The Zeeland East Chix and Hamilton Hawkeyes rekindled a series that was played annually as a conference matchup between 2008-2011 and 2016-2019 on Friday night. These familiar foes both had their eyes set on reaching the postseason, and Zeeland East likely did their part in a 28-16 victory.
Early in this game, it was all Hamilton. Jeren Bronkhorst got the Hawkeyes on the board with a 1-yard touchdown carry late in the first quarter. Gabe Schrotenboer added a 28-yard field goal in the opening plays of the second quarter to extend the lead to 10-0.
The Chix quickly responded with a pair of scoring plays to snatch the lead away. First, Jack Kamphuis broke off a 26-yard touchdown run that was paired with a Will Versteeg two-point conversion. Finally, Will Drnek took to the air to find Coby Miller on a 41-yard touchdown pass. Zeeland East would take this 15-10 lead into the locker room.
Scoring was limited in the third quarter, but the Chix were able to push their lead further. Drnek made the big play once again, finding Isaiah Boonstra on a 62-yard touchdown that padded the lead to 11 points.
Early in the fourth quarter, Eli Walcott‘s 9-yard touchdown run extended Zeeland East’s advantage to 28-10. Hamilton would respond with a Logan O’Connor touchdown run, but they would not draw closer.
In a must-win game, the Chix’ best players delivered key performances. Will Drnek finished 14/20 for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Isaiah Boonstra had five catches, racking up 115 yards and that key touchdown. On the defensive side, Will Stehouwer led the way with 19 tackles.
At 5-4, Zeeland East should have enough points to sit comfortably during Sunday’s selection show. Hamilton, also 5-4, appears to have enough points as well, though this will be confirmed after a few outstanding results on Saturday.
