The Zeeland West Dux and South Christian Sailors met at Hudsonville on Friday night in the final OK Gold matchup for each team. It was a competitive battle between two state powerhouses, but in the end, the Dux were able to emerge victorious with a 34-21 victory.
Early on, it was all Zeeland West. On the opening drive of the game, Zeeland West needed just three plays to take the lead. Keaton Hendricks ripped off a 58-yard sprint to the end zone, giving the Dux an early 8-0 edge. As the quarter neared the end, Isaac VanderZwaag added to the advantage with a 16-yard touchdown carry.
Coach John Shillito’s Dux, known for their Wing-T offense, seldom pass the football. One of their few passes in this game went for a long touchdown, when Trey Sloothaak and Brandon Holman paired up for a 65-yard connection. This gave the Dux a 20-point lead. South Christian would get on the scoreboard when Isaac Oosterhaven found the end zone from 4 yards out shortly before the half.
The defenses tightened up in the third quarter, and scoring chances were at a premium. The lone touchdown came from the Sailors’ quarterback, Carson Vis. The senior signal-caller used his legs for a 1-yard touchdown carry, trimming the lead to six, 20-14, with one quarter left to play.
Zeeland West ended the third quarter amidst a drive downfield, and shortly into the fourth quarter, they capitalized. Jonah Leslie, who had converted a two-point run earlier in the game, found the end zone for the first time on a 1-yard touchdown run. This gave the Dux a twelve-point cushion.
South Christian would claw back again, this time with another Carson Vis touchdown. Vis would take to the air, finding Charlie DeHaan for a quick score, bringing the Sailors within five and just seven minutes left on the clock.
An advantage of the Wing-T offense is its ability to control the clock and wear teams down. The Dux put that on full display at the closing moments of this game. They marched just fifty yards, but took up nearly six minutes to do so. Isaac VanderZwaag iced the game away with his second touchdown run, a 2-yard carry.
Zeeland West, now 7-1, concludes their regular season against West Catholic next week. South Christian meanwhile slides to 4-4 with their fourth straight defeat. The schedule does not relent in Week 9, as they will face Grand Rapids Catholic Central. The Cougars are on their own two-game skid, and neither club will want to enter the playoffs without some positive momentum.
