Wayland lost to Adrian Thursday night by three touchdowns, but a first-rate clubhouse lawyer could argue a case it coulda, but not shoulda won.
The Maples prevailed 29-7, a score eerily much like the 27-8 count a year ago in Adrian, but the Wildcats went 0-for-3 in cashing in on scoring chances and gave away too many big plays that took too little time.
Coach Mike Doupe and his charges had to know they had their work cut out for them even before the opening kickoff. The Maples a year ago made the post-season playoffs, finished with an overall record of 7-5 and just last week thrashed Dexter 41-14. Add to that the fact their roster listed 14 guys at 180 pounds or more, five of them over 200.
Adrian threatened to run away with the contest on its first drive, going 87 yards in 13 plays and showing knack for coming through on third down. It started on its own 13 and converted a couple of key third down plays.
Quarterback Andrew Hribar clicked on four passing attempts in the drive and picked up big yardage on keepers., the last of which went four yards into the end zone from four yards out. He tossed the two-point conversion to favorite receiver Antwan Ficklen to put the visitors up 8-0 with 3:18 left in the first period.
Though Wayland didn’t show much in the way of offensive punch in the first half, a freak play put the home team in a position to score. A botched punt somehow struck an Adrian player and an alert Devin Jakey scooped up the pigskin 40 yards away from pay dirt. Three plays later, running back Mason Miller chewed up a gritty eight yards on fourth down and two and the Wildcats had first and 10 from the 24.
After stalling on the next three plays, Austin Wroblewski tried a 33-yard field goal, but it went wide right.
There was just a little over three minutes left to pay before intermission, but the Maples somehow were able to go 80 yards in just a few plays in less than two minutes.
Ficklen hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass with just 52 seconds left in the second quarter and Hribar tallied the two-point conversion on a quarterback keeper.
So instead of tying the count or cutting the gap to five, the ‘Cats went into the locker room down 16-0.
A couple of heady defensive plays by Ashton Ordway and Kayd Hulst helped stymie Adrian’s next effort at the Wildcat 35. Then the offense started to show some signs of life, as quarterback Carter Morse tossed a couple of passes to Jakey. They pushed the ball 49 yards down to the Maples’ 16 with a third and three, but then coughed it up at the 18.
The defense, this time led by a seven-yard sack by linebacker Braeden Anderson, stuffed Adrian again and forced a short punt to its own 38. A pass to Jakey and a bruising short run by Miller had Wayland first and 10 at the 26.
Hometown patrons thought the ‘Cats had finally gotten into the scoring column when Morse found Jakey in the corner of the end zone for a TD aerial, but referees ruled he stepped out of bounds while making the catch. They had to give up the ball on downs four plays later.
The defense rose to the occasion again, sparked by a nice open-field tackle by Devin Westphal on a sweep attempt by Ficklen. The Wildcats got the ball back at midfield, but picked up only five yards on four plays.
Adrian three plays later, on third down and five, got a big lift with a 48-yard touchdown run by Perry Johnson, whom the ‘Cats otherwise had bottled up all evening.
Down 22-0 with only 2:24 left in the ballgame, Wayland desperately went to the air and Ficklen picked off a pass and took it 43 years into the end zone.
Junior Carson Sevigny was inserted into the game at quarterback and in three plays engineered Wayland’s only touchdown. He scrambled for a 23-yard gain, then Coby Dressler picked up a first down run before Sevigny hooked up with Jakey for a 20-yard scoring strike and Wroblewski booted the extra point.
The Wildcats managed to recover the onside kick on the next play, but it was all over.
COVER PHOTO: Mason Miller (8) picks up a crucial first down with an 8-yard run in the second quarter.
