ALMONT — Almont concluded the regular season portion of their schedule with a 42-21 road setback to Goodrich in a non-league varsity football confrontation last Friday night.
With the outcome, Goodrich improves to 8-1. Almont slips to 6-3 this season.
“All credit goes to Goodrich,” Almont Coach James Leusby said. “That is a very tough, physical and well-coached team,” he noted.
“Moving forward, we need to have a good week of preparation for the playoffs.”
In Friday’s confrontation, Almont and Goodrich collected seven points each during quarter number one.
Almont’s (L to R) Caydon Nascivera, Max Koskodan, Drew VanDyke, Cody Koval and Jacob Fuller combined for a tackle versus Goodrich.
The next 12-minute stretch saw both sides manage 14 points, making it 21-21 at the half.
When the action resumed, Goodrich struck with a 21-0 third quarter advantage. That staked the them to a 42-21 lead with 36 minutes gone.
Neither side would score the rest of the way.
Almont generated their 21-point total aided by a Chase Battani four-yard touchdown run (followed by a successful extra point kick courtesy of Sean O’Neil); a Battani 14-yard touchdown run (followed by an accurate extra point boot from O’Neil); and a Bryce Ferman 54-yard touchdown run (followed by a successful extra point kick courtesy of O’Neil).
For the night, Trenton Kruse completed three of eight pass plays for 18 yards as Almont’s quarterback. He threw one interception en route to those numbers.
The Almont ground attack managed 233 yards on 47 totes.
Ferman (14 rushes for 103 yards) and Battani (100 yards on 16 totes) posted Almont’s top individual outputs. The remaining 17 Raider rushes netted a combined 30-yard gain.
Tyler Filinger (six solos and five assists) and Josh Mroz (three solos and three assists) paced Almont as far as tackles were concerned. Matthew Measel and Ayden Ferqueron (two solos and two assists each) supported their performances.
The Almont defense also registered a pair of takeaways that evening. Caydon Nascivera and Ferqueron (an interception each) furnished those.
Almont will look to bounce back this Friday when they entertain Ovid-Elsie in a Division 6 playoff game. That matchup lists a 7 p.m. starting time.
Kevin Kissane has been covering high school sports for the Tri-City Times since 1985. When not standing on a field or court with his camera and notepad, he enjoys golf, travel and family. Kevin is a 1980 graduate of Capac High School, and is also a grad of St. Clair Community College and earned a degree in journalism from Central Michigan University.
