Ryan Oshnock roamed the sideline at West Ottawa as recently as last season. After taking the job at Northview this year, his first opponent was the Panthers. In a game that pitted two teams that won a single game combined last year, the Wildcats got Coach Oshnock his first victory of 2021, a 23-13 ballgame.
In the first quarter, Da’Torian Roberts got things started for Northview with a 2-yard touchdown run. Mike Murphy pushed the lead to 8-0 with a two-point conversion. This lead would hold for the remainder of the quarter.
West Ottawa got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter when Ryan Stam rushed for a 2-yard touchdown. The Panthers tried a two-point conversion attempt to even the score, but it fell incomplete. Northview would respond with a touchdown that came from the arm of Matt Toole. Toole found David Snow on a 33-yard touchdown toss to give Northview a 15-6 edge heading into the locker room.
Toole used his legs in the third quarter to extend Northview’s lead. His 17-yard run, paired with Da’Torian Roberts’ two-point conversion gave the Wildcats a seventeen-point advantage. West Ottawa would score once again in the fourth quarter, when Cole Tulgestke connected with Evan Janetzke on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Though there were ten minutes left in the game at that point, the Panthers would draw no closer.
Northview won the yardage battle 264-194. Matt Toole passed for 88 yards and rushed for 69, contributing two touchdowns in the process. Donyea Robertson led the Wildcats’ rushing attack with 87 yards on fifteen carries. Da’Torian Roberts led Northview’s defense with 8 tackles and 5.5 TFLs.
West Ottawa saw Cole Tulgestke lead the aerial attack with 150 yards on 17/29 passing. Ryan Stam led the ground game with 51 yards on 18 carries. Matthew Harrison and his 73 yards led the West Ottawa receiving corps. Brayden Birkholz led the Panthers’ defense with 8.5 tackles and two TFLs.
Northview continues their homestand with a game against Wyoming next week. West Ottawa will travel to Mt. Pleasant on Thursday night in a non-league game.
