Photos by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports. Photos from J. Chris Jensen Memorial Invitational Cross Country Meet at Ella Sharp Park, October 15, 2016. JTV Sports Photos by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports. Photos from J. Chris Jensen Memorial Invitational Cross Country Meet at Ella Sharp Park, October 15, 2016. JTV Sports
photos by Andy Hawley, JTV Sports. Photos from Union City at Concord football. October 14, 2016. JTV Sports. photos by Andy Hawley, JTV Sports. Photos from Union City at Concord football. October 14, 2016. JTV Sports.
Photos by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports. Photos from Northwest at Parma Western football. October 14th, 2016. JTV Sports Photos by Ryan Kerwin, JTV Sports. Photos from Northwest at Parma Western football. October 14th, 2016. JTV Sports
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — The 10-year drought has a chance to end. A decade of close calls, near misses and headaches can all be put to rest. All it takes now is one win for the Napoleon football team. One more win, that is. “It’s a righteous feeling right now,” coach Scott Ashe said about his team’s chance to clinch a playoff spot Friday night at East Jackson. “The kids see what the dedication and hard work and discipline can do. We’ve had some good teams build up to this. This group believes in itself.” After starting 0-2, Napoleon has won five games in a row, including last Friday’s 35-17 victory over Manchester. The Pirates haven’t reached the playoffs since the 2005 team went 6-3. And while the Trojans are struggling, sitting at 1-6 overall and losers of five in a row, nothing will come easy for Napoleon. “We’re banged up right now, which is tough,” Ashe said. The team’s leading rusher and receiver, Greg Weatherspoon, is scheduled to miss the game with an ankle injury. While he’s the highest-profile player to miss the game, he’s…
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — Down and somewhat out, the Jackson football team reshuffled and regrouped. Two weeks and two wins later, the Vikings are still plenty alive in their quest for a second playoff season in as many seasons. The next challenge is tomorrow night at Holt. “Just like other teams in our spot, we started the payoffs two weeks ago,” coach Scott Farley said. “Now we have to keep winning to keep playing.” Jackson was 2-3 before a 25-21 victory against Okemos and last week’s 49-0 throttling of Lansing Eastern. “I think the offense has really come together, for one,” Farley said about the past two weeks. “The defense has been strong as well. The attitudes of the guys has been good, and that’s paid off.” Now, the Vikings hit the road to face a Holt team (3-4) that is clinging to the hope of an at-large berth. “They are very big, on both sides of the ball,” Farley said of the Rams, who beat Okemos 24-21 last week after losing two in a row. “They have a huge running back. They are consistently successful as a program,…
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Concord — The past few years have seen the Concord football team experience a number of things for the first time ever. Friday night offers another, and maybe biggest, shot at that streak. “If we win, the worst we can do is share the league title,” coach Max Clark said. “It’s huge. It’s a huge opportunity.” Concord, 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big Eight, is tied in first place right now with Springport and Homer. Concord lost to Springport and beat Homer. “This has been a goal here for every Concord coach since we joined the Big Eight,” Clark said. “It’s been my goal since I took over. This is a chance to put us in that mix of contenders in this conference.” Clark took over prior to the 2013 season. In the 11-previous seasons, the Yellowjackets had one winning season. In Clark’s first two years, the team limped to back-to-back 1-8 records. But steps were being taken. Then last year hit. Concord went 7-3 and finally got back into the playoffs. This year’s group picked up right where last year’s…
By Mike Moore (photo courtesy of Lumen Christi) Staff Writer Jackson — The Lumen Christi girls golf team is headed to the state finals for the third year in a row. That right there is enough to make a nice story about a team being defined by annual consistency. The 2016 team also punched its ticket to the Division 4 final with authority, winning a regional title for the first time since 2011. And that makes the story even better. But there’s something deeper, something more to appreciate with what the girls on this year’s team did, not only building on the past couple years, but asserting themselves as the top team in the regional and a sure bet to be one of the best in the state. There’s a little known fact coach Dave Swartout spoke about Tuesday as he looked back on the regional and forward to Friday and Saturday’s final. It was almost all for naught. “That’s why winning a regional is so rewarding with this group,” Swartout said. “When the…
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — The regular season was record breaking, and as Phillip Maurer spoke about it Tuesday afternoon, there were still a few more games to go. But it less than a week’s time, Maurer and his Jackson soccer team will shift all focus toward a postseason run, to what the guys in orange and black hope is a playoff to remember. “All year, we haven’t really looked ahead to the playoffs, we’ve taken things one week at a time,” Maurer said. “Well, here it is.” Almost here, anyway. The MHSAA soccer postseason officially launches Monday with most teams taking part in district openers. Most of the rest kick off Tuesday. For Jackson, there may not have ever been a team more ready, or hitting the second season with more momentum, than the 2016 group is. The Vikings are 14-5-1 so far, and, as alluded to, have spent the better part of the season editing the program record book. The current team holds program records for shutouts in a season (nine), goals scored in a season (75) and is tied with the 1994 team for fewest goals…
Grass Lake at Michigan Center - JTV Napoleon at East Jackson Union City at Concord Manchester at Vandercook Lake Addison at Hanover-Horton Dundee at Columbia Central Pennfield at Lumen Christi Jackson at Holt Northwest at Western - JTV
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — Three weeks into the season, this was a one-win team struggling to find balance on offense and wondering just where the 2016 season was headed. Four weeks later, well, all seems just fine with the Lumen Christi football program. The Titans picked up their fourth win in as many tries Friday, starting quick and never easing off the gas in a 49-14 win at Western. “We took care of business,” coach Herb Brogan said afterwards. “And truthfully, I thought it was our best defensive effort of the year. Out defensive coaches did a great job getting our guys ready, and then they went out and executed.” It was the offense that got things going, though, as the Titans took the opening drive and marched 76 yards, needing just one pass, before Kyle Minder scored on a 3-yard run. Roughly four minutes later Troy Kutcha got involved, firing a screen pass to Jacob Lathers. Lathers did the rest on a 37-yard touchdown reception for a 14-0 lead after one quarter. Western made things interesting at the 7:50 mark of the second, though, when Steele Fortress hit…