The Reed City Coyotes and the Newaygo Lions got into quite an offensive shootout on Friday night. These two teams combined for 110 points and 1039 yards of total offense. In the end, Reed City was able to gain 626 of those yards, and more importantly score 70 of those points in a thrilling offensive affair.
Reed City struck first in this game, just four minutes in as Landon Tomaski scored on a thirteen yard run. He also converted the two-point attempt to make it 8-0 Coyotes. Newaygo would respond just twenty-one seconds later, as Brenden Brechting passed 64 yards to Jayden Joseph for a touchdown. Reed City would extend their lead when Payton Hansen was able to burst through the defense on a thirty-one yard score, and Isaac Williams added a two-point try. The final score of the first quarter saw Jarrod Wismar run 44 yards for a Newaygo touchdown that made it 16-14 after the first twelve minutes.
To start the second quarter scoring, Tomaski ran a two-yard touchdown and added a two-point conversion. Newaygo would respond when Wismar was able to plunge across the goal line from four yards out, but their failed conversion left the score at 24-20 in favor of Reed City.
Tomaski would add his third touchdown of the first half on a seventy-eight yard sprint past the other twenty-one players on the field. He would once again convert the two-point try and Reed City was up twelve. Newaygo would respond on a touchdown pass from Brechting to Gavin Rake that covered twenty-eight yards. This was the first of three touchdowns in the final ninety seconds, as Newaygo would get the ball back and Brechting and Rake connected again for a fifty-two yard touchdown pass. On the ensuing kickoff, Tomaski went ninety yards to the house and the Coyotes took a 40-33 lead into the locker room.
The second half saw Reed City’s defense step up, and their offense keep on rolling. They needed just sixty-three seconds to find the end zone, as Alex Wirgau joined the party with a four yard score. Tomaski added another two-point conversion. Three minutes later, Reed City had the ball back and Tomaski made the Lions pay. He capped off a drive with a five yard touchdown, and Payton Hansen added a two-point conversion to make it 56-33 Coyotes after the third quarter.
In the final frame, Reed City started the scoring yet again. Isaac Williams found the end zone on a nine yard keeper, and Trent Livermore scored his first two points of the night on the conversion. Newaygo was finally able to break the 32-0 run when Brechting and Ed Hammond paired up for a sixteen-yard touchdown strike. Before it was over, Livermore rumbled his way into the end zone for Reed City’s final score.
The Reed City offense ran 56 plays, 53 of which were runs. All 626 yards of offense came on the ground in this game, a remarkable test of strength attributed to their offensive line play. Landon Tomaski led the attack with 20 carries for 287 yards. Payton Hansen added 166 yards on 12 carries. The Coyotes remain unbeaten in the CSAA-Gold, and they will take on Fremont next week with a shot at clinching a share of the title.
Newaygo, although overshadowed, put up an impressive offensive attack that tallied 413 yards and 40 points. They rushed for 197 and passed for 216. Ultimately, two interceptions and the kickoff return touchdown served as the difference in this one. The Lions will look to bounce back next week when they host Chippewa Hills in a game heard LIVE on MSR.
