Can the taste of revenge be too sweet?
Perhaps not to the Martin football team, which came up with an eyebrow-raising 52-22 triumph Friday night over Gobles in the first round of the post-season playoffs.
The Clippers, two-time defending state champions in eight-man football, had lost lost only twice since Sept. 15, 2023, both at the hands of Gobles. They had a 15-game winning streak that included the state championship game at the Superior Dome.
Gobles took a 20-14 decision last month in a regular season showdown, pinning Martin with its only setback this year. The Tigers finished the regular campaign with a 9-0 record while Martin was 8-1.
The Clippers and Tigers were knotted at 14-all Friday night when Martin came up with a touchdown and two-point conversion just before intermission. Martin outgunned Gobles 30-8 in the second half to duplicate its feat of gaining revenge in 2023.
Martin will play Mendon Friday night in the second round of the playoffs.
The Hopkins varsity football team somehow failed to score a single point in its last three games of the season, the latest instance being a 28-0 defeat Friday at the hands of Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
The Vikings were shut out by Decatur 18-0, then by Belding in a 40-0 rout and finally the loss at Catholic Central, which was Friday night in the first round of the Division 5 post-season playoffs.
Hopkins tried to shorten the game with long running drives.
The Cougars took the opening kick and went 90 yds on 10 plays scoring with Kamal Hillard on a 23 yard TD run.
The Vikings then ran 14 plays for 64 yards but Cougars came up with a goal line stand and denied them on the one.
The rest of the night Hopkins was limited to 47 yards rushing on 21 attempts. The Vikings’ lone pass of the night was picked off Angelo Lauria who led the CC defense.
Jami Williams came in and tied his brother Jace for the CC receptions, grabbing 7 passes for 93 yards and a TD. Catholic QB Odin Spencer was 14/18 with 155 yds and a TD, plus a five-yard TD running.
Hillard had 59 yards on 13 carries and a TD. Freshman Timmy Clarey scored CC’s last TD
Hopkins finished the campaign with a 6-4 record and was second in the O-K Silver Conference.
