A host of Onsted High School tacklers attempt to stop a Monroe St. Mary Catholic runner during the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 6 semifinal at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
Few people gave Onsted High School a chance to defeat Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 6 semifinal.
But nobody asked players on the Onsted team.
Monroe kicked a 19-yard field goal with no time left on the clock for a 17-14 win over Onsted at Ypsilanti Lincoln on Saturday in the D-6 semifinal.
Onsted finishes the season with a 10-3 record while Monroe St. Mary is 11-1. The Falcons will face Maple City Glen Lake at Ford Field next Friday in the D-6 final beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Few believed Onsted would make the playoffs, especially after starting the season at 2-2. But the Wildcats won eight of their last 9 games to advance to the semifinals.
“You look at our players and most of them are not very big,” head Coach Dan Terryberry said. “Their hearts are huge.
“They don’t play for themselves, they play for their teammates, coaches and the community.
Onsted took the opening kickoff and marched nearly 85 yards for a touchdown on a nine-minute drive. Quarterback Dylan Terryberry hit Tucker Bean with a 2-yard touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead. The extra point was blocked by Monroe.
The Wildcats held Monroe out of the end zone until quarterback Wyatt Bergmoser hit Sam Cousino with a 33-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute remaining in the first half for a 7-6 lead.
The greedy Falcons held the ball the entire third quarter on a 19-play drive. Jace Worrell scored on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run. The extra point by Bergmoser gave St. Mary a 14-6 lead.
But Onsted came back with their own drive scoring on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Terryberry to Travis Hill at the 10:06 mark of the final quarter. Terryberry ran over a Monroe defender at the goal line for the 2-point conversion to tie the score at 14.
Both teams punted on their next possession setting up Monroe for its final drive. St. Mary took over the ball at its own 26-yard line with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game. The Falcons moved 11 plays to the Onsted 9-yard line. Two offsides calls on Onsted moved the ball to the 2-yard line. Bergmoser slide the field goal attempt just over the cross bar and inside the left upright for the win as time ran out.
Terryberry finished 9-of-10 passing for 101 yards for Onsted. Hill finished with 46 rushing yards for the Wildcats.
Josh VanEtten led the defensive effort with eight tackles and Hayden Moore added seven stops for Onsted.
“We proved a lot this season as a team,” Coach Terryberry said. “They believed … and believing is a powerful thing.”
Alex Morgan ran for 119 yards to lead Monroe St. Mary.
