Naploeon, MI. – On Wednesday, on what was one of the hottest days in the state of Michigan ever recorded, many schools around the state were cancelling many of the after-school activities, especially the sports. In many cities in Michigan, records were set for excessive heat. Many schools still had activities that were closely monitored to make sure no one suffered in the heat and could play their games. And Napoleon played host to non-conference Sand Creek.
It felt like almost 100 degrees down on the field at kickoff, but there was fortunately plenty of hydration supplies for both teams down on the field. The Sand Creek Aggies deferred and kicked off to the Pirates. And on the third play of the game, freshman quarterback Karson Graham rolled out to his left for a pass but took off when he saw no receivers open. He ran down the left side line all the way to the three, and on the very next play Henry Laretz blasted through the right side into the end zone to give the Pirates the very early lead. Zyaire Fair converted on the run for the two-point conversion and an early 8-0 Pirate lead.
The Pirates held the Aggies and forced a punt, but the ball was fumbled at the Pirates’ 34-yard line and recovered by the Aggies. Sand Creek was moving the ball but fumbled, and the Aggies recovered it. The Pirates’ defense held up as the Aggies went for it on fourth down, and the Pirates held, giving them the ball back. Just a few plays later, it was Cayden Wright taking the ball up the middle for another Pirates score, with Brycen Nall converting the two-point conversion for a big 16-0 lead early in the second quarter.
It was the Pirates’ defense coming up big again, stopping the Aggies, and then Graham scored from 5 yards out behind solid blocking, giving the Pirates a 22-0 lead as the two-point conversion came up short. The Aggies started to move the ball on their next possession when Rylan Hartman intercepted the pass and ran the ball down to the Aggies’ 35-yard line, putting the Pirates in good scoring position.
The Pirates moved the ball well and pushed on down to the 6-yard line but fumbled, and it was recovered by the Aggies for the second turnover of the night for the Pirates. The Aggies went for it on 4th down with less than a yard to go deep in Pirates territory, but the Pirates’ solid defense stopped them dead in their tracks, giving them the ball back. On the very next play, it was Graham keeping the ball and scoring from 15 yards out to give the Pirates a 28-0 lead with his second score of the night. Brayden Rendall scored on the two-point conversion, giving the Pirates a huge 30-0 halftime lead.
After the halftime break, the Pirates kicked off to the Aggies, but they fumbled the ball, and the Pirates recovered at the 35-yard line, putting them in good scoring position again. And it was the quarterback, Graham, once again scrambling behind good offensive blocking, running down the left side line for a 23-yard score. The two-point conversion was no good, but the Pirates had a very comfortable 36-0 lead in the third quarter.
But the Pirates weren’t letting up. The defense kept playing tough and was solid throughout the game despite being soaked in sweat in the extreme heat, and held the Aggies to minimal ball movement. The Pirates took over on offense and kept moving the ball well on the ground, and then Conner Simpson bolted 20 yards down the left sideline for another big Pirates score. The two-point conversion was good, and the Pirates were up 44-0. And that would be the final score on the night.
It was the Pirates (2-0 on the season) getting their second shutout in a row for the season, and they played a good game with only two turnovers and three penalties. The Aggies (0-2) tried very hard, finishing with 5 fumbles and 2 penalties.
Freshman quarterback Karson Graham, who had three touchdowns and played outstandingly on the night, stated after the game, “It feels great for this victory; it’s awesome to win this big, especially versus a non-league team. It feels great to score 3 touchdowns, but I couldn’t do it without all my coaches and teammates. I have a great relationship with all of them, and that respect for them all comes with big wins like this.”
The Varsity Pirates hit the road tonight, September 3, for a 7 P.M. game at Grass Lake. The Junior Varsity team will host Adrian Madison Wednesday the 9th at 5:30 P.M.
