Lansing Catholic at Pewamo-Westphalia – – Football – – The Bleacher Denizen – – October 20, 2023 – – by Chuck Krafft

Horace Greeley said “Go West, Young Man” back in the days of yore. Your Bleacher Denizen is sort of obeying this piece of advice as Pewamo-Westphalia High School is west of Lansing, where he lives. (Only in the Bleacher Denizen’s dreams does anyone mistake him for a young man, so it may be that this advice is not really meant for me.) However, for the last weekend of the regular season, your Bleacher Denizen is off to Pewamo-Westphalia High, where the Pirates will host the Cougars from Lansing Catholic.

Grange Road can be a curvy challenge, but I was able to get here in plenty of time to make it to Ox’s Smoked Meats in Westphalia. I love stopping by there for their smoked chicken as well as their many excellent varieties of beef and chicken jerky!

Pewamo-Westphalia won the CMAC with a perfect 5-0 record; the Pirates are 7-1 overall. Lansing Catholic finished 2-5 in the CAAC-White and are 3-5 overall. As the Cougars play in a really tough league, they are on track to make the state playoff because of the strong schedule they play.

As we wait for the game to start, I hope you will enjoy this Christian tune from my You Tube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NQ3j4QJPxE

Let’s take a look at tonight’s games through the occasionally lucid eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen whose football career went awry after the powers that be banned the catapult that he used for his kickoffs and field goal attempts. This eliminated my childhood dream of being an NFL kicker.

The excellent Pewamo-Westphalia band augmented by 25 alumni did a fine job on the National Anthem to open the night’s proceedings.

To save excess wear and tear on your aging Bleacher Denizen’s aging fingers, I will probably refer to Pewamo-Westphalia as P-W most of the time.

P-W’s Gabe Miller kicked the ball off to Catholic’s 22 yard line where it was returned eleven yards to the 33 yard line where the Cougars began their opening series.

Alex Fernandez went to the left for a two yard first down gain; Blake Birchmeier made the tackle for the Pirates. Alex Fernandez’ second down pass to Ben Selesky was good for a five yard gain. Blake Birchmeier covered for P-W on Catholic’s incomplete third down pass. Alex Fernandez punted on fourth down; the punt went out of bounds at the P-W 29 yard line where the Pirates started their first series.

Brayton Thelen gained five yards on a first down pitch to the left. Gary Tackett made the Catholic tackle. Brayton Thelen earned six yards on a pitch to the right side to earn a first down for the Pirates. Braydon Smith made the tackle for Catholic.

Brayton Thelen’s first down run to the left was good for five yards; Gary Tackett got the stop for the Cougars. A pack of Cougars stopped the Pirate second down run for a one yard gain. Brayton Thelen’s third down run to the left gained the five yards P-W needed for a first down.

On the next play, Dylan May faked a handoff and went through the middle for an eighteen yard touchdown. Dylan May made the long snap, Grant Pohl held the ball and Gabe Miller kicked the successful extra point to give P-W a 7-0 lead with 7:38 remaining in the first quarter.

Gabe Miller’s kickoff went to the Catholic 15 yard line, where it was fielded and returned eleven yards before Kiefer Trimmer made the tackle. (My apologies to the Cougar returner who made the nice return. Your Bleacher Denizen’s hearing and some other things that happen with age sometimes make it difficult for me to get everything in my notes.) Catholic had a first down on its own 26 yard line.

Catholic’s first down pass fell incomplete. Blake Birchmeier stopped the Cougar second down run for a two yard loss. On third down, Blake Birchmeier sacked the Cougar quarterback for a nine yard loss. Alex Fernandez punted the ball to Catholic’s 47 yard line where it went out of bounds. P-W started its next series there.

Brayton Thelen went up the right tackle for a six yard first down gain. John Watters got the Cougar tackle. Brayton Thelen’s second down run around the left end was good for an eight yard gain and a first down before John Watters tackled him.

Braden Rabideau covered on P-W’s incomplete first down pass. Alexis Guzman stopped the Pirate second down run for a one yard gain. Brayton Thelen went around the left end for a seven yard gain on third down before he ran into John Watters. David Magaway made a big tackle to stop the Pirate fourth down run for a one yard gain. Catholic took over the ball on downs on its own 24 yard line.

Gavin Nurenberg stopped Alex Fernandez’ first down run to the middle for a two yard gain. Alex Fernandez launched a second down pass to Navier Tanner-Flemi for a fifteen yard gain. Grant Pohl made the tackle for the Pirates.

Gavin Nurenberg stopped Catholic’s first down run up the middle for a one yard gain. Reece Thelen covered on Catholic’s incomplete second down pass. Gabe Miller tackled the Cougar third down runner for a three yard loss. On fourth down, Alex Fernandez punted the ball to the P-W 28 yard line where Jackson Droste fielded it and gained twelve yards before Alexis Guzman took him down. P-W had a first down on its own 40 yard line.

Dylan May went through the middle for a six yard first down gain. Justin DeVarona made the Cougar tackle. On the next play, Brayton Thelen took a pitch to the left, got through the line and outraced the Catholic defense to the goal line for a fifty-four yard touchdown run. Dylan May made the long snap, Grant Pohl held the ball and Gabe Miller kicked the successful extra point.

With 21.7 seconds to play in the first quarter, P-W held a 14-0 lead.

Gabe Miller kicked the ball off to the Catholic 21 yard line. Catholic returned the ball seven yards and started their next series on their own 28 yard line.

Trevor Spitzley batted down Catholic’s first down pass. On the final play of the first quarter, Catholic lost a yard on a run into the middle as a Boatload of Pirates made the stop.

After one quarter, the score was Pewamo-Westphalia 14 Lansing Catholic 0.

P-W’s defense chased the Catholic quarterback out of the pocket on third down and tackled him for no gain. A penalty caused the fourth down punt to be redone. Alex Fernandez punted the ball to the Cougar 45 yard line where Grant Pohl fielded it and returned the ball to the Cougar 40, where P-W started its next series.

Brayton Thelen took the ball around the left end and gained fifteen yards before Sean Durr tackled him.

John Watters stopped P-W’s first down run for a three yard gain. Dylan May gained five yards on a second down run. Brayton Thelen gained the two yards P-W needed for a first down on a third down pitch to the left to move the Pirates to the Cougar 15 yard line.

Dylan May dashed up the middle for an eight yard first down gain. Lucas Payne got the tackle for Catholic. On the next play, Dylan May went to the right for a seven yard touchdown. The extra point kick was delayed by a false start penalty; on the repeat play, the kick missed. With 7:50 remaining in the first half, the P-W lead was at 20-0.

Grant Pohl kicked the ball off to Catholic’s 23 yard line where Troy Chen grabbed it and returned it six yards before he ran into Kiefer Trimmer. Catholic started its series on its own 29 yard line.

Cayden Spitzley stopped the Catholic first down run for a one yard gain. Gabe Miller and Gavin Nurenberg teamed up to sack the Catholic quarterback for a six yard second down loss. Grant Pohl and Dylan May covered on the Cougar incomplete third down pass. Alex Fernandez punted on fourth down; his teammate, Anthony Edwards downed the ball on Catholic’s 41 yard line.

A timely hit by Gary Tackett caused P-W’s first down pass to fall incomplete. On the next play, Dylan May charged through the middle for a forty-one yard touchdown run. Dylan May centered the ball, Grant Pohl held the ball and Gabe Miller kicked the successful extra point to give the Pirates a 27-0 lead with 5:51 to play in half number one.

Gabe Miller kicked the ball off to Catholic’s 20 yard line where Lucas Payne grabbed it and returned it nine yards before he ran out of bounds. Catholic had a first down on its own 29 yard line.

Catholic’s first down screen pass fell incomplete. Sammy Eyde’s second down pass to Joseph Gulock gained twelve yards.

Sammy Eyde passed to Joseph Gulock for a two yard first down gain. The Cougar second down pass fell incomplete. Blake Birchmeier’s pressure caused a hurried third down pass to fall incomplete. Sean Durr punted the ball to the P-W 30 yard line where Grant Pohl grabbed it and returned it sixteen yards before Gary Tackett, Jake Alverado and David Magaway tackled him. P-W had a first down on its own 47 yard line.

A first down penalty negated a P-W screen pass and cost them fourteen yards. On the first down repeat, Dylan May ran into the middle where John Watters and Alexis Guzman tackled him after a five yard gain. A second down illegal procedure penalty moved P-W back five yards. On third down, Brayton Thelen took the ball to the right for a three yard gain before Joshua Pritzlaff stopped him. Leland VanAlstine intercepted P-W’s fourth down pass at the Catholic 40 yard line; the Cougars started their next series from there.

A pass interference penalty gave Catholic a first down on the P-W 45 yard line.

Alex Fernandez gained five yards on a Cougar first down run up the middle. On the next play, Alex Fernandez completed a nine yard pass to give Catholic a first down on the Pirate 31 yard line.

On the next play, Alex Fernandez took the ball around the right end for a thirty-one yard touchdown run.

Catholic tried a fake kick for the extra point, but Reece Thelen was able to intercept the Point After Pass Attempt for P-W. With 1:04 left on the first half clock, Catholic trimmed the P-W lead to 27-6.

Daniel McGaughey kicked the ball off to the P-W 27 yard line where Brayton Thelen grabbed it and took it to the left for a forty-four yard gain before Braydon Smith tackled him. P-W had a first down on the Catholic 29 yard line.

Braydon Smith and Leland VanAlstine covered for Catholic on the Pirate incomplete first down pass. John Watters covered on the incomplete second down pass. Chris Sims stopped P-W’s third down run for no gain. Gary Tackett was able to deflect the fourth down Pirate pass, which fell incomplete. Catholic took over the ball on downs on its own 29 yard line with 26 seconds left in the first half.

Cayden Spitzley stopped Catholic’s run on the final play of the first half.

Pewamo-Westphalia had a 27-6 halftime lead. Unless there is supernatural intervention, P-W will also have that lead to open the third quarter.

Pewamo-Westphalia has an excellent band which is directed by Randy Voisinet. The are led by drum major Megan Droste, assistant drum major Brigid Flynn and color guard captain Abby Wallace.

The band performed its 2023 show titled “Ready to Rock.” This consisted of “Don’t Stop me Now” by Queen, “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, “Yesterday” by The Beatles featuring soloist Jenna Kramer and “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. As always, the Pirate Band played really well and did a fine job with their precision marching.

For those of you who missed the halftime show, I hope you will enjoy this ballad, “Maggie” from my You Tube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUhc4KROlnw

Daniel McGaughey’s fine second half kickoff was fielded by Brayton Thelen at the P-W 6 yard line. He returned the ball thirty-three yards and P-W started its series on its own 39 yard line.

Brayton Thelen went up the middle for a three yard first down gain. Dylan May’s second down pass to Jackson Droste gained eight yards and earned a first down before Gary Tackett took him down.

Gabe Miller went up the left side for a twenty-two yard gain before Gary Tackett tackled him. P-W had a first down on the Catholic 28 yard line.

Brayton Thelen took a pitch to the right for a nine yard first down gain. Braydon Smith intercepted P-W’s second down pass. Catholic had a first down on its own 10 yard line.

A Crew of Pirates stopped the Catholic first down run for a one yard gain and the second down run for no gain. P-W sacked Catholic’s quarterback for a two yard third down loss. Lucas Payne’s fourth down punt went out of bounds on Catholic’s 38 yard line.

Brayton Thelen went up the middle for a four yard first down gain before he ran into John Watters, Alexis Guzman and Chris Sims. Dylan May stormed through the middle and went to the right side for a thirty yard second down gain. Alex Fernandez made a touchdown-saving tackle on the Catholic four yard line where P-W had a first down.

Gabe Miller went up the middle for a three yard first down gain. Jake Alverado made the Catholic tackle. On the next play, Gabe Miller went through the middle for a one yard touchdown run.

Dylan May made the long snap, Grant Pohl held the ball and Gabe Miller booted the successful extra point to give P-W a 34-6 lead with 6:03 to play in quarter number three.

Gabe Miller’s kickoff was fielded at Catholic’s 31 yard line where Gary Tackett dove on the ball. Catholic started its next series there.

Catholic’s first down pass fell incomplete and a bad second down snap cost the Cougars 16 yards. Cayden Spitzley sacked the Catholic Quarterback for a nine yard third down loss. Dylan May blocked Catholic’s fourth down punt and recovered it in the end zone for a P-W touchdown. Dylan May centered the ball and Grant Pohl held the ball. Gabe Miller delivered a successful extra point kick although he fell down during his follow through. As they do not add or subtract points for kicker grace and beauty, the point counted and P-W had a 41-6 lead with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter.

The first P-W kickoff went out of bounds, so Gabe Miller rekicked it from the thirty-five yard line. He kicked the ball to the Catholic 25 yard line where Braydon Smith fielded it and returned it for an apparent touchdown, but a penalty brough the ball back to Catholic’s 42 yard line where the Cougars started their next series.

Alex Fernandez went to the right for a thirteen yard gain before he was pushed out of bounds.

On the next first down, Alex Fernandez lateralled the ball to Lucas Payne, who threw the ball back to him for a two yard gain before Tyson Miles tackled him. Isaac Thelen and Devin Pohl covered on Catholic’s incomplete second down pass. Alex Fernandez took the ball to the right for a nine yard third down gain before he was stopped by Carter Wirth. Catholic had a first down on the P-W 34 yard line.

Alex Fernandez’ pass to Braden Rabideau on the left side earned nine yards before Drew Trierweiler took him down. On the final play of the third quarter, Alex Fernandez went to the right for an eighteen yard gain before Isaac Thelen stopped him.

P-W had a 41-6 lead going into the first quarter. Catholic had a first down on the P-W seven yard line.

Tyson Miles stopped Catholic’s first down run to the right for a one yard gain. Carter Wirth knocked the Cougar second down pass to the ground. Kyle Thelen intercepted Catholic’s third down pass in the end zone and returned it out to the 10 yard line where the Pirates began their next series.

P-W’s first down run gained four yards. Isaac Thelen’s second down run to the right gained twenty-one yards before Ben Palinski took him down.

Ryan Pritzlaff, Jake Alverado and David Magaway teamed up to stop the P-W first down run for no gain. Isaac Thelen gained five yards on a second down run; Lucas Payne and John Watters teamed up for the Cougar tackle. On third down, Cayden Spitzley burst through the middle for a thirty-four yard gain to give the Pirates a first down on Catholic’s 26 yard line. Lucas Payne made the tackle for Catholic.

P-W fumbled its first down snap and lost two yards. Cayden Spitzley’s second down run gained eight yards before he was stopped by Joseph Gulock. Joshua Pritzlaff stopped the P-W third down run for a four yard loss. Gary Tackett intercepted the Pirate fourth down pass in the end zone. Catholic started its next series on its own 20 yard line.

Sammy Eyde tossed the ball to Braydon Smith for a five yard first down gain; Grant Pohl made the Pirate tackle. Jackson Droste covered on the Cougar incomplete second down pass. On the final play of the game, Sammy Eyde passed to Braydon Smith for a two yard gain. Jackson Droste got the tackle for P-W.

Pewamo-Westphalia won this non-conference game to boost its record to 8-1. Catholic drops to 3-6, but may still earn a spot in the post season playoff.