Clarkston sharp in sliding past Rochester
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
ROCHESTER HILLS — Rochester honored some of its all-time great athletes Friday night with its annual Hall of Fame induction. It was Clarkston that more than stole the limelight.
Playing in the driving rain and near-freezing temperatures, the Wolves ran roughshod over the injury-riddled Falcons. Clarkston won its third straight game after its two-game forfeiture, pounding the Falcons 28-0 in OAA Red Division play to remain in second place with Troy Athens in the conference.
“We have a lot of senior leaders on this team,” admitted Clarkston senior quarterback Mitch Baenziger, who was 7-for-12 passing for 136 yards with one touchdown toss and one interception. “We have guys like Joey Goss and four-year starter Zach Collins at linebacker, who have really kept everyone’s attitude positive. We just have to keep gutting it out to get the wins.”
Clarkston (4-2, 4-1) held Rochester to minus-one yards of offense in the first half and consistently pushed the Falcons back deep inside their own territory. The Wolves also scored on four of their six possessions of the first half, which proved to be the game’s only four scoring drives.
FINDING ROOM TO MOVE: Not even Rochester and a driving rain could stop Clarkston's Adam Johns and the rest of the Wolves from chalking up a 28-0 shutout Friday in OAA Red Division play. Photo By Larry Wright, www.WrightActionPix.com
Joey Goss finished the night with 111 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns and added three catches for 83 yards for Clarkston. He scored on runs of 2, 24 and 17 yards in the first half, and even scored on a hook-and-ladder play on the fourth touchdown just 30 seconds before the break.
Baenziger’s pass to Evan Montgomery at the Rochester 25 was immediately pitched to Goss, who finished off the 48-yard play for the 28-0 advantage.
The third TD was set up when Jared Yaroch recovered a fumble at the Rochester 13 and Goss ran it in two plays later.
“I thought Joey Goss was outstanding,” said Clarkston coach Kurt Richardson. “In this weather, the rain can be a great equalizer. But he made some nice plays in our (scoring drives), found some holes. He’s been playing really well lately.”
Montgomery added eight rushes for 62 yards and Baenziger had 49 yards on eight carries for the Wolves.
Rochester (1-5, 0-5) was able to pick off Baenziger once in the first quarter, but that was at the Falcons’ 8. Rochester couldn’t get the ball out of its own red zone and was forced to punt.
It was the first shutout of the4 season and fifth opponent that Clarkston has held to 20 points or less.
“One of the big things is that Zach Collins is starting to get healthy,” said Richardson of his team’s top linebacker. “He got the screws out of his leg and he said it’s the first time he hasn’t had pain in three years. He’s made some strides.
“It was work out there (due to the conditions),” continued Richardson. “I thought we moved the ball well. Mitch threw the ball well. We did the things we needed to do to win.”
In the second half, both teams were able to crack the red zone, but Clarkston turned the ball over on a fumble and Rochester turned the ball over on downs.
Rochester’s defense forced three turnovers, but with numerous players on the sidelines with injuries and two other players lost due to disciplinary reasons, the Falcons have found little success this season.
“We have a lot of pride,” admitted third-year Rochester head coach Erik Vernon. “It’s a just a matter of getting a mesh that works together. I’ve got a lot of good kids and what they’ve done. If we get some kids healthy, hopefully still get the chance to finish the season off strong.”
James Ward had 42 yards on 14 carries form Rochester, which was held to only 66 yards of offense, 56 on the ground and 10 in the air..
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Category: Clarkston, High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Rochester
