CLARE — A 20-0 deficit at halftime was too much to overcome for Boyne City as the Ramblers fell to Lansing Catholic by a 34-22 final in the Division 6 football state championship semifinal at Brookwood Athletic Complex in Clare on Saturday.
“We played pretty well, and I’m extremely proud of all the kids. They played hard,” Boyne City head coach Dave Suttle said. “That’s the way these games are supposed to be. Both teams are good, and someone has to lose. Unfortunately, it was us today.”
The Ramblers (10-3) had won eight straight coming in Saturday’s contest, with the last four victories coming after Boyne City trailed at the break. Each time, the Ramblers responded and came away with the win to keep their season alive.
Although Boyne City won the second half, 22-14, that early deficit proved to be the difference-maker that ended the Ramblers’ breakout season a win shy of Ford Field in Detroit.
“It’s really disappointing,” Suttle said. “Good things are going to happen, and bad things are going to happen. Not making it to Ford Field is definitely a bad thing, but you’ve got to celebrate all of the good things.”
Those “good things” included a conference championship, a district championship and a regional championship.
“Those were all games we were not favored to win, but we came out on top,” Suttle said. “Today just wasn’t our day. Now, you move ahead to the next thing. We just move on tomorrow.”
The Cougars (10-3) led 6-0 after the first quarter, scoring on their first possession. But the Ramblers made Lansing Catholic work for it, as the Boyne defense stuffed the Cougars on a third-and-1 from the goalline to force a fourth-down try that Lansing Catholic barely made into the end zone.
“We had some penalties early in the first half that really stalled out some of our drives, and we just weren’t able to get them off the field on third down,” Suttle said.
Ryan Spate put together another spectacular game for the Ramblers, rushing for 190 yards and all three Boyne touchdowns on 27 carries.
The Ramblers struck first in the second half on a 55-yard rushing TD from Spate on the third play from scrimmage, making it a game at 20-7.
The Cougars jumped back ahead by three scores at 27-7 before another Spate touchdown, this one from 22 yards out at the end of the third quarter. Lansing Catholic scored again to make it 34-14 in the fourth, and Spate capped off his season with an 11-yard TD followed by a successful two-point conversion.
“We’re really proud of the players and the coaching staff and the families,” Suttle said. “These kids bought into the system and the program. They had each other’s backs. I haven’t been more proud of a group of kids than I was in the second half today.”
Despite being down for nearly the entirety of the game, the Ramblers never gave in. Suttle said that speaks highly of the Ramblers’ character.
“They came out and battled,” he said. “And that’s tough to do when you have a bunch of seniors playing their last game and they can see the writing on the wall going into the fourth quarter. But they kept fighting for every inch.”
The loss ends the high school football careers of nine senior Ramblers — Ryan Spate, Leon Xiong, Jaden Alger, Maddox Fitzpatrick, Colton Snyder, Zach Herrick, Ryan Chapp, Wiley Belcher and Brady Snyder. But Boyne will return some top talent, headlined by Owen Hewitt, Drew Neer, Hyker McKenney and Tristan Ager.
“This just shows the kids how important this stuff is to your hometown,” Suttle said. “These kids represented their town proudly. … They played gritty. They played tough. They never gave up, but they just fell a little short.”
Suttle said the 2024 Ramblers will always be a special team.
“We’ve got a group of kids that has not only learned life lessons themselves but also showed and taught other people more than they realize,” Suttle said. “That’s important to remember.”
BOYS ICE HOCKEY
TC Central 2
Hancock 0
Traverse City Central: Blake Weaver 1 goal, 1 assist; Kaelan Burkholder 1 goal (first career varsity goal); Arthur McManus 1 assist; Jaxson Soper 1 assist; Zander Folgmann 1 assist; Kiel Knapp 21 saves, shutout.
UP NEXT: The Trojans (2-1) take on Muskegon Mona Shores in the TCW Thanksgiving Invite at Centre Ice Arena on Friday.
Sault Area 4
Bay Reps 1
Bay Reps: Colton Davidson 1 goal (first career high school goal); Carter Denoyer 1 assist.
UP NEXT: The Reps (2-2) travel to Big Rapids on Friday.