Napoleon, MI. – On a very unseasonably warm Friday night as the full Hunter’s Moon shone down over Napoleon the hometown Pirates set out on their 2023 playoff mission and they did not disappoint. Before a packed crowd of jubilant fans, the Pirates dominated the visiting Manchester Dutchmen 28-0 to advance to the second round of the Division 7 playoffs.
Both teams started out slowly on offense. The Pirates started driving the ball about halfway through the first going for it several times on fourth down and converting. But on a fourth and five from the Dutch 8-yard line Pirate quarterback Kayden Fowler was sacked for a loss giving possession back to the Dutch. Fowler was substituting for first-string quarterback Grant Bradley who was out with an undisclosed injury.
Manchester started to drive downfield but on the first play of the second quarter senior Pirate Cooper Wyers intercepted Dutch quarterback Kannon Duffing’s pass and returned it 61 yards for the pick-6 score. The Pirates took a 7-0 lead and minutes later after kicking it off to the Dutch Duffing threw another interception. Carson Berry took the interception to the Manchester 42-yard line setting up the Pirates with good field position.
Near the end of the second with the ball deep in Dutch territory, the Pirates tried to convert on a fourth down but the pass came up short. The Dutch couldn’t move the ball though and the Pirates took a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime
After a great performance at the half by the Pirates Marching Band the Pirates received the kick and moved downfield quickly and scored and the pass to Holden Van Poppel for the two-point conversion gave the Pirates a 15-0 advantage.
The Pirates held the Dutch on downs and with 3:11 to go the Pirates blocked the punt and gained good field position. two minutes later Mason Roth pounded his way into the end zone for the Pirate’s score. The two-point conversion failed though and the Pirates held a huge 21-0 advantage heading into the final quarter.
With the Dutch fighting to get back into the game on a fourth and 15, they threw deep but Roth was there to break up the pass and get the ball back for his Pirates. The Pirates kept the ball on the ground to control the clock but near the end zone on a fourth down with two minutes to go on a roll-out pass to Sam Jennings for a Pirate score to put the exclamation point on the big victory. Senior All-Star kicker Maggie Van Wagnen booted the extra point with ease to put the icing on the cake to wrap up the 28-0 victory
The Pirates (9-1) will travel to Jackson Lumen Christi Friday at 7 P.M. to take on the 9-1 Titans who defeated Grass Lake.
.