Spring Lake playoff dream slips through fingers in wild OT loss to Big Rapids

By Nate Thompson
LocalSportsJournal.com

SPRING LAKE – Big Rapids just needed a sliver of hope, and unfortunately, a key injury to Spring Lake quarterback Reid Grimmer in the fourth quarter, to completely change the tide of Friday’s Division 4 playoff opener at Spring Lake’s Grabinski Field.

Dual threat senior quarterback Riley Vennix was what the Cardinals needed to take down the Lakers. The oustanding dual threat QB came through with a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 1:10 remaining, then struck first with another score on their opening drive in overtime.

Spring Lake’s Wren Dephouse finds his way to give Lakers a big second-half start. Photo/Jason Goorman

Big Rapids sealed the win after it pounced on a mishandled pitch on the Lakers’ possession to stun the hosts, 27-20.

The Cardinals improve to 9-1 this season and now advance to next week’s district championship against undefeated Whitehall, which defeated Allendale on Friday.

A somber Lakers’ coach, Curt Mallory, took the blame for the loss after he decided to go for a 2-point conversion with 8:03 remaining after the Cardinals jumped offsides twice, trying to block the extra point conversion attempted by Spring Lake kicker Jessica Stewart.

With a 20-12 lead and the ball on the half yard line, the Lakers tried to sneak it into the end zone with Grimmer, but the Cardinals’ defensive front stuffed him short. Grimmer also suffered an apparent right leg injury on the play. Trainers put an aircast on his leg and he was removed from the field on a stretcher. A successful extra point would have put the Lakers up two scores.

“We were on the half yard line and we had been able to move the ball (on the ground) successfully, especially in the second half,” Mallory said. “But it’s not a decision I take lightly. Looking back at it, it cost us the game.”

“Our guys knew that a good extra point would put them up two scores,” added Big Rapids coach Mike Selzer. “We were just trying to block it. I don’t blame (Mallory). I probably would have done the same thing, especially after the second (penalty). I would have just tried to punch it in, too.”

Burt Colin tosses the ball after making an interception for Spring Lake. Photo/Jason Goorman

Instead, the Cardinals rose to life after the goal line stop, and turned in a 12-play, nearly 7-minute drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Vennix.

The Cardinals still needed a successful 2-point conversion to tie the game, and they converted after Vennix rolled out and found running back Garret Foster open on the run just past the goal line.

Grimmer was replaced by Lakers’ sophomore Landon O’Donnell, but the Lakers couldn’t get into scoring position, despite a gutsy fake punt pass call to Colin Burt that picked up a first down. But O’Donnel was tackled on a scramble as time expired near the Lakers’ 20, sending the contest to overtime.

Big Rapids faced a fourth-and-2 on their opening drive of overtime, and Vennix again took matters into his own hands, lowering his shoulder near the end zone and just barely breaking the plane. The extra point put the Cardinals up seven.

Vennix led the Cardinals with 82 yards rushing and also completed 9-of-14 passes for 109 yards in rainy conditions throughout.

“We found a couple formations that he liked, giving him the run, pass option,” Selzer said. “The first two times, he threw it, but that play in OT, he just lowered his shoulder and got in.”

The Lakers’ turn with the ball wasn’t as prosperous. On second down, O’Donnell’s pitch was mishandled, and initially jumped on by the Lakers. But the ball scooted free on the wet grass, and the Cardinals recovered to end the contest.

Big Rapids had a 12-7 lead at the half, as Selzer really opened up the playbook, running sets that featured five wide receivers, Wildcat formations and plenty of designed runs for Vennix.

Sam Schafer (15) rushes the ball for Spring Lake with Ari Bismarck leading the way. Photo/Jason Goorman

Grimmer, who scored the Lakers’ lone first-half touchdown on a 1-yard sneak in the second quarter, got the Lakers rolling again early in the third, as he waited until the last second to draw the defense on an option, before pitching to senior Wren Dephouse. Dephouse had an open lane down the sideline and he took it 52 yards to the end zone, putting Spring Lake up 14-12.

Spring Lake’s Jackson Lemmen picked off Vennix late in the third, and the Lakers turned it into a scoring drive, with bruising running back Sam Schafer scoring on a 7-yard touchdown with 8:03 left in the fourth.

But after Grimmer went down, the Lakers stayed stuck on 20.

“Our guys wanted to win it for him,” Mallory said. “I thought they handled it really well, especially losing a leader like Reid. But we just struggled to make plays down the stretch.”

The Lakers had a balanced rushing attack in its 236 total yards on the ground, led by Bryce Collins’ 78 yards on four carries. Dephouse totaled 53 yards on four carries, while Grimmer totaled 53 yards on 11 carries and also completed 3-of-7 passes for 44 yards.

Linebacker Owen Smies led the Lakers with 12 tackles.