Mendon at Portland St. Patrick – – Eight Man Football – – MHSAA Division 2 Regional Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – November 8, 2025 – – by Chuck Krafft

This afternoon, there will be a big game as the Number One and Number Two teams in Division 2 Eight Man Football will be playing at Portland High’s field! Yes, this means that the Shamrocks from Portland St. Patrick, who have the top seed in the football tournament will play the second seeded Mendon Hornets.

Each of these teams enters the game with an undefeated 10-0 record. Your Bleacher Denizen is looking forward to a competitive game today.

Today was the day when I had to change over from my fall jacket to my winter jacket. Your Bleacher Denizen had a senior moment getting ready for the game as he managed to “misplace” his MHSAA Press ID when he transferred it from the fall coat to the winter coat. Luckily, the people at the gate from St. Patrick knew me and allowed me in. Of course, at the end of the game, when I stuck my hand in my pocket my MHSAA ID was in it. (I had fretted for about ten minutes about “losing” it before I left the house to focus on the game.)

I got a chance to meet WBET announcers Dave Casterline and Mike Stiles, who are broadcasting the game for the Mendon fans. They were really friendly and really know their football!! I “stole” a couple of their insights for use in the article, so I’m super glad that they were here.

St. Patrick graduates Bella Russman and Megan Myers sang the national anthem and we were ready to start the game!

It is now time to review the events of this game through the somewhat clear lenses of an aging Bleacher Denizen who really never had much of a football career. While he showed some skills as a defensive lineman, everything fell apart when the powers that be ruled he could no longer use pepper spray to dominate play in the trenches. When forced to rely only on his semi-existent muscle, he found that others dominated him.

Ben White booted his opening kickoff to the Mendon 5 yard line where Xavior Zinsmaster fielded it and returned it thirty-one yards before Augustus Teachworth knocked him out of bounds. Mendon began its opening series on its own 44 yard line.

Owen Gorham took the ball through the middle for a seven yard first down gain. Jerryd Scheurer made the Shamrock tackle. J.T. Lux gained two yards on his second down run into the middle before he ran into Charlie Thelen. Logan Krieger and Jerryd Scheurer teamed up to stop the third down run for no gain. On fourth down, Quarterback Ryder Gorham kept the ball and made a short gain. Brady Leonard made the tackle for St. Patrick.

The officials needed to call for a measurement to see if Mendon had earned a first down. The measurement showed that they had gained everything they needed plus about three extra inches, so the Hornets had a first down on the Shamrock 46 yard line.

J.T. Lux took the ball into the middle and gained five yards on first down before Aiden Mosser stopped him. Owen Gorham took a second down pitch to the left for a four yard gain. On third down, J.T. Lux burst through the line and gained twelve yards before Aiden Mosser tackled him. Mendon had another first down.

Owen Gorham gained five yards on a first down run up the middle before he ran into Mason Simon. J.T. Lux went up the middle for a two yard second down gain. Logan Krieger made the tackle for the Shamrocks. Owen Gorham went back through the middle and gained eleven yards before Mason Simon stopped him. The Hornets had a first down on the Shamrock 7 yard line.

J.T. Lux earned five yards on a first down run up the middle before Mason Simon stopped him. On the next play, Owen Gorham took the ball through the middle for a two yard touchdown. Ryder Gorham completed the PAT pass to J.T. Lux to give Mendon an 8-0 lead with 5:44 remaining in the opening quarter.

Carter Huston booted his kickoff to the St. Patrick 18 yard line where Aiden Fandel caught it and gained about seven yards before he was tackled by a hive full of Hornets. St. Patrick began its possession on its own 25 yard line.

Brady Leonard gained twenty yards on his first down run before Xavior Zinsmaster tackled him to prevent a possible touchdown.

Hudson King went through the right tackle for an eleven yard gain. Xavior Zinsmaster got the tackle. St. Patrick had a first down in Mendon territory on the 44 yard line.

Brady Leonard gained three yards on a first down run to the left before he was stopped by Tristin Wood. Tristin Wood stopped the Shamrock second down run for a one yard loss. On the next play, Brady Leonard started out to the right and angled his way across the field to the left for a forty-two yard touchdown run. Despite a great leaping effort by Charlie Thelen, the PAT pass was incomplete.

With 4:02 remaining in the opening quarter, St. Patrick closed the Mendon lead to 8-6.

Xavior Zinsmaster fielded Ben White’s kickoff on the Mendon 10 yard line and gained about seventeen yards before he ran into a bunch of Shamrock tacklers. He fumbled the ball, but Jayden Haigh dove on it to preserve Mendon’s possession. The Hornets started their drive on their own 27 yard line.

Owen Gorham took the ball up the middle and gained eight yards on first down before Mason Simon halted his progress. J.T. Lux went up the middle on second down and earned the two yards the Hornets needed for a first down. Augustus Teachworth made the tackle for St. Patrick.

Owen Gorham took a first down pitch to the left and gained three yards before Jerryd Scheurer stopped him. Ryder Gorham completed a second down pass to Brayden Crites; he gained eleven yards before he stepped out of bounds. The Hornets had a first down in Shamrock territory on the 49 yard line.

J.T. Lux gained two yards on a run up the right tackle before Charlie Thelen stopped him. Charlie Thelen stopped the Hornet second down run for a two yard loss. Brady Leonard got a couple fingers on the third down pass and caused it to fall incomplete. Owen Gorham punted for Mendon on fourth down. Jerryd Scheurer fielded the punt on the Shamrock 3 yard line and gained twenty-two yards before he was stopped.

St. Patrick had a first down on its own 25 yard line.

On the final play of the first quarter, Brady Leonard took the ball to the right and gained nine yards before Xavior Zinsmaster stopped him.

After one quarter, Mendon held an 8-6 lead. St. Patrick had a second down with one yard to go on its own 34 yard line.

On the first play of the second quarter, Brady Leonard took the ball to the left and gained nine yards before Ryder Gorham tackled him; St. Patrick had a first down.

Hudson King went up the middle for a nine yard first down gain; Zak Iobe made the tackle for Mendon. Brady Leonard gained seven yards on his second down run before Owen Gorham stopped him. St. Patrick had a first down in Mendon territory on the 41 yard line.

Caleb Pline bulled his way up the middle for a two yard first down gain. Zak Iobe made the tackle for Mendon. On the next play, Brady Leonard went to the left and cut to the right for a thirty-nine yard touchdown run. The Shamrock point after pass fell incomplete. With 10:30 remaining in the second quarter, St. Patrick had a 12-8 lead.

Ben White’s kickoff bounced into the end zone and Mendon started its next series on its own 20 yard line.

Owen Gorham gained three yards on a run up the middle; Mason Simon made the Shamrock stop. J.T. Lux went up the middle for a three yard second down gain. Brady Leonard made the tackle for St. Patrick. Owen Gorham gained two yards on a third down pitch to the right; Jerryd Scheurer got the stop for the Shamrocks. On fourth down, Owen Gorham went to the right and gained four yards to give his Hornets a first down before Mason Simon tackled him.

Ryder Gorham completed a nineteen yard pass to J.T. Lux on the next play. Mason Simon made the Shamrock tackle. Mendon had a first down in St. Patrick territory on the 49 yard line.

Augustus Teachworth stopped Mendon’s first down run for a one yard loss. Aiden Mosser and Brady Leonard teamed up to stop Owen Gorham’s second down run up the middle for a two yard gain. Augustus Teachworth and Aiden Mosser stopped the Hornet third down run for no gain. On fourth down, Brady Leonard intercepted a Hornet pass and returned it about ten yards to the Mendon 48 yard line where St. Patrick started a drive.

Hudson King ran up the right tackle for an eleven yard gain before Tristin Wood stopped him.

Tristin Wood stopped St. Patrick’s first down run for no gain. Ryder Gorham covered on the Shamrock long, incomplete second down pass. Brady Leonard gained two yards on a third down pitch to the left. J.T. Lux got the tackle for Mendon. Mendon’s fourth down defense force Jerryd Scheurer out of the pocket. He ran into Xavior Zinsmaster and dove; he gained enough yards to force a measurement. It turned out that St. Patrick was just short of a first down. Mendon took over the ball on downs on its own 27 yard line.

J.T. Lux took the ball to the left and used a nice block by Tristan Woods to gain three yards. (Thanks to radio announcers Dave Casterline and Mike Stiles. They said that to their listeners, so I figured it was good enough for the Bleacher Denizen!!) Ryder Gorham passed to J.T. Lux for a four yard second down gain. Brady Leonard made the tackle for St. Patrick. Owen Gorham gained four yards on third down to earn a first down for the Hornets. Mason Simon made the tackle for the Shamrocks.

Brady Leonard stopped the Hornet first down run for a two yard loss. Tyler Thelen stopped the Hornet second down pitch to the left for no gain. Owen Gorham gained five yards on a third down run up the middle before Augustus Teachworth stopped him. On fourth down, Owen Gorham punted. Jerryd Scheurer fielded the ball on the Shamrock 19 yard line and gained twenty-yards before he was stopped.

St. Patrick had a first down on their own 41 yard line.

Hudson King to the ball around the right end and gained thirty-four yards before Ryder Gorham tackled him. St. Patrick had a first down on the Mendon 25 yard line.

On the next play, Jerryd Scheurer tossed a pass to Brady Leonard, who made a great leap to catch the ball for a twenty-five yard touchdown. Jerryd Scheurer completed the PAT pass to Charlie Thelen to give St. Patrick a 20-8 lead with 24 seconds to play in the first half.

Ben White kicked the ball to the Mendon 5 yard line where Xavior Zinsmaster caught it and gained fourteen yards before he was tackled by Tyler Thelen and Ben White. After a penalty was assessed to St. Patrick, Mendon had the ball on its own 34 yard line with time to run one play.

Ryder Gorham completed a one yard screen pass to Owen Gorham for the final play of the first half. Augustus Teachworth made the tackle for St. Patrick.

St. Patrick had a 20-8 lead at halftime.

Carter Huston kicked off for the Hornets to open the second half. He tried an onside kick; Mendon nearly recovered it, but it was ruled that they had not allowed the kickoff to travel ten yards, so St. Patrick was awarded the ball on the Mendon 49 yard line.

Brady Leonard took the ball to the left and gained thirty-nine yards before Tristin Wood tackled him to prevent a touchdown. St. Patrick had a first down on the Mendon 10 yard line.

Hudson King went to the left and gained three yards before Xavior Zinsmaster pulled him down. Brady Leonard gained five yards on a second down run into the middle before he ran into J.T. Lux and Zak Iobe. On the next play, Caleb Pline powered the ball through the middle for a two yard touchdown. Brady Leonard ran the ball for the successful two point conversion. With 10:33 remaining in quarter number three, St. Patrick boosted its lead to 28-8.

Ben White kicked the ball to the Mendon eight yard line; Xavior Zinsmaster fielded it and gained two yards before Ben White tackled him. Mendon had a first down on its own 10 yard line.

Owen Gorham went through the middle on first down and gained eight yards before Mason Simon stopped him. J.T. Lux went up the middle for a four yard second down gain that earned a first down for the Hornets. Ben White made the tackle for St. Patrick.

On the next play, Brady Leonard intercepted the Mendon pass and returned it about twenty-five yards for a touchdown. Jerryd Scheurer faked a pass on the point after play and ran the ball in for a successful conversion. With 9:12 remaining in quarter number three, St. Patrick took a 36-8 lead.

The St. Patrick kickoff went out of bounds and Mendon started its next drive on its own 35 yard line.

Brady Leonard stopped the Hornet first down run for a six yard loss. Ryder Gorham tossed a second down pass to J.T. Lux for a twenty-four yard gain to give Mendon a first down in St. Patrick territory on the 47 yard line. Aiden Mosser made the tackle for the Shamrocks.

Owen Gorham gained four yards on a first down run to the left before he ran into Jerryd Scheurer. Owen Gorham gained five yards on a second down run up the middle before he ran into Jerryd Scheurer. Owen Gorham’s third down run up the middle was good for two yards and a first down. Augustus Teachworth made the tackle for St. Patrick.

Mason Simon appeared to intercept a long pass on the next play, but it was ruled to be interference and Mendon got a first down on the St. Patrick 21 yard line.

Owen Gorham’s first down run up the middle gained two yards before Brady Leonard stopped him. On second down, Owen Gorham took a pitch to the left for a four yard gain. Tyler Thelen and Brady Leonard teamed up for the Shamrock tackle. On the next play, Ryder Gorham faked a handoff and followed a great block by J.T. Lux for a fifteen yard touchdown. (Thanks again to Dave Casterline and Mike Stiles for pointing that great block out to their fans. Of course, your Bleacher Denizen shamelessly stole their point.)

Owen Gorham ran the ball to the left for a successful two point conversion to trim the St. Patrick lead to 36-16 with 4:43 left in the third quarter.

Carter Huston kicked the ball off; he attempted an onside kick, but because of an offside penalty, the ball had to be rekicked. On the repeat (onside) kickoff, Mason Simon fielded the ball on the Shamrock 48 yard line and gained seven yards before Tristin Wood tackled him. St. Patrick started its next possession on the Mendon 45 yard line.

Brady Leonard earned five yards on a first down run up the left tackle before Zak Iobe pulled him down. Hudson King gained six yards and earned a first down on his second down run to the right. Zak Iobe made the tackle for the Hornets.

Brady Leonard ran for two yards on a first down run to the left before Tristin Wood stopped him. Hudson King broke several tackles as he refused to be stopped on a second down run to the right. He gained nine yards before Xavior Zinsmaster finally tackled him. St. Patrick had a first down on the Mendon 23 yard line.

Brady Leonard gained four yards on a first down run to the right before Tristin Wood pulled him down. On the next play, Hudson King ran the ball to the right for a nineteen yard touchdown. Jerryd Scheurer showed a lot of poise as he slowed down a tackle long enough to toss the ball to Tyler Thelen for a successful conversion. With 1:25 to play in quarter number three, the Shamrocks had a 44-16 lead.

Ben White kicked the ball off to the Mendon 38 yard line where Ben White was able to tackle the returner before he could gain very much. Mendon started its next series on its own 37 yard line.

Aiden Mosser stopped Mendon’s first down run to the left for a one yard gain. Ryder Gorham completed a second down pass to Brayden Crites; he gained four yards before Aiden Mosser pushed him out of bounds.

On the final play of the third quarter, Ryder Gorham completed a beautiful pass to Owen Gorham, who caught the pass in stride and scored a fifty-eight yard touchdown. Aiden Mosser made a tackle for the Shamrocks to stop the point after run.

After three quarters, St. Patrick held a 44-22 lead.

Charlie Thelen fielded an onside kick by Carter Huston at the fifty yard line and gained fifteen yards before Bryce Zagon stopped him. St. Patrick had a first down on the Mendon 35 yard line.

J.T. Lux stopped the Shamrock first down run into the middle for a one yard gain. Caleb Pline gained three yards on a second down run up the middle before Tristin Wood took him down. Brady Leonard used a big hole for a third down run to the left side and gained ten yards as well as a first down before Owen Gorham tackled him.

Hudson King took the ball to the right and gained nine yards before Xavior Zinsmaster tackled him. Brady Leonard broke several tackles on his second down run up the left tackle and gained seven yards. St. Patrick had a first down on the Mendon 5 yard line.

On the next play, Brady Leonard took the ball to the left for a five yard touchdown run.

Charlie Thelen made the long snap, Brady Leonard held the ball and Brody Beckhold made a successful extra point kick. With 8:30 left in the game, St. Patrick took a 51-22 lead.

Ben White kicked the ball off to the Mendon 21 yard line where Xavior Zinsmaster fielded it and gained four yards before Aiden Mosser tackled him. On the next play, Brady Leonard fought off the Mendon receiver and intercepted the ball on the Shamrock 41 yard line, where St. Patrick started its next series.

St. Patrick’s first down play resulted in a penalty that set them back ten yards. On the first down replay, Brady Leonard gained seven yards on a run up the left tackle. Tristin Wood made the Mendon tackle. Caleb Pline gained six yards on a run up the left tackle before Ryder Gorham stopped him. Brady Leonard gained eight yards and a first down on his third down run up the left tackle. Zak Iobe got the stop for the Hornets. St. Patrick had a first down in Mendon territory on the 48 yard line.

Hudson King gained six yards on a first down run to the right before Zak Iobe and Tristin Wood took him down. J.T. Lux stopped the Shamrock second down run for no gain. Hudson King gained five yards on a third down run to the right; a penalty on Mendon gave St. Patrick a first down on the Mendon 20 yard line.

Brady Leonard took the ball to the left for a ten yard gain and a first down. Ryder Gorham made the stop for the Hornets.

Caleb Pline went up the middle for a three yard first down gain before Brayden Crites stopped him. Brady Leonard gained five yards on a second down run up the middle to put the ball on the two yard line. The game basically ended here as St. Patrick took a knee on the final two plays of the game.

St. Patrick won this game by the final score of 51-22 and will play Deckerville in next week’s state semifinal game.