“Not as easy as it looks,” Donald Trump once tweeted to Michael Bloomberg after the latter tried his hand, poorly, at presidential politics. Not all billionaires are cut out for it. Nor are all regular season champions quite ready for the pressures of the postseason football.
Saginaw Valley Lutheran went into last Friday’s Division 7 district opener 9-0 and winner of the TVC-Blue. But Ithaca, one of the Chargers’ regular season victims but a program synonymous with playoff success, shut out Valley Lutheran in the second half to win the return showdown, 24-12.
The Yellowjackets, 7-3, will play at 8-2 Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port-Laker for a Division 7 district title 1 p.m. Saturday. Saginaw Valley Lutheran ends the season with a school-record 9-1 mark.
Ithaca, which lost at Valley Lutheran 23-22 back on September October 3 and had dropped three of their past four since then, trailed at the half, 12-7, with the Chargers having possession to start the third quarter. But Ithaca turned them over on downs on the Jackets’ 42-yard line, eventually leading to a four-yard, second-effort touchdown run by quarterback Gibson Rondy for a 12-12 lead with 8:54 to play in the third quarter.
Ithaca’s defense would shut out Valley Lutheran in the second half, forcing a punt on the second possession, which would set up receptions by Connor McMurphy from Rondy for a touchdown and two-point conversion and 21-12 lead with 3:54 left in the third quarter.
Landon Bratschi hit a 29-yard field goal for the final margin of victory. In the fourth quarter, Ithaca’s Greyson Merchant made an interception to stymie another SVL drive.
Ithaca scored the game’s first touchdown, on a one-yard run by Bratschi with 4:56 to go in the first quarter, after a blocked punt by Devyn Fisher gave the Yellowjackets possession on the Valley Lutheran 47-yard line.
The 7-0 lead held until Valley Lutheran responded when quarterback Jack Strieter connected with Andrew Kunisch on an 18-yard pass on fourth-and-16. Then came a four-yard touchdown run by Colt Jolin, cutting Ithaca’s lead to 7-6. Valley Lutheran then stopped Ithaca on fourth-and-2 from the three-yard line, before commencing on a 98-yard drive that was capped by a 34-yard touchdown run by Jolin on fourth down. Strieter then picked off Rondy to end the half.
Rondy finished 22-of-33 passing for 218 yards with a touchdown and interception. On the ground he ran 17 times for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Elijah Smith led the Yellowjackets with 10 catches for 99 yards. Riley Guild had five receptions for 78 yards, and McMurphy five receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Bratschi, just a freshman, had 17 carries for a team-high 85 yards and a touchdown.
For Ithaca’s defense, Broghan Bupp had 18 tackles, with one for a loss; Benjamin Munro, 15 tackles and three quarterback hurries; Jacob Crawford, 13 tackles, with a sack and one for loss; McMurphy, 10 tackles; Merchant, eight tacles; and Devyn Fisher, seven tackles.
For Valley Lutheran, Jack Strieter was 6-of-13 passing for 69 yards and an interception. Cole Strieter had two catches for 38 yards. Jolin ran 20 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns. [/private]