FOOTBALL: Adams stymies Stoney Creek for pre-district win
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BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ROCHESTER HILLS — Jordan Shive is used to sprinting and having to run over hurdles at the same time.
So when the All-State hurdler had a chance for a straight dash Friday night, the Rochester Adams senior sized the moment.
Picking off Rochester Stoney Creek quarterback Justin Allor at the Highlanders’ 16 yard line, Shive found plenty of daylight and returned the pick for six points after racing 84 yards for pay dirt.
Those were the final points in Adams’ first postseason win in two years, as the host Highlanders stymied Stoney Creek, 17-6, in a Division 1 pre-district contest.
“My dad always tells me if I see daylight — just go for it,” said Shive, who missed his junior season with an injury but has redeemed himself with a strong senior season. “I saw the ball in the air, saw the option and I knew I could take it.”
Adams (7-3), with perhaps its best defensive effort against a quality opponent this season, will visit Walled Lake Northern next Friday night for the district championship. Not bad for a team picked to finish in the bottom half of the league this season and failed to make the postseason last year for the first time since 1996.
The Highlanders, who posted 15 straight postseason teams from 1997 through 2011, also lost their starting quarterback, Matt Sokol, to injury in Week 6 and have played with a freshman and sophomore at quarterback for the past 4.5 games.
ELUSIVE: Rochester Adams’ Jordan Shive outraces Rochester Stoney Creek’s Joe Platz during Friday’s Division 1 pre-district contest. Photo | Ken Swart, Swart Photography.
“That is what is so great about high school football,” offered Adams 11th-year head coach Tony Patritto. “Sometimes the kids have to (adjust and) bump up their effort and the kids have. The kids and assistant coaches won this game. I am just a passenger.
“This was a complete team effort,” continued Patritto. “I don’t want to say anything else without congratulating our defensive coaches, their game plan, their work ethic. This team, with a bunch of young guys playing against that (Stoney Creek) offense, they were the difference tonight.”
Adams, which played in the rugged OAA White Division this season, forced three turnovers in the contest, limited the Cougars (6-4) to only seven first downs, sacked Allor five times and repeatedly halted the Cougars into negative yardage on numerous plays from scrimmage.
In fact, Stoney Creek was held to a season low of only six points, had just 27 rushing plays for just 59 yards on the ground and collected only 49 passing yards (4-for-16). The Cougars also punted the ball away six times and turned the ball over once on downs.
“It wasn’t just our defense” noted Patritto. “Our special teams put them in some bad positions almost the whole game. Traditionally we’ve been a field position team. I can’t tell you how proud I am. (Assistant) Coach (Mark) McFarland did a great job. Our kids made some big stops time in and time out because (Stoney Creek) has tons and tons of experience and tons of talent. I am very thankful that they (all) did such a great job.”
Adams scored on its second possession of the game. Taking over on their own 40 following Steven Milkie’s interception, the Highlanders strung together a 10-play, 60-yard drive that ended with 10:24 left in the second quarter when senior Clarence Broadnax plunged into the end zone from 1 yard out.
Junior Spencer Ward split the uprights with the extra point which in the end proved to be the game-winning point.
Milkie recovered a Stoney Creek fumble at the Cougars’ 16 with four minutes left in the half. Four plays later, Ward booted a 26-yard field goal which sent the Highlanders into the locker room with a 10-0 halftime advantage.
“We’ve had so many guys step up this year,” praised Patritto. “These guys knew how big of a game this was.”
Senior-laden Stoney Creek gained the ball on the Highlanders’ 31 and took advantage of the great field position. Only three plays later, Nick Rangos scored on a 19-yard run with 6:42 remaining in the third quarter. The extra point was blocked by Adams’ Mark Sokol, leaving the Cougars in a 10-6 hole — a hole they could not dig out of down the stretch.
Stoney Creek had four more possessions in the contest but could not convert on any of them, punting away twice, throwing the interception that resulted in the final Adams touchdown and turning the ball over on downs in the fourth quarter.
After a strong start which included defeating Lake Orion for the first time in school history, Stoney Creek dropped three of its final five games, including losses in the final two weeks by a combined 12 points to Farmington Harrison and Rochester Adams.
“We had trouble moving the ball and putting drives together,” sighed Stoney Creek coach Brad Zube. “It was a well-played game by both sides. I knew it would be physical. They’re a very good football team and did a nice job tonight. We just ended up on the short end of it this week. We couldn’t put it all together.”
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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.
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