Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Sports
Marauders shouldn't dwell on final loss
By COREY RHODES, Argus-Press Sports Writer
Earlier in the week, Muskegon Oakridge coach Jack Schugars referred to Ovid-Elsie tailback Chris Robinson as a ping pong ball, after watching him bounce off countless defenders in the semifinal game against Standish-Sterling.
Saturday afternoon at Ford Field, if Robinson was a ping pong ball, Oakridge brought an awfully big paddle and put up an ever larger net en route to the 26-14 win.
Robinson was held to just 117 yards on 14 carries, including one 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The junior finished the season with 2,844 yards, falling just 46 yards short of tying the all-time single season state record of 2,890.
So how did Oakridge manage to contain Robinson?
“Tackle,” Schugars said, before opening up to a little more detail. “Tackle low. Swarm him, go after him and lay the lumber on him. You've got to really hit him. He's a great player, there's no doubt about it. He's one of best backs we've seen this year.”
Robinson was able to finish third on the all-time list, but it was an accomplishment he cared little about Saturday night.
“It doesn't matter to me right now,” he said. “I just wanted to get the seniors their state championship and we weren't able to get it done.”
Shockingly, the Marauders' greatest problems came on the offensive side of the ball, which has treated the Marauders so well this season.
All year, Ovid-Elsie has had a moxy for creating big plays. It was used to being beaten in the area of time of possession, but as long as short possessions were due to long touchdown plays, everything was fine.
Saturday, Ovid-Elsie was again dominated in time of possession, but for a while maintained its big play capabilities.
When David Russek hauled in a 33-yard Hail Mary as time expired in the first half, it looked like Ovid-Elsie magic hadn't lost its way to Detroit.
“It sure lifted our spirits I think, it lifted mine,” coach Jerry Goosen said. “We've practiced it before but it never worked.”
Thanks to the shocking grab by Russek, the Marauders were able to take a 1-point lead into the break after being dominated throughout the first two quarters. Ovid-Elsie was nearly doubled in rushing yards and until that Russek catch, had only accounted for 115 yards of offense - a number that is shocking by this season's standards. Yet Russek's big catch, along with a 28-yard Robinson run that set up the first touchdown were enough to keep the Marauders in the game.
In the second half, those big plays disappeared and, in the meantime, Muskegon Oakridge was a model of consistency, pounding the ball with its bruising ground game that consisted of four more-than-capable runners.
“Going into halftime, scoreboard-wise we were up but they were dominating us,” said senior Nick Madden. “We knew we had to step up in the second half and we didn't.”
It all simply came down to consistency, which is something Oakridge showed a lot of and Ovid-Elsie never was able to gain. Whether it was a big running play brought back on a holding, or getting hit with a delay of game in an attempt to convert on a fourth-and-1, the Marauders couldn't establish any rhythm. Once the big play was gone, Ovid-Elsie wasn't able to put together a solid, lengthy scoring drive of any kind.
“I don't know if it was actually their defense that really hurt us, I think they just capitalized more on offense,” senior Cameron Hurst said. “Offensively we just made too many mistakes, it wasn't really anything they did on defense.
Much of the credit should go to Muskegon Oakridge. After all, the Eagles weren't the top-ranked team in the state just for kicks. They had an impressive defense that was fast, swarmed to the ball and somehow took away both the run and the pass - a feat nobody else has accomplished against O-E.
“I guess they just came out and punched us in the mouth, we didn't come back I guess,” Madden said. “I don't really know, they dominated us. I guess they're a better football team.”
Indeed, Oakridge looked to be the better football team Saturday. But just putting this season within the perspective of one game would be a robbery to what this team has accomplished in 2008. As the first Ovid-Elsie team in school history to reach the finals, the Marauders might not have been the best team in Ford Field, but they are arguably better than any other team to put on the O-E uniform.
“What can I say?” said senior quarterback Jason Goosen. “I mean we had the best season ever in Ovid-Elsie history. We're a little down about tonight, but overall it was a great season, a lot of fun.”
Coach Goosen preached throughout the playoffs that the only negative about having a playoff is that too many people emphasize the last loss and dwell on it until the next season.
With 12 wins and all the hardware that came along with them, there's no reason to think that will be the case in Ovid-Elsie.
Saturday afternoon at Ford Field, if Robinson was a ping pong ball, Oakridge brought an awfully big paddle and put up an ever larger net en route to the 26-14 win.
Robinson was held to just 117 yards on 14 carries, including one 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The junior finished the season with 2,844 yards, falling just 46 yards short of tying the all-time single season state record of 2,890.
So how did Oakridge manage to contain Robinson?
“Tackle,” Schugars said, before opening up to a little more detail. “Tackle low. Swarm him, go after him and lay the lumber on him. You've got to really hit him. He's a great player, there's no doubt about it. He's one of best backs we've seen this year.”
Robinson was able to finish third on the all-time list, but it was an accomplishment he cared little about Saturday night.
“It doesn't matter to me right now,” he said. “I just wanted to get the seniors their state championship and we weren't able to get it done.”
Shockingly, the Marauders' greatest problems came on the offensive side of the ball, which has treated the Marauders so well this season.
All year, Ovid-Elsie has had a moxy for creating big plays. It was used to being beaten in the area of time of possession, but as long as short possessions were due to long touchdown plays, everything was fine.
Saturday, Ovid-Elsie was again dominated in time of possession, but for a while maintained its big play capabilities.
When David Russek hauled in a 33-yard Hail Mary as time expired in the first half, it looked like Ovid-Elsie magic hadn't lost its way to Detroit.
“It sure lifted our spirits I think, it lifted mine,” coach Jerry Goosen said. “We've practiced it before but it never worked.”
Thanks to the shocking grab by Russek, the Marauders were able to take a 1-point lead into the break after being dominated throughout the first two quarters. Ovid-Elsie was nearly doubled in rushing yards and until that Russek catch, had only accounted for 115 yards of offense - a number that is shocking by this season's standards. Yet Russek's big catch, along with a 28-yard Robinson run that set up the first touchdown were enough to keep the Marauders in the game.
In the second half, those big plays disappeared and, in the meantime, Muskegon Oakridge was a model of consistency, pounding the ball with its bruising ground game that consisted of four more-than-capable runners.
“Going into halftime, scoreboard-wise we were up but they were dominating us,” said senior Nick Madden. “We knew we had to step up in the second half and we didn't.”
It all simply came down to consistency, which is something Oakridge showed a lot of and Ovid-Elsie never was able to gain. Whether it was a big running play brought back on a holding, or getting hit with a delay of game in an attempt to convert on a fourth-and-1, the Marauders couldn't establish any rhythm. Once the big play was gone, Ovid-Elsie wasn't able to put together a solid, lengthy scoring drive of any kind.
“I don't know if it was actually their defense that really hurt us, I think they just capitalized more on offense,” senior Cameron Hurst said. “Offensively we just made too many mistakes, it wasn't really anything they did on defense.
Much of the credit should go to Muskegon Oakridge. After all, the Eagles weren't the top-ranked team in the state just for kicks. They had an impressive defense that was fast, swarmed to the ball and somehow took away both the run and the pass - a feat nobody else has accomplished against O-E.
“I guess they just came out and punched us in the mouth, we didn't come back I guess,” Madden said. “I don't really know, they dominated us. I guess they're a better football team.”
Indeed, Oakridge looked to be the better football team Saturday. But just putting this season within the perspective of one game would be a robbery to what this team has accomplished in 2008. As the first Ovid-Elsie team in school history to reach the finals, the Marauders might not have been the best team in Ford Field, but they are arguably better than any other team to put on the O-E uniform.
“What can I say?” said senior quarterback Jason Goosen. “I mean we had the best season ever in Ovid-Elsie history. We're a little down about tonight, but overall it was a great season, a lot of fun.”
Coach Goosen preached throughout the playoffs that the only negative about having a playoff is that too many people emphasize the last loss and dwell on it until the next season.
With 12 wins and all the hardware that came along with them, there's no reason to think that will be the case in Ovid-Elsie.