Fueled by two powerful runners, the Onaway football team did just enough to outlast Pellston in a thrilling road victory on Thursday night.
PELLSTON – Just a couple of football teams trying to finish the season strong.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Pellston Hornets and Onaway Cardinals battled in an exciting Ski Valley clash.
But down the stretch, the Cardinals made enough winning plays to seal a hard-fought 38-30 victory over the Hornets on the road.
Here’s some takeaways from the game.
Powerful duo inspires Onaway running game
The Cardinals (3-5, 3-3 Ski Valley) have relied heavily on a solid running game throughout their campaign, but perhaps Thursday was their best performance of the season.
Spearheading Onaway’s lethal rushing attack were senior quarterback Lelin Splan and junior fullback Zach Schmoldt, who had success against Pellston’s defense throughout the evening.
Splan’s excellent night included three rushing touchdowns and a fumble recovery for a TD as well, while Schmoldt’s powerful running was rewarded with a pair of scores. While Splan provided more speed in Onaway’s running game, Schmoldt was the thumping bruiser who was hard to bring down all night.
Together, they complimented each other nicely, and the Cardinals reaped the benefits.
“It’s awesome to see,” Onaway coach Micah Bailey said of the duo. “I’ve only been the head coach for two years, but this is the best backfield I’ve had. Schmoldt can lay a block better than most linemen, and that’s nice to have that out of the fullback position because it just opens a whole bunch of things I can do with Splan, and Splan can do his fair share of blocking, too, for when Schmoldt needs to run the ball.
“They’re both athletes, and they both love contact.”
A feisty battle until the end
Falling behind 8-0 and looking sluggish in the first quarter, the Cardinals found momentum by making a big defensive stop before erupting with 18 unanswered points to build an 18-8 lead. During the stretch, Schmoldt and Splan scored TD runs of seven and 34 yards, while Splan recovered a fumble and went about 25 yards for a score during a wild second quarter.
There was another twist right before the half, as Pellston senior running back Connor Keller broke loose for a 12-yard TD run on a 4th-and-1 play, which helped trim Onaway’s advantage to 18-14.
Despite losing junior quarterback Brett Bonter to an injury during the first half, the Hornets retook the lead at 22-18 after a 52-yard TD dash from Connor Keller, followed by a successful 2-point conversion run by senior Brady Bonter with 8:48 left in the third.
However, the Cardinals responded with 20 unanswered points to build a 38-22 lead, receiving a pair of TD runs from Splan and one from Schmoldt.
The Hornets (3-5, 2-4) stayed alive when senior backup quarterback Lucas Livermore launched a 70-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Hunter Brandt, while a successful 2-point attempt made it a 38-30 Onaway lead with 3:14 remaining. But in the end, the Cardinals manufactured two pivotal first downs, ran out the clock, and sealed a thrilling win over a longtime Ski Valley foe.
“Our offensive line did a great job picking up blitzes and getting to the second level, and that’s what we were able to do, and that’s why it was 1-on-1 tackles that we could either break out or take for a touchdown,” Bailey said. “(The type of resilience our guys showed) hasn’t been shown a whole bunch this year. This is actually the second time that I’ve seen it, and both times I’ve seen it, we won the game. I have to find a way to get that out of the kids all the time.”
Onaway finishes its regular season with a Week 9 home game against Fennville on Saturday, Oct. 25.
A valiant effort on an emotional night
Prior to Thursday’s matchup, Pellston recognized its senior players, including Keller, Brady Bonter, Landen Brandt and Livermore, who were all impactful on Thursday.
In the final home game for those seniors, their coach lauded their efforts in a valiant comeback attempt.
“Here’s what I’ll say about our seniors tonight – when we asked them to step up, all four of them did it,” Pellston coach Jack Carter said. “I cannot be more proud of them. They’re setting the groundwork or layout of what needs to happen in the next two, three, four, five years down the road, and what I’m most proud of is when we needed that senior leadership, they did step up for us, and that was good.”
Prior to his injury, Brett Bonter gave Pellston an early lead when he scampered 27 yards for a TD.
Pellston travels to Suttons Bay for its regular season finale on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Stats for both teams will be provided when they become available.
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: Splan, Schmoldt running duo lifts Onaway football team past Pellston
Category: General Sports
