Martin has earned a berth in the regional finals of the MHSAA eight-man football state playoffs next weekend.
The Clippers pounded New Buffalo 50-0 Friday night on their home field and will be back on their home turf to take on Marcellus, a 42-36 winner over Lawrence. Both of these two teams were scheduled for Martin during the regular season, but they didn’t play because of the Coronavirus.
An outstanding defensive performance was the highlight of the evening, as Martin effectively bottled up Bison quarterback and all-round team leader Michael Bombin, who led the team in yards rushing, yards passing, total offense and scoring. New Buffalo had scored an average of almost 37 points per game.
After claiming a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter, the Clippers’ defensive unit, led by J.R. Hildebrand, Tanner Bird and Bryce and Jackson Robinson, stuffed Bombin on two rushing attempts on third and one and fourth and one just 30 yards away from the end zone.
On the second play after taking possession, quarterback Gabe Meyers broke loose on a 65-yard TD gallop and Brayden Eckman scored the two-point conversion.
Shortly afterward, Eckman scooped up a fumble and rambled 35 yards to pay dirt to turn the contest suddenly into a 28-0 rout. Chris Henshaw followed up with a 44-yard TD run.
Eckman then turned in his second heads-up defensive play with pick six. Bombin on the play before that had broken loose on a 35-yard run to take the football down to Martin’s 13. Eckman’s defensive gem covered 90 yards to stake his team to a 42-0 lead.
After Bird stopped Bombin’s kickoff return at his own 13, Jackson Robinson came up with a sack to end the first half.
The Clippers scored two touchdowns on their first possession of the third period, but both were called back by penalties. Eckman hauled in a long TD pass play that was nullified by a holding penalty, but no matter, he scored on a four-yard end run two plays later to cap the scoring for the night.
The Bison made a couple of valiant attempts to get on the scoreboard afterward, but Martin’s defensive unit was destined to post a shutout against a New Buffalo team that had posted a 54-14 bashing of Camden-Frontier the previous Saturday. Martin is now 7-1. New Buffalo’s season ends at 4-4.
Coach Brad Blauvelt’s ballclub has lost on the field only once in its two seasons of eight-man football. The Clippers lost in the semifinal round of the playoffs to state champion Colon. Their one official loss this season was by forfeit.
Word on the street is that they’ll finally get to take on one of two teams they didn’t play this fall because of Covid-19 .
