth. Then we’re faced with the team that had just beaten Coldwater, a Marshall team I picked to win the conference.” So what did the Panthers do? “We saw it as an incredible challenge,” Mifsud said. Western jumped out to a…

Week 4 High School Football Schedule

September 13, 2016

Manchester (2-1) at Grass Lake (3-0) - JTV Napoleon (1-2) at Addison (1-2) Vandercook Lake (0-3) at Hanover-Horton (0-3) Michigan Center (1-2) at East Jackson (1-2) Lumen Christi (1-2) at Northwest (0-3) - JTV Jackson (2-1) at Lansing Sexton (1-2) Coldwater (2-1) at Western (1-2) Reading (0-3) at Concord (3-0) Ida (3-0) at Columbia Central (2-1) - JTV

#1 Spring Arbor Women’s Soccer rallies back to defeat #2 Lindsey Wilson

September 12, 2016

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 1 ranked Spring Arbor University women’s soccer team battled back from an early deficit to defeat No. 2 Lindsey Wilson College 2-1 in the NAIA Game of the Week on Saturday night at the Cougar Soccer Complex. Junior Aubrey Schierbeek scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the 67th minute to lift SAU past the Blue Raiders, and extend the team’s winning streak to 24 consecutive matches. The Cougars improved to 5-0 while Lindsey Wilson suffered its third straight setback – all to Top 10 ranked opponents – to drop to 2-3 overall. “Lindsey Wilson is a great, well coached program and we have tremendous respect for them,” said head coach Jason Crist. “Tonight was a good result for our group.” The highly anticipated rematch of the 2015 national championship game lived up to all the hype and expectations. Spring Arbor, who upset Lindsey Wilson to capture its first national title a season ago, dominated the match early on. The Cougars ripped seven shots, including one off the crossbar by Schierbeek, and earned three corner kicks through the first 20 minutes, but an outstanding effort by the LWC goalkeeper…

East Lansing presents steep challenge as Vikings look for 1-0 start in conference

September 8, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — It was nearly a year ago to the date when the Jackson High football team took on East Lansing in Week 3, and by the end of the night had a 2-1 record. The Vikings are looking for the identical scenario to play out in 2016, although with a much different journey along the way. After falling to Coldwater to begin the season, the Vikings bounced back last week in a 20-14 victory over Ypsilanti Lincoln. Young as the year may be, the game was an unofficial must win for Jackson, who was on the brink of an 0-2 start. “We just played better,” Farley said of his guys in Week 2. “We played our scheme better. It really came down to that. I think a lot of the success Coldwater had on us was a result of us not doing our thing, and not tackling.” Tackling has to be at the forefront Friday night. East Lansing — which defeated Jackson 28-21 last year in Week 3 after the guys in orange and black started 2-0 — comes in having scored just 49 points this season,…

High-powered Harper Creek another early test for Lumen football

September 8, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — There are no breaks early on, no down times or down weeks. So it goes in the first third of the 2016 football season for Herb Brogan and his Lumen Christi squad. After opening the season against the three-time defending state champs from Grand Rapids West Catholic, and disposing an athletic squad from Hastings last week, the Titans now face the task of a Battle Creek Harper Creek team that’s 2-0 on the young year and has outscored its opponents by a 74-10 total. “It’s going to be a dog fight,” Brogan said simply. “We have to be at our best.” Lumen is 1-1 entering the game, and it should be noted that Harper Creek’s opponents thus far are a combined 0-4. Still, Brogan and his guys aren’t taking anything lightly. “That’s a very veteran team,” he said of the Beavers, who were just 3-6 last year. “They brought back almost everyone from last year. They are very athletic with good team speed, and they play an aggressive defense that’s going to send guys inside and bring guys off the edge. As far as their offense,…

Andy Hawley