Hart no match for Montague as Wildcats gain playoff berth for 13th-straight season

Local Sports Journal

MONATGUE – The Montague Wildcats became playoff eligible Friday night after defeating conference foe Hart.

And they did it in dominating fashion, defeating the visiting Pirates 64-21 to improve to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the West Michigan Conference while Hart stays a winless 0-8.

This is the 13^th-straight year that Montague has earned a playoff berth.

Against Hart, the Wildcats scored early and often, outscoring the Pirates 50-14 in the first half.

Senior Wyatt Ford scored four times, three on the ground and another in the air, while sophomore QB Jacob Buchberger added three more rushing scores in the blowout win. Senior Jimmy Belanger added a rushing score for Montague.

Buchberger finished with 9-of-13 passing for 140 yards and a score while also ringing up 58 yards on five rushes. Ford led all rushers with 128 yards on 14 carries, with Belanger adding 44 yards on 10 carries for the Wildcats.

Montague senior Alex VanVleet led the receiving corps with four catches for 61 yards, and junior teammate Mike Meekof added three catches for 40 yards.

Brett Bumpus and Ben Rupert led the Wildcat defense with eight tackles each, and VanVleet, Cameron Brayman, Cody Gjertsen, Luis Martinez and Preston Kahl each added five stops in the victory.