PH/Northern Game
Last night was the PH/Northern game. I used to love going to the football games. It was always April, Jenny, Tara, Jenny, Barb, Kristine & I. We would always have such a blast. Go Northern! Go Huskies!
Here's Chad when he used go play for Northern.
Defense stifles Big Reds in 2nd half
By RICK JAKACKI
Times Herald
For the first time this season, Port Huron Northern's defense played a major role in a victory.
The defense, which coming into Friday night's game against Port Huron High had allowed 34.5 points per game, stepped up after a porous first half to lead the Huskies to a 27-21 win before a packed house at Memorial Stadium.
The Huskies (3-2) held the Big Reds to seven points, four first downs and 73 yards in the second half, a near-opposite performance of the first half in which the Big Reds (2-3) moved up and down the field with ease.
"We knew we could (stop them)," Northern defensive back Jeff Brough said. "We practiced against their offense all week, and we had to step up and do it."
Said Huskies Coach Casey Kucsera: "I told the guys at halftime that we've been playing great defense at Northern for a long, long time. This year, we had played some great teams and offenses, and Port Huron High is fantastic offensively ... but I asked them, aren't they sick of hearing about the other team's offense and your offense?"
The speech - and some adjustments - apparently did wonders. The Big Reds were held without a first down on their three third-quarter possessions. After allowing an early fourth-quarter touchdown, which made it 27-21, the Huskies stood firm again. With the Big Reds taking over on the Huskies' 21-yard-line, via a fumble, with 7 minutes, 3 seconds remaining, the defense forced them to turn the ball over on downs.
The Huskies ran out the clock, but not without plenty of drama. Facing a fourth-and-2 on their own 24 with 2:52 remaining, the Huskies - after initially opting to punt - changed their minds after a Big Reds' timeout and gave it to Matt Thompson, who gained six yards and the
first down. They went on to gain two more first downs to secure the win.
Kucsera gave credit to his assistant coaches for the gutsy call. Going into a heavy wind, they figured a punt wouldn't net more than 20 yards and would give the potent Big Reds a short field.
"We've got faith in our offense and have a lot of (good) running backs, but we know when Matt Thompson gets the ball, good things are going to happen," Kucsera said.
Said Thompson, who rushed for 106 yards on 15 carries: "I figured we could get it. We were running the ball on them all game."
Big Reds Coach Eddie Kindle wasn't surprised by the decision.
"It was a good job by them of forcing us to take a timeout," he said. "It was a gamble, too - it was 50-50. If he gets stopped, (Kucsera's) an idiot. If he makes it, he's a hero.
"I probably would have done the same thing."
Thompson wasn't the only effective Husky running the ball. Joe Collier rushed for 122 yards on 19 carries, while Josh Schulz gained 48 yards on seven carries. Quarterback Chris Miller completed 5-of-7 passes for 83 yards; he also rushed for 26 yards.
The Big Reds countered with the 1-2 punch of Mark Ross and quarterback Jordan Brown. Ross, who rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 35-34 loss to Warren Mott, collected 142 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Brown had 121 yards and two TDs on 17 carries.
Ross and Brown did most of their damage in the first half when they accounted for all 24 of the Big Reds' carries.
The only thing that stopped them was themselves - Brown fumbled on the Huskies' 1 in the opening minutes after a mixup in the backfield. A drive later, he snuck into the end zone from a yard to break a scoreless tie. After Thompson tied the game with a 7-yard run a few minutes later, Ross answered with a 1-yard TD run to make it 14-7 at the half.
"We ran up and down the field, and we got stops when we needed to," Kindle said of the first two quarters.
The Huskies' defense set the tone immediately after the intermission. They held the Big Reds to one yard on three plays, forcing the first of three straight punts. The offense, meanwhile, scored on their first three drives - the last TD coming on John Nevado's catch on a fourth-and-goal from the 17.
The Big Reds regained some momentum with Brown's 1-yard TD early in the fourth, setting up the dramatic finish.
"It was a great game and an awesome win for the program," Thompson said. "It was a lot of fun."
Said Kindle: "Neither team should hang their heads."
The win was the Huskies' second straight against the Big Reds. They have won the Brick Fowler Trophy, awarded to the winning team in the series, 32 times in 41 games.
"Winning this game at all is great," Brough said. "But winning as a senior is the greatest, and I'll remember this feeling forever."
Here's Chad when he used go play for Northern.
Defense stifles Big Reds in 2nd half
By RICK JAKACKI
Times Herald
For the first time this season, Port Huron Northern's defense played a major role in a victory.
The defense, which coming into Friday night's game against Port Huron High had allowed 34.5 points per game, stepped up after a porous first half to lead the Huskies to a 27-21 win before a packed house at Memorial Stadium.
The Huskies (3-2) held the Big Reds to seven points, four first downs and 73 yards in the second half, a near-opposite performance of the first half in which the Big Reds (2-3) moved up and down the field with ease.
"We knew we could (stop them)," Northern defensive back Jeff Brough said. "We practiced against their offense all week, and we had to step up and do it."
Said Huskies Coach Casey Kucsera: "I told the guys at halftime that we've been playing great defense at Northern for a long, long time. This year, we had played some great teams and offenses, and Port Huron High is fantastic offensively ... but I asked them, aren't they sick of hearing about the other team's offense and your offense?"
The speech - and some adjustments - apparently did wonders. The Big Reds were held without a first down on their three third-quarter possessions. After allowing an early fourth-quarter touchdown, which made it 27-21, the Huskies stood firm again. With the Big Reds taking over on the Huskies' 21-yard-line, via a fumble, with 7 minutes, 3 seconds remaining, the defense forced them to turn the ball over on downs.
The Huskies ran out the clock, but not without plenty of drama. Facing a fourth-and-2 on their own 24 with 2:52 remaining, the Huskies - after initially opting to punt - changed their minds after a Big Reds' timeout and gave it to Matt Thompson, who gained six yards and the
first down. They went on to gain two more first downs to secure the win.
Kucsera gave credit to his assistant coaches for the gutsy call. Going into a heavy wind, they figured a punt wouldn't net more than 20 yards and would give the potent Big Reds a short field.
"We've got faith in our offense and have a lot of (good) running backs, but we know when Matt Thompson gets the ball, good things are going to happen," Kucsera said.
Said Thompson, who rushed for 106 yards on 15 carries: "I figured we could get it. We were running the ball on them all game."
Big Reds Coach Eddie Kindle wasn't surprised by the decision.
"It was a good job by them of forcing us to take a timeout," he said. "It was a gamble, too - it was 50-50. If he gets stopped, (Kucsera's) an idiot. If he makes it, he's a hero.
"I probably would have done the same thing."
Thompson wasn't the only effective Husky running the ball. Joe Collier rushed for 122 yards on 19 carries, while Josh Schulz gained 48 yards on seven carries. Quarterback Chris Miller completed 5-of-7 passes for 83 yards; he also rushed for 26 yards.
The Big Reds countered with the 1-2 punch of Mark Ross and quarterback Jordan Brown. Ross, who rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 35-34 loss to Warren Mott, collected 142 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Brown had 121 yards and two TDs on 17 carries.
Ross and Brown did most of their damage in the first half when they accounted for all 24 of the Big Reds' carries.
The only thing that stopped them was themselves - Brown fumbled on the Huskies' 1 in the opening minutes after a mixup in the backfield. A drive later, he snuck into the end zone from a yard to break a scoreless tie. After Thompson tied the game with a 7-yard run a few minutes later, Ross answered with a 1-yard TD run to make it 14-7 at the half.
"We ran up and down the field, and we got stops when we needed to," Kindle said of the first two quarters.
The Huskies' defense set the tone immediately after the intermission. They held the Big Reds to one yard on three plays, forcing the first of three straight punts. The offense, meanwhile, scored on their first three drives - the last TD coming on John Nevado's catch on a fourth-and-goal from the 17.
The Big Reds regained some momentum with Brown's 1-yard TD early in the fourth, setting up the dramatic finish.
"It was a great game and an awesome win for the program," Thompson said. "It was a lot of fun."
Said Kindle: "Neither team should hang their heads."
The win was the Huskies' second straight against the Big Reds. They have won the Brick Fowler Trophy, awarded to the winning team in the series, 32 times in 41 games.
"Winning this game at all is great," Brough said. "But winning as a senior is the greatest, and I'll remember this feeling forever."