The Reed City Coyotes welcomed the Manistee Chippewas for their playoff opener. The Coyotes were able to coast to a 36-14 win, advancing to the District Final showdown with Montague.
Manistee started with the football, and they were forced to punt. Bryson Hughes fielded the kick and raced 72 yards for a touchdown. This was the first of three touchdowns for Hughes, who added scoring carries of 23 and 24 yards to help Reed City create a 22-0 lead. The Chippewas got a touchdown in the second quarter, relying on their dynamic duo of Jeff Huber and Connor Rischel to trim the deficit heading into the locker room.
After the break, Nick Wirgau seized control of the Reed City offense. He rushed for two touchdowns, on carries of 10 and 17 yards. Manistee’s Kaden Kott had a 10-yard touchdown run to round out the scoring.
With this victory, the Coyotes advance to the District Finals. They will host Montague, the defending Division 6 State Champions, on Friday in a battle between extremely talented clubs. Reed City is now 9-1 on the year, while Montague is 7-3. The Wildcats defeated Central Montcalm 41-7 in last night’s playoff opener.
