HILLSDALE COUNTY — Having a standout rushing game has proven once-again to be an effective winner for both 8-player and 11-player football in the state of Michigan. It is even more thrilling to win in such a manner when it is Homecoming night against a rival conference team.
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That’s exactly what the Litchfield Terriers and Jonesville Comets were able to do in Week 6 on their respective Homecoming nights.
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Litchfield 26, North Adams-Jerome 22
Litchfield made a second-half comeback to take down North Adams-Jerome in a hard-fought 26-22 final.
Senior Andrew Erhardt led the team with his biggest rushing night of the season: 146 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. Erhardt also had 100 receiving yards on four catches. Hayden Thacker had three catches for 67 yards. Hunter Snyder scored two touchdowns with eight carries and 39 rushing yards. Brayden Bradley punched it in on one of his eight carries and had a total of 33 yards.
Speaking of Bradley, he completed nine passes for 192 yards, one of his best games since taking over the role.
Erhardt tied with another Terrier with 8.5 tackles to lead the team. Hunter Snyder had 8.5 tackles. Hayden Thacker had five tackles. Ben Baker had five tackles. Gavin Gutting had four tackles and an interception. Bradley had four tackles.
“We were down in the half and we just found a way to keep pounding,” Litchfield coach Michael Langhann said. “I couldn’t be prouder of our kids’ resiliency to keep pushing forward, taking everything one play at a time.”
For North Adams-Jerome, quarterback Will Thielen had a long rushing touchdown early to help the Rams take a lead.
Litchfield named Homecoming king and queen Hunter Snyder and Tavia Shelton.
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Jonesville 32, Columbia Central 12
Another big night for the Jonesville ground game can be contributed to confident running in the trenches and the work being done up front by a veteran offensive line. The result was a second half surge that put the game out of reach for the visiting Golden Eagles.
The 32-12 win for Jonesville puts them at 3-3 overall for the season and in second place in the West.
Sophomore John Milks ran for 244 yards on a standout 32 carries and scored two touchdowns. Senior quarterback Skyler Cooper ran eight times for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Carson Playford had 23 yards on seven carries, but the senior hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Cooper.
He also led the team in tackles with seven and earned a sack. Linemen Harper Griffiths and senior Cooper Stevens both had five tackles. Cooper and Doyle each had four tackles.
Jonesville ends the season with two 1-5 matchups as it continues its march towards a potential playoff berth.
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Pittsford 50, Concord 12
In what was to be their next biggest test of the season, the Wildcats stole a homecoming night away from the Concord Yellowjackets in a 50-12 victory. The Wildcats improve to 5-1 overall.
Pittsford quarterback Jake Drawe ran for 176 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns. He completed six of his nine pass attempts for 134 yards and three touchdowns. Teagan Williams had three catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. Brendan Nave caught a 26-yard touchdown pass. Alex Logan also had a long touchdown catch. Logan also had a fumble recovery touchdown of 77 yards.
The Wildcats had a commanding 44-12 lead at halftime. The defensive effort was led by Williams with seven tackles, Nave with six tackles and Drawe with five tackles.
Pittsford and coach Mike Burger look to close out their division play with a title, should they take down Camden-Frontier on senior night and defeat a 5-1 Waldron team on the road in Week 8.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Rushing supremacy for Litchfield, Jonesville and Pittsford football secure Week 6 wins
