OK trivia buffs: When is the last time Wayland defeated South Christian on the varsity gridiron? And when is the last time a Wayland team has started the season with a 3-0 record?

The answers — The Wildcats last beat South Christian 21-14 in 2007, 11 years ago. The Wildcats started at 3-0 in 2003, 15 years ago.

Both milestones were achieved Friday night with a huge 19-14 upset over the visiting Sailors, who had scored more than 40 points in both of their first two cakewalks in 2018.

Wayland scored two touchdowns early to shock South Christian in the opening quarter. Quarterback Carson Sevigny scored from 10 yards away with the contest not even two minutes old. Then the ‘Cats applied more shock therapy with recovery of an onside kickoff at South Christian’s 42-yard line.

Aided by a 26-yard reverse run by Caleb Wolf to the 13 and a personal foul penalty on the Sailors, Wayland pushed the ball over the goal line on a six-yard run by Ashton Ordway. There was still 6:47 left in the first quarter and the home team was up 13-0.

But later in the period, South recovered the ball when a kick inadvertently hit a Wildcat player and then went 27 yards to the end zone, with sophomore back Eli Smith scoring the six points. The Sailors scored for a second time in the second quarter, aided by a couple of passes, on a one-yard plunge, and the extra point was good for a 14-13 lead for South at the half.

The Sailors threatened, but did not score, in the third quarter when Seth Savinski-Popma, who’s getting to be a bit of a ball hawk in the secondary, picked off an aerial at his own four. The ‘Cats moved the ball on a double digit yardage run by Ordway, a quarterback keeper by Sevigny and his pass to Devin Jakey, and a daring fake punt by Tanner Fordham.

Braeden Anderson came up with a big special teams play by blocking a punt and recovering it at the Sailors’ 22, setting up the last touchdown of the evening. That final six points was the result of a scoring strike from Sevigny to Caleb Wolf. The two-point conversion attempt was foiled.

Ordway then alertly pounced on a South fumble to halt a drive.

South Christian frantically threatened to win it, coming from behind the passing attack led by QB Luke Schrotenboer. He was successful enough to get the ball down to the 3-yard line with a first down and goal and 2:23 showing on the clock. With second and goal at the one, the Sailors were whistled for delay of game and shoved back to the six.

With third and goal from the six, defensive back James Snyder turned in a play he’ll never forget, an interception to preserve Wayland’s thus far undefeated season.

The Wildcats will try to make it an almost unheard of 4-0 next Friday at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg.