skip navigation

WL Western takes out Groves in battle of unbeatens

By By KEITH DUNLAP, 11/08/15, 3:30PM EST

Share

MI Prep Zone GAME OF THE WEEK

WALLED LAKE – During the week of preparation leading up to Friday’s Division 2 district final against Birmingham Groves, Walled Lake Western football coach Mike Zdebski poured over the numbers regarding the impressive statistics the Groves defense put up this year.

But just as he was amazed with the fact Groves posted six shutouts and gave up just 36 points on the season going in, Zdebski equally figured his offense that came in averaging just short of 42 points a game had a fighter’s chance as well in the battle between strength vs. strength.

“We just looked at it as they are a good team, but we have to play our game,” Zdebski said. “We just had to make sure we didn’t beat ourselves. That’s it right now. The teams that lose somehow beat themselves.”

Western definitely didn’t beat itself, had its way with the stout Groves defense and thus finds itself still playing following a 34-21 win over Groves in a game between two 10-0 squads going in. 

The Warriors moved on to host Midland Dow in a regional final next week thanks to a big edge in special teams, a defense that shut down a potent Groves running attack and of course, its powerful offense that almost scored as many points on Groves in one game as the Falcons had given up all season. 

Special teams for WL Western especially special in win over Groves

Western took advantage of short fields in the first half to take a 17-6 lead, scoring on drives that started at the Groves 32, the Groves 44 and its own 41-yard line.

Groves cut the lead to 17-14 in the second quarter on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Beau Kewley to Nate Higley and a subsequent 2-point pass from Kewley to Drew Sheckell, but Western got a major momentum shift right before halftime.

Western’s Kameron Ford muffed a Groves punt, but then picked it up, found room to run and raced 90 yards to the end zone to give the Warriors a 24-14 lead with 33.7 seconds remaining in the first half. 

“That separated it right there,” Zdebski said. “They had the momentum going into half and then we had it. We stole it back. That was a big, big play by Kam.”

Western took a 27-14 lead in the third quarter on a 27-yard field goal by John Camilleri, but Groves responded with an epic, 99-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a 5-yard touchdown run from Allen that made it 27-21 Western with 8:06 left. 

But Western kept the pressure on, going up 34-21 with 7:39 remaining on a 50-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Kyle Thomas, capping off a 69-yard drive that took just two plays. 

Originally a flag was thrown in the area of offensive holding, but officials then picked up the flag and the touchdown stood. 

Thomas finished 12 of 20 passing for 127 yards and he rushed 11 times for 71 yards, whole senior Jake Prokes ran for 106 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries to lead Western. 

Kewley went 9 of 22 passing for 193 yards and Nick Moore caught six passes for 130 yards to lead Groves, which only was able to run the ball for 35 yards on 25 carries and saw Kewley get sacked four times.

Still, this was an unforgettable year for Groves, which went unbeaten in the regular season for the first time in school history and beat traditional state power Farmington Hills Harrison in a first-round game last week. 

“I don’t want tonight to take away from anything we have done,” Groves head coach Brendan Flaherty said. “We are pumped for them and respect those guys. I don’t want to lose to anybody, but if we have to lose to somebody good, who we respect and that is well-coached, then that is what it is.”

 

Read more @ MI Prep Zone

Tag(s): Walled Lake Western  Walled Lake Western  Walled Lake Western