***Article by Josh Longstreth
Making their eighth straight playoff appearance and their seventeenth of the last eighteen, the Clare Pioneers have been known as a staple in the playoffs in the state of Michigan. Clare, coming off another fantastic season, are winners of their last five games and are coming off a big time win in week nine. The Pioneers would head into round one of the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in Division 6. On the other side, welcome the Bullock Creek Lancers. Bullock Creek, coming in with a 6-3 regular season, are making their first playoff appearance since the 2020 season and are coming off a big time win of their own in week nine. You couldn’t ask for a better matchup in two teams playing their best football late in the season, and were we in store for a dandy.
The Lancers had a chance to get on the board first in this one but they wouldn’t be able to take advantage. Clares offense had trouble moving the ball on their first possession and after some early trickery, they’d be forced to punt on their possession. Bullock Creek moved the ball a bit on their next drive but a costly penalty would stall the drive. Pioneers defensive back, Ryan Louch, would come up with a pass breakup to give the ball back to the Pioneers. Clare would pay it off and strike first on their next drive. Driving deep into Lancers territory, quarterback Jayden Arthur would find big tight end Chase Randall on a touchdown connection. The extra point would be blocked but Clare grab the lead late in the quarter and take a 6-0 lead into the second.
Bullock Creek would get pinned back into their own territory early in the second quarter and a couple short plays later would give the ball away on the first turnover on the night. The Pioneers would have a chance to do some real damage in great field possession before Bullock Creek defensive back, Caden Tate, would grab the first takeaway on the night for the Lancers. The Lancers would move the ball again on their next possession before the Clare defense was able to hold up to force a punt. On the ensuing Pioneers drive, ‘do it all man’, Ryan Louch, would reel in a short pass from Arthur and he would do the rest. Louch would take it on a short pass and do the rest on an 80-yard touchdown. This gave Clare a 13-0 lead late in the quarter. The Lancers had some time remaining to put points on the board but the Clare defense finished the first half shut out to take all the momentum into the half.
Clare would receive the ball to begin the second half, at least they were slated to. Bullock Creek had other plans on a big time call that paid off. An near perfect onside kick would be picked up by the Lancers and Bullock Creek all of a sudden had life. They would take full advantage to put their first points on the board midway through the quarter. Bo Schwartz would find the endzone on his touchdown run to make it a 13-7 game. The ensuing kickoff would give life right back to the Pioneers as the kick went out of bounds and Clare would set up shop at their 35-yard line. It looked like the Bullock Creek defense would get the ball right back to their offense in a hurry but a late hit penalty would give the Clare offense new life. Ryan Louch would come up with another big play on the juniors night, this time he would scamper in on a touchdown run. A drive that could have been all for not instead put the Clare lead to 19-7. The Lancers would get a drive started to end the quarter but they would be forced to see if they could overcome all the odds in the final quarter, trailing.
When you get in a bind late and you need some big time plays you use a heavy dose of your best playmaker. Bullock Creek did just that. On a methodical drive that took up nearly half of the fourth quarter, the Lancers turned to that man, Bo Schwartz. They would pay it off and after finding his second touchdown on the night, we had ourselves a 19-14 game with more than enough time remaining in the game. Bullock Creek would attempt another onside kick but they couldn’t come up with it and the Clare offense would start their drive at their 41-yard line. A big hit from Brandon Porcaro would stall the Pioneers drive and the Lancers momentum only continued to grow. The Bullock Creek offense then decided this was the time. A heavy dose of their powerful run game would get them deep into Clare territory. The next several plays would go back and fourth with both teams showing that they wanted it. Then with just eighteen seconds remaining, the Lancers made a gutsy call. And pay it off they did. On a pitch to Bo Schwartz the senior running back would fire one of his own. He would find twin, Zane Schwartz, and the latter would make a big time catch. Keeping both feet inbounds, in double coverage, he would hold on. Bullock Creek took the lead for the first time on the night, 22-19. Clare couldn’t have asked for anything better on the kickoff as Ryan Rodenbo nearly took one all the way back. Instead, the Pioneers would start in great field possession in Lancers territory. That’s the closest they could come, however. After three incomplete passes, the clock struck to all zeros but the Lancers were still dancing. Bullock Creek shocks Clare late and heads into a shot at a district title next week.
Clares season comes to an end. A team that lost just three games on the season, each close at that, their season will come to an end earlier than expected for their squad. They will look to see if they can make things right in 2024. It should be another big season for the Pioneers as they return Ryan Louch, Jacob Halicek, Jayden Arthur, Chase Randall, and Aiden Van Bonn.
Bullock Creek showed some big time grit on the night. It’s something that they have shown for much of the season. They’ll look to see if they can keep things rolling next week when they take on a Chesaning team coming off a dominant win over Central Montcalm. The Lancers are playing their best football at the right time and it’s done nothing but pay off for them. Chesaning heads into that one as the #5 ranked team in Division 6 but as they showed tonight, the Bullock Creek Lancers just don’t care right now. They want more.
