October 17, 2014
By Jim Steier
Powered by a dominating performance from its defense, the Mount Michael
football team traveled to Schuyler and posted a 42-0 victory over the winless Warriors
on Friday. The Knights’ stingy defensive effort came just one week after the
unit struggled against Bennington.
“We didn't change anything about our defensive scheme,” said senior
linebacker Andy Ernst. “The seniors were steady in their leadership roles and
several underclassmen stepped up and played well.”
Ernst singled out sophomores Jeff Petry, Ryan Riddle, Drew Goddard and
Caiden Groff. Groff led that crew with five tackles and two interceptions.
Petry had three tackles, Goddard had two and Ryan Riddle added five, including
a jarring hit on Schuyler running back Neff Mejia to cause a fumble.
The Mount Michael defense finished with six takeaways, consisting of
two interceptions and four fumble recoveries. Senior safety Mick Steier led the
team with 11 tackles and Jake Mumby chipped in seven stops.
Schuyler’s best offensive opportunity was snuffed out when Steier dove
to block a 48-yard field goal attempt with 7:58 left in the second quarter.
Overall, Mount Michael’s defense allowed Schuyler only 83 yards of
total offense, including six first downs and 14 yards rushing. “We had a lot of
players deliver great defensive performances,” said Mount Michael Coach Jon
Borer. “But I really thought Groff, Steier and Ryan Riddle stood out.”
The Knight’s offense got off to a slow start in the first quarter.
After Groff picked off a Jesse Westerbuhr pass on the game’s second play, the
Knights failed to convert and turned the ball over on downs. After its second
drive also ended unsuccessfully, Mount Michael finally got on the board with :51
remaining in the first quarter on a three-yard run by Mumby.
“At the beginning of the game, our offense struggled because several of
us weren’t on the same page,” senior quarterback Jake Batenhorst said. “After a
couple series, we got into a rhythm and we were able to have a lot of success
the rest of the game.”
The Knights’ offense did its damage both on the ground and through the
air, finishing with 167 yards rushing and 217 passing. Batenhorst surpassed
4,000 passing yards in his Mount Michael career while connecting on 19 of his
25 throws.
Mumby, a senior running back, ran for 139 yards on 21 carries,
including touchdown runs of two, three and five yards. The Mount Michael aerial
attack was led by Chris Riddle’s eight catches, 107 yards and a touchdown.
Steier added four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, while Alex Miklas
caught four balls for 17 yards.
The victory improved Mount Michael’s record to 4-4 and kept the team’s
hopes alive for a playoff berth.
“First and foremost, we need to win against a good Blair football
team,” Borer said. “After that, we will need a few other things to fall into
place in order to qualify for the playoffs. But none of that matters if we
don’t play well and find a way to beat Blair.”
Despite the challenge that lies ahead, the players are excited to be in
this position. “We know that Blair has a very good team,” Steier said. “But we
also know that if we execute on both sides of the ball, we can compete with any
team in the state.”
After taking a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, Mount Michael scored
21 points in the second quarter to build a 28-0 halftime advantage. Second
quarter touchdowns included a run by Mumby and catches by Steier and Garrett
Raabe. Raabe’s touchdown was an
impressive individual effort as the senior hauled in a pass across the middle
of the field and shrugged off three potential tacklers to score for the first
time in his Mount Michael career.
The first half’s final touchdown came in unlikely fashion. With only
.02 seconds on the clock and the Knights sitting at the Warriors’ 24-yard line,
Batenhorst rolled to his right and connected with Steier at the Schuyler 10-yard
line. Steier then avoided the first tackler and split two defenders to get into
the end zone as time expired.
In the second half, the Mount Michael offense came out ready to play.
On the third play of the half, Mumby took a handoff and sprinted 48 yards to
the Schuyler 5-yard line. On the very next play, Mumby capped the drive with
run off right tackle to put the Knights ahead 35-0 with 10:31 remaining in the
third quarter.
Mount Michael’s final touchdown came on a 25-yard pass from Batenhorst
to Chris Riddle in the back of the end zone with 8:37 remaining in the third
quarter.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Mount Michael 7 21 14 0 42
Schuyler 0 0 0 0 0
1st Quarter
MMB - Jake Mumby 3 run (Matt Dugick kick) 0:51
2nd Quarter
MMB - Mumby 2 run (Dugick kick) 6:00
MMB - Garrett Raabe 32 pass from Jake Batenhorst (Dugick kick) 4:01
MMB - Mick Steier 24 pass from Batenhorst (Dugick kick) 0:00
3rd Quarter
MMB - Mumby 5 run (Dugick kick) 10:31
MMB - Chris Riddle 25 pass from Batenhorst (Dugick kick) 8:37
4th Quarter
No Scoring
