Sports

The Madison Trojans men’s basketball team pulled off a 56-48 homecoming victory over the Morenci Bulldogs Friday night in a packed house. But it didn’t start out like that. The Trojans were down big to the Bulldogs in the first half, but slowly they brought the game back to their standards and sealing the win. Kendall Hudson and Colin Anschuetz were crowned winter homecoming queen and king respectively. For Brad Heineman’s full story, please see the Feb. 10, 2016, edition of The Advance.

Blissfield High School junior wrestler Noah Nieman may have had a halfway easy trek for two of the most important wins of his high school wrestling career.

Against a Lenawee County Athletic Association dual meet of teams including Columbia Central and Onsted, Nieman and his Royal comrades hosted their second home wrestling meet of the year Jan. 20.

It was a perfect setting for the Blissfield grappler to claim his 100th career wrestling victory in front of a home crowd.

Nieman entered the evening of wrestling with 98 overall career wins and his climb to 100 was made easy when Columbia Central failed to match weight at 135 lbs.

His next opponent came in Onsted’s Brittany Ratliff, a female opponent Nieman pinnedher in the first period for win number 100. Nieman pinned Ratliff at 1:43 on the clock and his victory was followed by a short celebration.

For the complete story by Brad Heineman as well as all the local sports results from the previous week and lots more photos, please see the Jan. 26, 2016, edition of The ADVANCE. Like local sports? Looking for the name of your favorite player, subscribe for weekly delivery – just $32 a year. Call 517-486-2400 and Paula will sign you up!

FINAL:
Though Bobcat Jake Becki scored on a 23-yard touchdown catch at the end of the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough to overtake Waterford who won the state MHSAA semifinal game 36-20 and advances next weekend to play in the state finals at Ford Field. The two-point conversion failed.
FOURTH QUARTER UPDATE:
Waterford scores in the fourth quarter and follows it with a two-point conversion, now leading as of 2:50 p.m. 30-14.
With 3:31 left to play at 3:02 p.m., Waterford scores again for a 36-14 lead on a 28-yard run. The Bobcats prevent the conversion attempt
THIRD QUARTER UPDATE:
The only score of the third quarter was a Jesse Kiefer one-yard run to make the score Waterford 22, Whiteford 14.
FIRST HALF…Whiteford trails 22-8 at halftime in the MHSAA state semifinal football playoff against Waterford at Hazel Park High School Saturday afternoon.
Though the drive in was under nearly white-out conditions for those approaching the site, only flurries fell through the first half.
The lone Whiteford score in that first stanza came on a run by Cody Kiefer.
Waterford scored three times including a safety on a long snap punt over Bobcat punter Herbie Bertz’s head.
The Bobcats had two possessions within scoring distance: one in the first quarter resulted in a fumble and the second was just before the half as Waterford stopped the run from the one-yard line on fourth down.
Report by Brad Heineman, Advance reporter

The Whiteford Bobcats won their regional football title Saturday afternoon as visitors to Climax-Scotts’ turf, 48-14. They move on to the semifinals Nov. 21 – one game away from the state finals at Ford Field. If they win the semifinal, they move on to Detroit to play the following weekend.
Here’s how the scoring went:

2:53 p.m.
The Bobcats draw blood again for a 48-14 lead with another Kiefer touchdown run of seven yards. Eitinear chipped in the two-point conversion run.

Post halftime:
Climax-Scotts scores a touchdown but fails to make the conversion for a score of 40-14, Bobcats still leading.

1:59
As the end of the second quarter neared, Jesse Kiefer made a 27-yard touchdown catch on a slant play, and then caught the two-point conversion pass for a 40-8 lead that the Bobcats took into the locker room against Climax-Scotts at half time.

1:52 p.m.
The Panthers are on the board with a 27-yard touchdown catch. Bobcats still leading 32-8.

1:44 p.m.
Whiteford scores again! Josh Beck goes in on a seven-yard touchdown run. Thomas Eitinear made the two-point run conversion for a 32-0 first-half lead.

1:34 p.m.
The Bobcats are running away with it. Thomas Eitinear’s pass to Zack LaRoy from 13 yards out was Whiteford’s third score of the game. A Kiefer two-point conversion run upped the score to 24-0 Whiteford.

1:22 p.m.
The Whiteford Bobcats clawed their way to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter with a touchdown by Jesse Kiefer on a pass and a two-point conversion pass.
Shortly after, it was Bobcats 16 Climax-Scotts Panthers 0 on a 97-yard Kiefer catch and run from the Bobcat three-yard line as of 1:22 p.m. The regional game is being played at Climax-Scotts.

For Brad Heineman’s complete story, please see the Nov. 18 edition of The Advance.