Local Sports Journal

The Hemlock Huskies’ experience won out in a Division 6 predistrict football game against Montague on Friday night.

The host Huskies led 21-14 at the half then ran away in the second half for a 45-20 victory over the Wildcats. Hemlock will take on Ithaca, a 42-14 winner over Grandville Calvin Christian, in next week’s district championship game.

“Our seniors stepped up tonight,” Montague coach Pat Collins said. “They stepped up and exceeded our expectations.”

But in the end, it was Hemlock, which is advancing.

Chase Wiechmann opened the scoring for the hosts with a 40-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, Dylan Honsinger scored from 8 yards out.

Montague came back on a Brandon Stine 12-yard touchdown run. Wyatt Ford kicked the extra point to cut the deficit to 14-7.

Hemlock answered right back by returning the ensuing kickoff for at touchdown and a 21-7 lead.

Before the half would end, Montague scored on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Buchberger to Jacob Marsh.

Hemlock added 10 points in the third quarter and 14 more in the final quarter.

Montague’s lone score of the second half came in the fourth quarter. Brandon Moore caught a 15-yard pass from Buchberger.

“We made some mistakes and they made some plays and that’s hard to come back on that,” Collins said.

Buchberger completed 12-of-26 passes for 124 yards and rushed 17 times for 63 yards. Brandon Stine rushed for 53 yards on 16 carries. Moore caught three passes for 59 yards for the Wildcats, who finished the season 8-2.

Marsh had nine tackles and Ford had six.

“We don’t make excuses,” Collins said. “We just have to expect to win a state championship. The kids fought hard and they worked untili the final whistle.”