The chances were there for the Pellston Hornets, but they couldn't make the most of them in a football clash with Cedarville-DeTour on Thursday.
PELLSTON – The chances were there early.
But when you have chances – especially against a powerful foe – you must make the most of them.
Unfortunately for the Pellston Hornets, they struggled to convert on their first-half opportunities against the Cedarville-DeTour Islanders, who rolled to a 44-14 victory on Homecoming in Pellston on Thursday.
Here’s some takeaways from Thursday’s matchup.
Missed opportunities
Attempting to keep the Islanders’ offense off the field as much as possible, the Hornets (3-2) chewed up over nine minutes on their opening drive of the game. However, they weren’t able to convert deep in Cedarville-DeTour territory and scored no points on the possession.
Meanwhile, the Islanders (4-1) quickly got their offense going and eventually capped off a long drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Drew Moser, which made it a 6-0 Cedarville-DeTour lead early in the second quarter.
Again, Pellston moved the ball into territory and would have converted a fourth-and-short play, but a fumble gave the ball back to the Islanders and halted any momentum the Hornets had.
“For two weeks in a row offensively, we positively moved the ball rushing and carrying the ball, but when it doesn’t translate into any points, you might as well have gone negative-400,” Pellston coach Jack Carter said. “We had little things working and going our way. I thought our running backs were moving the ball, but we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot and get a holding call on a manageable fourth down. That didn’t change the outcome of the game, but it changed the situation of the game at that moment.
“They’re getting there – the scoreboard might not show it – but we’re getting there.”
Moser puts on a show for Islanders
While the Hornets struggled for points, the Cedarville-DeTour offense was humming behind Moser, who finished with six touchdowns – three rushing and three passing – in the contest.
When the game was still tight in the second quarter, Moser finished off another Cedarville-DeTour drive by hammering his way in for a six-yard score, while a successful 2-point conversion put the Islanders up 14-0 with 3:20 left in the half.
Moser got plenty of help along the way, including from junior wide receiver Trevor Barr, who made a sensational one-handed catch and raced 32 yards for a TD with just 49 seconds left before the break.
The Islanders led 22-0 at halftime.
“(Moser) has a lot of dynamics, but we do have a lot of pretty good skill players, and that does help him out,” Cedarville-DeTour coach Scott Barr said. “(Moser’s) athletic IQ allows that to happen. He knows when to pull the ball, how to check off to receivers, and he’s just a very mature quarterback.”
In the second half, Moser scored from 40 yards out on a fourth-and-long play to make it a 30-0 Cedarville-DeTour lead, then added a pair of TD passes to CJ Emigh, who scored from 60 and 36 yards.
Showing improvement
The Hornets didn’t find the end zone until late in the third quarter, when junior quarterback Brett Bonter scored a 5-yard TD run, while senior running back Brady Bonter – who was named Pellston’s 2025 Homecoming king at halftime – scored on a 6-yard TD run with under a minute left.
Even though it was a lopsided loss for the Hornets, Carter still sees great progression made by his team, which is much better off than it was a year ago.
“These guys don’t quit, they’re coachable, and they’re learning each week,” Carter said. “First, we want to be able to finish a game. Coming in from what we did in the first quarter to what we did in the fourth quarter – tonight, our first quarter was right there. They're getting better.”
Pellston continues its tough slate of matchups when it hosts Gaylord St. Mary next week, while Cedarville-DeTour travels to Onaway.
Pellston offensive and defensive stats will be available on Friday.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Pellston football loses to Cedarville-DeTour in Homecoming game
Category: General Sports
