Ludington pushes top-seed Big Rapids to the limit before falling in district opener, 28-21

 

BIG RAPIDS – Let’s set the stage for what was an instant classic.

 

Under a minute remained in regulation. Ludington, the No. 4 seed, trailed Big Rapids, the No. 1 seed in the Division 4 district playoffs, by one score.

 

Ludington had the ball, with junior quarterback Cameron Gunsell having a hot night.

 

Things didn’t look too bright for the Orioles when Gunsell took a sack, pushing them back even further from the Big Rapids goal line and time against them.

 

Gunsell shook it off, though, fired a strike down field to the Cardinals 37-yard line, and then hit Zach Graham with a 32-yarder that set the Orioles up at the 5-yard line.

 

Then disaster struck, as the Cardinals picked of Gunsell’s pass in the end zone with only 17 seconds left and they took one knee and survived with a 28-21 thriller that moved them on to next week’s district final against Whitehall.

 

“I thought we had done just enough work maybe to get next week,” Ludington coach Charlie Gunsell said. “Obviously, if we had scored, we still had to get the two-point (to take the lead).

 

“Kids were just making plays. I know Cam’s down, but we’re not in this game unless he’s making other plays. Getting picked off in the end zone is tough way to end it, but they (the Cardinals) are a good ball club. They’re well coached, and we hung around a long time, and did a lot of great things.

 

“But, at the end of the day we’re going home, and Big Rapids is moving on.”

 

Ludington got on the board first, recovering a fumble at the Big Rapids 19-yard line, and Cam Gunsell punching it in from 5 yards out. Jonah Peterson’s successful kick after gave the Orioles a 7-0 lead with 4:37 left in the first quarter.

 

But, the Cardinals struck back with a 1-yard run by quarterback Garrett Foster for a tie game, 7-7, at the end of one.

 

Taij Williams picked off a Cardinal pass deep in Ludington territory to give the Orioles the ball back, but the Cardinals intercepted on the next play and were set up at the Oriole 5.

 

Foster took the ball in himself again when the Cardinal offense returned to the field, and Big Rapids jumped unto the lead, 14-7 with 4:03 to go in the second quarter.

 

Ludington didn’t flinch, however, and Gunsell stunned the Big Rapids crowd, and triggered a wild scream from his own fans, when he fired a 33-yard bomb to Graham that knotted the score again, 14-14 at the half.

 

The Cardinals opened a 28-14 lead late in the third quarter.

 

But again, Gunsell rallied his troops. He hit on a couple big passes that drove Ludington down to the Big Rapids 38, and found Brody Kaminski for the touchdown and a 28-21 scored just 6 seconds before the end of the third.

 

“It’s the best we’ve played defense all year,” Coach Gunsell said. “I couldn’t be happier with the guys. They absolutely flew around. They sold out. It felt like a playoff game with the intensity. I thought our defense had come leaps and bounds. They had a great week of practice, and it showed tonight.

 

“Coach (JP) Deiness, coach (Tom) Garrett and coach (Rich) Kirby did an unbelievable job preparing them for Big Rapids. We wanted the opportunity in the fourth quarter, because we have a lot of confidence in our guys.”

 

Gunsell completed 17-of-28 passes for 232 yards and two scores. Graham made six catches for 139 yards and a TD. Peterson had three grabs for 83 yards.

 

Andre Waldon led the defense with nine tackles, Gunsell made seven stops and Messiah Himes, Cole Hackert and Landon Mosqueda had five apiece.

 

Ludington finished the season 7-3. Big Rapids improved to 9-1.