DIVISION 6 FOOTBALL: Ithaca pulls together to thwart Constantine for third straight state title

Yellowjackets win 42^nd straight game

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

Twitter: @LocalSportsFans

DETROIT — For the first time this postseason, Ithaca trailed in a football game.

It didn’t matter.

Despite losing their All-State quarterback to injury in the first quarter, the top-ranked Yellowjackets rallied for a 37-27 victory over third-ranked Constantine in the Division 6 football state finals at Ford Field in Detroit.

It was a rematch of last year’s title game.

Ithaca proved to be superior by winning its 42^nd straight contest, which not only is the fourth longest streak in Michigan history, but is the seventh longest active streak nationally. The Yellowjackets last suffered defeat in the 2009 D-6 state semifinals to Montague and have only two losses in four seasons, both coming in ’09.

“We’re a town of 3,000 people and we had 2,000 pre-game tickets sold,” smiled Ithaca coach Terry Hessbrouck. “You can see the size of the crowd we had here again today. This means a lot to our entire community.”

The three straight titles helps Ithaca join an elite class of programs to ever win three or more state titles.

“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to accomplish and we have some seniors that were a part of all three state championship teams,” continued Coach Hessbrouck. “We faced some adversity in this game and we were fortunate enough to have a lot of experience and depth.”

The title was aided by an improbable hero.

Backup quarterback Logan Hessbrouck, the coach’s nephew, was inserted into the game early in the first quarter and orchestrated all six touchdown drives for Ithaca. The junior handled the pressure replacing Travis Smith, who did not return after his first-quarter injury.

“On the scale of 1-10, I would say (the pressure level) was an 11,” smiled the younger Hessbrouck, who had very limited snaps during practice throughout the postseason and last played significant minutes at quarterback last fall on the junior varsity. “I didn’t expect to have to go in. Nobody did. But I got my opportunity and was able to step up.”

Hessbrouck finished with 113 yards on 23 carries and was 7-for-13 passing for 104 yards. He had two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns.

“We haven’t faced a lot of adversity during this run,” offered Coach Hessbrook. “We knew we were going to get Constantine’s best effort, and then to lose your starting quarterback on the first series of the game. It’s tough. But we kept doing what we do best. This was the toughest game we’ve been a part of (over the years).”

Constantine (11-3) fell short of its quest for a state title for the second straight year —with both losses coming to the powerful Yellowjackets.

Constantine led three times in the first half, only to see Ithaca (14-0) score four straight touchdowns in the final three quarters. The Yellowjacketrs went ahead for good at 27-20 when Hessbrouck scored on a 1-yard run and Sage DeMull made his third of five extra points.

“You don’t win 42 games in a row by accident,” sighed Constantine coach Shawn Griffith. “They are so talented and even when we had the lead, we knew they would keep coming at us. They showed that have some depth. Not too many teams can put in a backup at quarterback like that and still put up points like that. We lost to a very good football team.”

Tommy Reed staked Constantine to 7-0 advantage with 6:47 left in the opening frame when he scored on a 3-yard run. Ithaca answered back with 4:55 left in the frame when Hessbrouck scampered home on a 45-yard run.

Constantine regained the lead when Jeff Steiner scored on a 2-yardp lunge with 3:12 still left in the first quarter. Once again, they Yellowjackets responded when Markes Galden hauled in a 30-yard strike from Hessbrouck.

Constantine grabbed its last lead of the game with 4:06 left in the first half, this time on Justin’ Hull’s 52-yard sprint. The extra point failed.

Ithaca rallied back to tie the score at 20-20 at the half, when Hessbrook’s 22-yard dart to Jared Evers was good for another score.

Evers added 77 rushing yards on 10 carries and Galden (36 yards) and Evers (30 yards) combined for four catches for Ithaca.

“We didn’t make any adjustments at halftime — we just asked our players to do their jobs,” added Coach Hessbrook said. “Against a team that runs like Constantine does, you have to be very disciplined.”

DeMull added a 30-yard field goal with 11:55 to play, following a blocked punt by Tyler Gibson. Evers capped Ithaca’s scoring on a 32-yard sprint with 6:25 to play.

The Falcons scored one final time with 5:49 left on a 37-yard scamper from Ben Mallo, but the damage had already been done. Mallo finished with 207 yards on 16 carries and Hull added 102 yards on nine rushes for Constantine.

“Ithaca — that’s a great football team,” offered Griffith. “You don’t win 42 straight football games because you’ve got one good player.That doesn’t happen. You’ve got to have a stable of them, and he’s got them. He’s got quite a few of them.”

To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com.  To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com . Follow us on Twitter @LocalSportsFans and more than a dozen other social media networks.

FOR MORE FOOTBALL COVERAGE:  http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Football&x=12&y=12

Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com.

Tags: Constantine Football, football, high school football, Ithaca Football, MHSAA Division 6 Football State Finals, prep football

Category: Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Stats / Area Leaders, Top Stories, Uncategorized