Lansing Catholic at Portland – – Football – – The Bleacher Denizen – – October 7, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, the Bleacher Denizen is off to Portland to watch the Raiders take on the Cougars from Lansing Catholic. Portland only has one loss this season; Lansing Catholic has a 2-4 record.

One thing I tell listeners at the beginning of this You Tube Video from my Channel is that you never know where the Red River Valley might lead to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w03AhhNk1M8

One place the Red River Valley does not lead to is Portland High, but I-96 (with a little help from Ionia Street) does lead there, so I was able to get to the game.

When I got there I saw that Dave Pettit, the former basketball coach, is lending his Silver Throat and Dulcet Speaking Tones to the proceedings. It’s always fun to catch up with Mr. Pettit!

Before the game, Dave introduced the Portland High School Athletic Hall of Fame 2022 Class. This included individual athletes:

Claude “Bud” Plant, 1938

Jenny Beech, 1988

Patrick Guilford, 1997

Sarah Stornant, 2002

Bridger Buche, 2007

Chance Conley, 2013

The 1974-75 Boys Basketball Team, the 1987 Girls Cross Country Team and 1998 Boys Tennis Team were also inducted. Phil Tonkin and David McGregor were also recognized for their many years volunteering to work at Portland Athletic events.

The Band, led by Director Mike Sulecki came out and played the Portland Fight song as well as the National Anthem and did a fine job. They were joined by the Middle School Band tonight as well.

Our Golden Throated Announcer, Dave Pettit, then informed us that Portland won the opening coin toss and elected to defer its decision to the second half. Portland would open the game by kicking off to Lansing Catholic.

Ignacio Encuentra-Martin boomed his kickoff into the end zone (on the fly), so the Cougars started their opening possession on their own 20 yard line.

Marc Nobis knocked the opening Cougar pass out of the sky. On second down, Nic Gruber took a pitch to the left and gained eight yards before Conner Kazamer halted him. Baron Seal and Evan Bower teamed up to stop the third down run for a one yard loss. Braden Rabideau’s fourth down punt was downed on Portland’s 29 yard line, where the Raiders started their first series.

Drew Miller’s first down run up the middle earned four yards before Braden Rabideau tackled him. ON second down, Drew Miller went to the right to gain six years and a first down before Jack Jacobs stopped him.

Marc Nobis went up the middle for a five yard first down gain. On second down, Drew Miller took a pitch to the left for nineteen yards before Nic Gruber pulled him down.

Portland had a first down on the Catholic 37 yard line.

Caden Thelen gained nine yards on a first down run to the left. Nic Gruber got the tackle for Catholic. Branson Goodman gained three yards on a second down run up the middle; Ethan Vukovic made the Cougar tackle.

Branson Goodman went up the middle for an eight yard first down gain before Braden Rabideau stopped him. Conner Kazamer went to the right for a nine yard gain on second down; Brandon Lewis got the tackle for the Cougars. Portland had a first down on the Catholic 8 yard line.

Drew Miller went through the middle for a six yard first down gain. Braden Rabideau got the Cougar tackle. On the next play, Marc Nobis put his head down and powered through the middle for a two yard touchdown. Baron Seal centered the ball, Marc Nobis held it and Aiden Pulling booted it through the uprights for a successful extra point. With 5:49 to play in the first quarter, Portland had a 7-0 lead.

Ignacio Encuentra-Martin put his leg into another kickoff and also sent this one into the end zone on the fly. Catholic started its next drive on its own 20 yard line.

Alex Fernandez passed to Brandon Lewis for a five yard first down gain. Conner Kazamer made the tackle for Portland. Brandon Lewis’ second down run to the right gained seven yards and earned a first down. Caden Thelen made the tackle for the Raiders.

Alex Fernandez completed a first down pass to Ty Rakan for a five yard gain. Conner Kazamer made the Raider tackle. Conner Kazamer covered on the incomplete Cougar second down pass. Marc Nobis knocked down the third down pass near the line of scrimmage. Braden Rabideau’s fourth down punt went out of bounds at the Portland 29 yard line; the Raiders started their next series there.

A false start penalty on first down pushed Portland back five yards. On the first down replay, Baron Seal took the ball to the left and gained eight yards before Nic Gruber tackled him. Nic Gruber stopped the Raider second down run for a one yard loss. Marc Nobis completed a third down pass to Baron Seal for a three yard gain. Jack Jacobs got the Cougar tackle. A fourth down punt by Branson Goodman was downed at the Catholic 25 yard line. The Cougars had a first down.

Conner Kazamer stopped the Cougar first down run around the end for no gain and broke up Catholic’s second down pass. Alex Fernandez was chased out of the pocked on third down, but gained six yards before Noah Simpson took him down. Braden Rabideau’s fourth down punt was downed by Jack Jacobs at the Portland 28 yard line, where the Raiders began their next series.

John Watters stopped Portland’s first down run for no gain. Marc Nobis completed a beautiful, long second down pass to Christopher Battley in stride for a 28 yard gain. Brandon Lewis made the Cougar tackle. Portland had a first down on the Catholic 13 yard line.

On the final play of the first quarter, Drew Miller spun through the middle for a five yard gain before Nic Gruber tackled him.

After one quarter, Portland held a 7-0 lead. The Raiders had a second down with five yards to go on the Cougar 8 yard line.

The Catholic line, led by Jake Alvarado, stopped Portland’s second down run for no gain. On the next play, Brandon Lewis’ hard hit caused the Portland runner to fumble the ball into the end zone where John Watters recovered it for Catholic. The Cougars stopped Portland’s near touchdown and had a first down on their own 20 yard line.

On the next play, Caden Thelen intercepted Catholic’s pass and returned it about ten yards to the Cougar 34 yard line where Jack Jacobs tackled him.

Caden Thelen gained four yards on a first down run into the middle before Sean Durr and Eddie Flores pulled him down. Drew Miller’s second down run into the middle earned seven yards and a first down. Jack Jacobs made the Cougar tackle.

Drew Miller went into the middle for a three yard gain. Jake Alvarado made the tackle for Catholic. Branson Goodman took the ball up the right tackle for a three yard gain before he ran into John Watters. Marc Nobis alertly dove to prevent a Raider turnover on third down; Portland lost a yard on the play. Sean Durr intercepted the Raider fourth down pass at the 1 yard line. Catholic took over the ball there.

Nic Gruber went to the right for an eight yard first down gain; Noah Simpson made the tackle for Portland. Drew Miller got into the backfield and stopped the Cougar second down pitch for a five yard loss. Jack Jacobs gained six yards on a third down run to the right; Kaleb Bower made the tackle for Catholic. Braden Rabideau punted on fourth down. Jack Jacobs downed the ball on the Raider 49 yard line where Portland started its next series.

Marc Nobis gained four yards on a first down quarterback keeper to the right; Jake Alvarado and Nic Gruber teamed up to make the Cougar tackle. Baron Seals’ second down run to the right was good for a seven yard gain as well as a first down. Eddie Flores made the tackle for Catholic. Portland had a first down on the Catholic 38 yard line.

Caden Thelen went through the middle and cut to the right for a thirty-eight yard Raider touchdown run. After Baron Seal made the long snap, Marc Nobis held the ball and Aiden Pulling kicked it through the goalpost, Portland had a 14-0 lead with 4:55 to play in the second quarter.

Ignacio Encuentra-Martin sent another powerful kickoff into the end zone for a touchback. Catholic started its series on its own 20 yard line.

Alex Fernandez tossed a first down pass to Brandon Lewis for a seven yard gain. Barrett Brennan made the Raider tackle. Catholic lost five yards on the next play. On third down, Caden Thelen intercepted the ball on the fifty yard line; he fell as he landed and Portland started its series there.

Caden Thelen went into the middle for a three yard first down gain. Eddie Flores made the tackle for Catholic. Sean Durr covered on Portland’s long, but incomplete second down pass. On third down, Nic Gruber sacked the Raider quarterback for a nine yard loss. Branson Goodman punted for Portland on fourth down. Drew Miller downed the punt on the Catholic 19 yard line.

Nic Gruber’s first down run to the right gained three yards before Baron Seal and Reice Thelen stopped him. Barrett Brennan and Branson Goodman teamed up to stop Catholic’s second down run for no gain. Marc Nobis knocked down the Cougar third down pass. (This is the third time he has done this so far this half. I know he’s a basketball point guard, but he may have a knack for blocking shots!) Braden Rabideau punted on fourth down. Jack Jacobs downed the ball on Portland’s 40 yard line; the Raiders started a series from there.

Caden Thelen took the ball to the left for a six yard gain; John Watters made the tackle for the Cougars. Branson Goodman went up the middle for a ten yard gain; John Watters also made this tackle.

Branson Goodman’s first down run up the middle earned eight yards before he ran into Braden Rabideau. On second down, Caden Thelen went around the left end for a twenty-seven yard gain before John Watters made the stop on Catholic’s 9 yard line to prevent a touchdown.

Eddie Flores stopped the Raider first down run around the left end for no gain. Brandon Lewis broke up Portland’s second down pass. Marc Nobis’ third down pass to Branson Goodman earned eight yards; Jack Jacobs made the tackle on the 1 yard line to prevent the touchdown. On the next play, Marc Nobis gained the yard Portland needed to score a touchdown.

The extra point kick was blocked. With 16 seconds to play in the first half, Portland had a 20-0 lead.

Braden Rabideau fielded Ignacio Encuentra-Martin’s kickoff at about the 5 yard line and returned it to the Cougar 33 yard line before Drew Miller and Alec Cassel teamed up to stop him.

On the final play of the first half, Conner Kazamer intercepted Catholic’s long pass.

Portland took a 20-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. If football’s traditional procedures are carried out, the Raiders will also have a 20-0 lead at the start of the second half.

Portland’s Band entertained with their “90s Dance Party” show at halftime. The band is led by Drum Majors Preston Dibean and Nate PIanosi. This featured songs be Poison, Nirvana, the Back Street Boys and Carlos Santana. When they were finished the Junior High Band joined them for an exciting rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough!” The Band did a fine job, both with their music and their precision marching!

Since we can’t show their halftime show here and there is no other music, maybe you will enjoy this rendition of “The Lonely Bull” by the Tijuana Brass from my “Chuck Krafft” You Tube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp3FW5dhL3E

I hope you enjoyed the music!

Jacob Bertrand kicked off for Lansing Catholic to open the second half. Baron Seal fielded the kick around the 7 yard line and returned it about thirteen yards before Makhi Dowsett took him down. Portland started its first series of the second half on its own 20 yard line.

Caden Thelen worked hard to gain two yards up the middle on first down. Nic Gruber made the Cougar tackle. Drew Miller went to the right for three second down yards; Nic Gruber made the tackle for Catholic. John Watters stopped Portland’s third down run for a one yard loss. Branson Goodman punted on fourth down. His punt was downed by Baron Seal on the Catholic 45 yard line from where the Cougars started their next series.

Jack Jacobs went to the right for a sixteen yard gain before he ran into Kaleb Bower and Caden Thelen.

Jack Jacobs’ first down pass to Ty Rakan earned six yards before he was tackled by Conner Kazamer. A false start penalty cost Catholic five yards. Drew Miller stopped the Catholic second down play for a one yard loss. Jack Jacobs’ third down run up right tackle gained three yards before Baron Seal pulled him down. On fourth down, Jack Jacobs went through the middle for a ten yard gain and a first down before Baron Seal stopped him. Catholic had a first down on the Portland 25 yard line.

Jack Jacobs gained three yards to the left before Branson Goodman halted him. Jack Jacobs was chased out of the pocket on second down and gained two yards before Baron Seal tackled him. Jack Jacobs’ third down pass to Brandon Lewis gained twelve yards to give Catholic a first down on the Portland 8 yard line. Kaleb Bower made the tackle for Portland.On the next play, Jack Jacobs ran for an eight yard touchdown. Alex Fernandez held the ball and Braden Rabideau kicked Catholic’s extra point.

With 4:36 remaining in the third quarter, Catholic trimmed Portland’s lead to 20-7.

Jacob Bertrand kicked the ball off to the 5 yard line where Drew Miller caught it and returned it twenty-one yards before Xavier Luea took him down.

Drew Miller gained twenty yards on a run to the right while carrying a tackler to give his Raiders a first down on their own 46 yard line.

Drew Miller went to the right and gained nine yards before Sean Durr tackled him to move into Catholic territory. Conner Kazamer went to the right and gained six yards before Andrew Hamilton took him down. Portland had a first down on the Catholic 39 yard line.

Branson Goodman went over the right tackle for a fourteen yard gain. Braden Rabideau and Brandon Lewis collaborated on the Cougar tackle.

Drew Miller went over the right tackle for a nine yard first down gain. Braden Rabideau was the Catholic tackler. Branson Goodman bulled his way through the middle for eleven yards to give the Raiders a first down on the Cougar 5 yard line. Eddie Flores got the tackle for Catholic.

Caden Thelen went up the left tackle on a five yard touchdown run. Baron Seal hiked the ball, Marc Nobis held the ball and Aiden Pulling kicked the successful extra point. With 1:18 left on the third quarter clock, the Raider lead was at 27-7.

Ignacio Encuentra-Martin kicked the ball off to about the 8 yard line where Braden Rabideau grabbed it and returned it about 17 yards before Drew Miller halted him. Catholic had a first down on their own 26 yard line.

Jack Jacobs passed to Xavier Luea, who caught the ball across the middle for a fifteen yard gain. Noah Simpson got the tackle for Portland.

Jack Jacobs tossed a twelve yard pass to Braden Rabideau on the right side. He was tackled by Kaleb Bower. Catholic had a first down on the Raider 47 yard line.

Jack Jacobs threw a beautiful long pass to Braden Rabideau, who caught it in stride for a thirty-six yard gain. Conner Kazamer made the tackle for Catholic. The Cougars had a first down on the Raider 11 yard line.

Jack Jacobs ran out of the pocket for a short gain before he was tackled by Evan Bower. A penalty was assessed on the play and Catholic had the ball on the Portland 5 yard line. On the final play of the quarter, (which was also a replay of the first down) Catholic suffered through what looked like a broken play on second down. Kaleb Bower and Mark Meyers made the tackle for Portland.

The third quarter ended with Portland holding a 27-7 lead. Catholic had the ball with a second down situation with ten yards to go.

On second down, Evan Bower and Carson Martin teamed up to sack the Catholic quarterback for a five yard loss. Jack Jacobs’ third down pass to Ty Rakan on the left side earned six yards before Conner Kazamer made the tackle. Catholic’s fourth down pass fell incomplete. Portland took over the ball on downs on their own 9 yard line.

Eddie Flores stopped Portland’s first down run for a one yard gain. Drew Miller went around the right end for a three yard gain. Matthew Watkins made the tackle for the Cougars. Brandon Lewis covered on Portland’s long, incomplete third down pass. Branson Goodman punted the ball to the 50 yard line where a Cougar returner failed to catch it. Drew Miller recovered the ball for Portland, where ended up with a first down on the Catholic 45 yard line.

Branson Goodman gained six yards on a run to the left before John Watters tackled him. Drew Miller went to the right for an eight yard second down gain and a first down before Sean Durr pushed him out of bounds.

Drew Miller went over the right tackle for a seven yard first down gain. Branson Goodman went into the middle for a four yard gain and another first down before Nic Gruber stopped him.

On the next play, Baron Seal went around the right end and gained eleven yards before Braden Rabideau and Nic Gruber teamed up for the tackle. Portland had a first down on the Catholic 9 yard line.

Drew Miller’s first down run up the middle gained six yards before Braden Rabideau made the stop. Drew Miller spun and fought his way to a three yard touchdown run on the next play.

The extra point kicked bounced hard off the goalpost and was unsuccessful. With 5:31 left on the clock, Portland had a 33-7 lead.

Ignacio Encuentra-Martin’s kickoff went out of bounds at the Catholic 36 yard line; the Cougars started their next series there.

Nic Gruber took a pitch around the left end for twenty-one yards before Conner Kazamer pulled him down.

Conner Kazamer covered on Catholic’s incomplete first down pass. Jack Jacobs ran out of the pocket and gained a second down yard before Noah Simpson tackled him. Noah Simpson stopped Catholic’s third down run for no gain. Barrett Brennan covered on Catholic’s incomplete fourth down pass. Portland took over the ball on downs on their own 42 yard line.

John Dodson went up the middle for a four yard first down gain. John Hinton made the tackle for the Cougars. Nick Gruber stopped the Raider second down run for a one yard gain. Evan Gross took the ball to the right side for a five yard gain and a first down before Braden Rabideau tackled him. Portland had a first down in Catholic territory on the 47 yard line.

On the next play, Portland fumbled and Xavier Luea recovered the ball for Catholic. The Cougars had a first down on the Portland 45 yard line.

On first down, Brandon Lewis gained three yards on a run around the left end. Evan Bower got the Raider tackle. Evan Gross covered on Catholic’s incomplete second down pass. On third down, Jack Jacobs heaved a forty-two yard touchdown pass to Brandon Lewis. A successful extra point kick by Braden Rabideau trimmed Portland’s lead to 33-14 with1:17 left to play.

Jacob Bertrand kicked the ball off to the Raider 10 yard line where Barrett Brendan made a sliding catch.

Portland took a knee on the next two plays to run out the clock.

Portland won the game 33-14 and clinched the White Division title in the CAAC with a 5-0 league record.