Cards finish season strong

by Peter Jakey-Managing Editor

The Onaway football team (4-5) closed out the 2014 season with the program’s first two-game winning streak since early 2012 when the Cards won their first four.

Last week, with another key offensive player out of the line up and the roster down to 13, the Cards won at Fife Lake Forest Area, 16-6.  They knocked off Pickford, 24-20, the week before and won three of their last five.

The Cards trailed 6-0 at the half and head coach Jim Cleaver got on them “that they were not playing their best. They came out in the second half and tore it up.”

Bradley Brewbaker’s touchdown run of 83 yards tied the game in the third quarter.  Jonathan Bay scored the two-point conversion, which would go on to be the game-winning points.

Brewbaker would score on a four-yard touchdown run that was followed by a two-point conversion by Cody Whitsitt to round out the scoring. The defense held the 1-8 Warriors to no second half points.

“They gave me everything they had,” said Cleaver. “They really gave me their all.”

Cleaver also felt a sense of accomplishment getting to four wins, especially the challenges that were presented to this group with a roster that g

ot thinner by the week.

With the number of players graduating and the numbers coming up through the younger ranks, Onaway may be looking at joining the 8-player division in 2015. It was a topic at a recent school board meeting, but it could become a fast growing trend in the north.

Details and stats of the all-conference selections will appear in next week’s edition.

The graduating seniors include Cody Morell, Ray Self, Dalton Adkins and Ely Shockley.

Statistics:

Rushing: Bradley Brewbaker 15/184/2 TDs; Dalton Adkins 6/43; Cody Whitsitt 14/37.

Defense: D.J. Fenstermaker 13, Brewbaker 9, Dallas Hyde 6, Self 5 and Shockley, fumble recovery.