Local Sports Journal

MUSKEGON – After an 0-2 start, some Muskegon Catholic Central fans may have started to get nervous.

Since then, however, the Crusaders have rolled to four-straight victories, including Friday night’s 55-6 win over Orchard View, and now sit two wins shy of yet another automatic playoff berth. Conceivably because of Catholic’s tough schedule for a Div. 8 squad, the team could make it into the playoffs with just five wins.

Indeed, it was a glorious Homecoming night for the Crusaders, putting up the game’s first five scores in the blowout win.

“We scored on our first five drives and we talked about executing (before the game),” said first-year MCC coach Steve Czerwon. “When you score on your first five drives is sets you in your place. This win gets us one more away from making the playoffs.”

Crusader QB Nick Holt got things going, scoring on TD runs of four and 10 yards to open the game, with teammate Tommy Scott scoring from a yard out to make it 21-0

Holt scored again from a yard out, and Scott hauled in a 56-yard pass from Holt in the late stages of the first half to make it 34-0.

Orchard View picked up its only score of the contest with under 20 seconds left in the first half, when Devin Pascavage pulled down a 33-yard TD strike from Logan Duzan to make it 34-6 at the break.

Alex Lewandoski returned a kick 72 yards, and Holt picked up a one-yard TD run in the third for Catholic, while Blake Sanford capped the scoring with a 28-yard TD catch from Zach Huston to make provide the final result.

MCC kicker Griffen Seymour went 7-for-7 on PATs.

Holt finished with 80 yards on nine carries and four scores on the ground, and threw for 115 yards on 4-of-5 passing with one pick. Lewandoski finished with 67 yards on eight carries and Scott added 62 yards on eight carries and had one catch for a score.

Sanford added two catches for 38 yards.

Orchard View’s Michael Parker led the meager Cardinal running attack 27 yards on four carries, while Duzan finished with 6-of-17  passing for 70 yards. Fred Waller had four  catches for 40 yards in the loss.

Defensively, MCC’s Anthony Woodard and Lewandoski both finished with six tackles, with teammates Ian Tyler and Nate Jones both finished with five stops apiece.

Parker led OV with 10 stops.