HORTON — The momentum Michigan Tech’s offense built in last week’s blowout win didn’t sustain itself in Saturday’s final game of the season.
Saginaw Valley State used a dynamic offense and stifling defense to defeat Michigan Tech 38-21 on Senior Day on Saturday.
The Huskies (5-5, 1-5 GLIAC) had bright moments here and there, but the Cardinals had too many.
“They have a great plan. I think they did a good job.” Huskies coach Dan Metlack said. “Saginaw Valley still has incredible talent. Their record doesn’t show who they really are. They’re still considered one of the top teams in our league in that locker. On top of that, they had some wrinkles and, to be honest, we didn’t tackle very well for most of the game.”
SVSU (6-5, 3-3) had 469 yards of total offense, including 169 yards rushing. The Cardinals’ defense held the Huskies to just 217 yards of offense and 62 yards rushing.
To make matters worse for Michigan Tech, junior quarterback Alex Freese left the game at the end of the first half after taking a blow to the head from Cardinals defensive end Jemarow Sykes. The fries had taken a big hit minutes before.
“By the time we got to half-time he was feeling better, but of course we’re not going to worry about the head injury.” Metluck said. “It was a tough way for him to end the season, but I was proud of what Joe did when he came in.”
Tech was trailing 21-14 at the time, and sophomore quarterback Joe Hartlieb was tasked with getting the job done. Tech scored on the previous two drives to tie the game, but the defense threw SVSU’s offense out of rhythm. But that wasn’t enough.
The Huskies punted twice and Hartlieb threw an interception that later led to a Cardinals touchdown, 31-14.
For Tech, Hartlieb hit Ethan Champney for a 56-yard score in the fourth quarter, making it 31-21 with nearly seven minutes left in the game.
However, the Cardinals moved the field, chewed the clock, and scored again for the win.
Hartlieb finished the eighth day completing 15 of 15 passes for 86 yards with a touchdown and one interception. Fries finished the game 7 of 12 for 69 yards and one interception.
Will Marano led the Huskies rushing attack with 46 rushing yards on 15 carries. Champney had six catches for 116 yards. Darius Willis had five catches for 33 yards in his final game as a Husky.
Samuel Kinne led the Huskies defense with 13 tackles in his last game. Owen Watson recorded 11 tackles, including four solo. Mark Sippel, Josh Cribben and Dante Bassanese each recorded eight tackles.
Michael Bates Jr. and Bassanise each had fumble recoveries.
The Cardinals got big production from running back Terrence Brown and quarterback Mike O’Hororo. Brown had 17 rushes for 98 yards and one touchdown. Ohoro completed 24 of 30 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Derrick Hinton Jr. led Cardinals receivers with 98 yards on 10 catches, including a 7-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth.
Dante Barthwell gave the SVSU defense a sack. Mika Kretzinger started the Cardinals’ day with a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown, breaking the Huskies back on their first offensive drive of the day and putting Tech in a 14-0 hole seven minutes into the game. Kretzinger finished the day with 14 tackles, including 11 solo.
Mr. Mettlach thanked his seniors for their contributions over the years.
“I can’t say enough about those guys. I’ve been talking about them ever since we got into camp in August.” He said. “It’s unbelievable in the locker room, it’s unbelievable in the weight room. Everything they do on the field, I can’t say enough about them. Obviously, Senior Day, they walk off the field. It’s a sad day. This group here is incredibly special. They contribute so much not only off the field, but also on Saturday. We will miss them, but they I think the kids behind us have done a great job of moving this situation forward.”
Mettlach, who completed his first season as the Huskies’ head coach, said he learned a lot in his new role.
“The game on the field is different, the emotions are different.” Metluck said. “It is quite different to have the match manager involved in all the different parts of the match, rather than sitting in the box and dictating the play. Everything we have said so far about the senior group Having good players leading the way makes the transition in the locker room easier and makes our job easier. I can’t say enough about them.We are now looking back on that, considering what we need to evaluate ourselves and our staff, and what we need to do in hiring, and organize from that perspective. I liked what happened mentally in the locker room this fall. ”
Willis sets receiving record
Willis broke the school’s career reception record with 159, surpassing Brian Janeshek’s 154 from 2002-05.
Janesiek’s quarterback at that time was none other than Mettlach.
“D-Will is an amazing guy in everything he does, so it’s unbelievable.” Metluck said. “To maintain a record this long and see it broken by a guy who does everything the right way, I can’t say enough about him. That’s a great deal, and for D-Will to be here in a obviously different capacity when he gets the record, it couldn’t have happened to a better person.”