**ARTICLE BY LIEN VELDBOOM**
The Holland Christian Maroons welcomed Wayland to their newly renovated football stadium on Thursday for a non-conference matchup. After a very dominant win against the Holland Dutch team last week, the Maroons had high hopes entering the game. Wayland was able to control the second half, resulting in a 27-10 loss for the Maroons.
The first score of the night came midway through the first quarter. Caden VanHuis kicked the ball through the uprights giving the Maroons a 3-0 lead. It looked to be a quiet half with 3:50 left on the clock, and the score remaining the same. During that time, two touchdowns were scored. One for Wayland by Cameron Bogart, and one for Holland Christian’s Luke Conklin. Holland Christian took a 10-7 lead into the locker room.
After the half, Wayland took charge of the game, taking the lead for the rest of the way. Dustin Loomans broke the plane late in the third quarter to give Wayland a 13-10 lead after the extra point was missed. They found the end zone two more times in the final quarter of play.
The Maroons struggled on the ground, but Eli Boyce helped the offense with 156 yards through the air. Ethan Abberger was the main recipient, racking up 88 yards (averaging 12.6 yards per catch).
Wayland’s offense was the opposite of Holland Christian, as they gained most of their yards on the ground. They ran for a total of 176 yards with six different players contributing.
The Maroons will host the Hamilton Hawkeyes, who currently sit 2-0, for their conference opener next week. Wayland will hope to carry their momentum forward as they face Thornapple-Kellogg next Friday night.
