Local Sports Journal
East Kentwood High School quarterback Kyle Freiberg completed 14-of-20 passes for 203 yards and four touchdowns here Friday night in leading the Falcons to a 34-14 football victory over the Grand Haven Buccaneers.
The victory boosted East Kentwood to 3-2 for the season and 1-0 in the O-K Conference Red Division in the league opener for both teams. Grand Haven dropped to 1-4 for the season overall and 0-1 in the O-K Red.
Kentwood’s offense controlled the first half in building a 20-0 halftime lead.
Freiberg passed for all three Kentwood touchdowns in the first half. He completed passes of 62 yards to Ruscette, four yards to Colin Callaway and 74 yards to Kevin Smith for the touchdowns. The Falcons had nine first downs and 149 yards passing at halftime.
Grand Haven scored twice in the second half. Abe Westerman scored on a three-yard run for the first score with 6:06 left in the third quarter. The extra point attempt failed.
Kentwood moved 70 yards in its next possession and scored when Michael Ivy took a pitchout around the left end for a four-yard touchdown run. The Falcons kicked the extra point and led 27-6 with 3:23 left in the third quarter.
The teams traded touchdowns again in the remaining time. Grand Haven’s Dakota Juarez blocked a Kentwood punt after a bad snap and the Buccaneers recovered in the end zone for the score. Schaefer Thelen ran in the conversion attempt for two-points. The blocked punt had been set up when Grand Haven completed a long pass deep into Kentwood territory only to have the Falcons knock the ball loose from the receiver before recovering it at the Kentwood 9-yard-line.
Kentwood scored its final touchdown with 8:44 left on an 18-yard-pass from Freiberg to Ruscette again. The Falcons kicked the extra point and had the final 34-14 winning margin.
Quarterback Karl Johnson passed for 191 yards for Grand Haven.
The Buccaneers will host Holland West Ottawa on Oct. 6 while Kentwood will entertain Grandville.
