Vandercook Lake High School football player David Porras catches a touchdown pass during an 8-man game against Vermontville Maple Valley on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
(October 31, 2020 6:04 PM) Vandercook Lake High School combined homecoming, senior night, band night, and possibly the last – and only – home football game of the season on Saturday.
The Jayhawks competed in what was billed the Big 8-Man high school “playoff” game against Vermontville Maple Valley at home.
Maple Valley used a strong running game to get past the Jayhawks, 22-6.
According to a Michigan High School Athletic Association press release last week, four schools with enrollments too large to qualify for the 8-player postseason – Bridgman, Vandercook Lake, Vermontville Maple Valley and Concord – will play a two-round playoff to conclude their seasons.
That playoff is not sponsored by the MHSAA, but allowed because of the shortened schedule.
The MHSAA caps enrollment for 8-man football to 215 students in high school football.
Maple Valley improved to 4-3, while Vandercook is 4-2. Bridgman (6-1) defeated Concord 43-21 on Friday night. The Yellow Jackets are 1-7 on the season – playing part of the season in 11-man football.
VCL Coach Rob Crum took over the program after the MHSAA restarted the season, but Vandercook Lake did not have enough players to post an 11-man team and play in the Cascades Conference.
“These kids have been through a lot,” Crum said. “I told them not to hang their heads when they left Saturday.
“They have won more games (combined) than in the last three years.”
Senior Gaven Cooper said most of the seniors on the team played at the varsity level as freshmen as the Jayhawks did not have a junior varsity team.
“We kept going because this is more than football to us,” Cooper said. “It’s a family that trusts one another.”
The Jayhawks faced a power-I team in Maple Valley who loaded all eight players in the box and ran right at them. VCL had a steady diet of running backs Hugheston Hechathorn -a running back in a linebacker’s body – and Dillon Jorgensen.
Maple Valley scored on a 2-yard run by quarterback Blaze Sensiba on the first play of the second quarter. Hechathorn scored the 2-point conversion run for an 8-0 lead.
The Lions extended the score to 16-0 on a 30-yard pass from Sensiba to Reese Proctor-Burhans midway through the second quarter. Maple Valley led 14-0 at halftime.
Following a Vandy defensive stop of the Lions inside their own 10-yard-line, the Jayhawks’ running back was stopped in the end zone for a safety and a 16-0 lead for the Lions.
Maple Valley took a 22-0 lead on a 31-yard run by Hechathorn.
The Jayhawks finally got into the end zone on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Cooper to David Porras.
Crum said the school’s goal is to play 11-man football next year.
“I don’t see it (playing 11-man) because of the numbers … but that is up to the athletic directors and administrators,” Crum said. “We are not playing for titles here – our players were playing for the love of the game.
“Hopefully this will pave the future for VCL football.”
The school introduced seniors on the football team, cheerleaders, and band members prior to the game.
At halftime, members of the homecoming court were introduced.