The Lansing Catholic Cougars had a great start to the playoffs, taking down Berrien Springs, South Haven and Olivet in the first three rounds. After the restart, they had a match-up with Grosse Ile, who was playing in their first regional title game since 2012. The reigning Division 5 State Champions are now one game away from Ford Field after taking down the Red Devils 28-5.
Midway through the first quarter, Lansing Catholic got on the scoreboard. Will Gruber burst through the defense for a twenty-one yard touchdown run. The Cougars went for two, unsuccessfully, and they led 6-0 after the opening twelve minutes.
Grosse Ile got on the scoreboard in the beginning of the second quarter. They cut Lansing Catholic’s lead in half with a twenty-nine yard field goal by Giuseppe Pizzo. On the ensuing drive, the Cougars got their second rushing touchdown. Rory Durr capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. They took their 12-3 lead into the locker room.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Lansing Catholic extended their lead just over a minute into the final quarter. Alex Watters made his way through the teeth of the Grosse Ile defense for a thirty-three yard touchdown. Will Gruber rushed for a two-point conversion to extend the lead to seventeen points. With two minutes to play, Alex Watters took to the air and found Brandon Lewis for a fifty-three yard touchdown. Gruber added two points to the scoreboard with his second conversion of the quarter.
In the closing seconds, Grosse Ile would get two points after Lansing Catholic took a safety. This moved the final tally to 28-5.
Lansing Catholic’s defense was dominant in this game, as they forced three interceptions. Alex Watters led the team with 131 rushing yards and 77 passing yards. Watters also added nineteen receiving yards and a pair of interceptions on defense. Will Gruber finished with forty-six rushing yards, one rushing touchdown and two two-point conversions.
The Lansing Catholic team will now face Frankenmuth in the State Semifinals. The Eagles dominated Marine City 31-7 in their regional final matchup. Frankenmuth will host next Saturday. On the other side of the bracket, Grand Rapids Catholic Central will host Freeland for a shot at Ford Field.
