Spartans football ends drought against Broncos
IMLAY CITY — Imlay City beat North Branch for the first time since 2004, making them absorb a 17-14 loss in a Blue Water Area Conference varsity football battle last Friday night.
With the outcome, Imlay City moves to 4-0 and 3-0. North Branch falls to 2-2 and 1-2.
In Friday’s battle, Imlay City grabbed a 7-0 edge after one quarter was over.
North Branch then countered with a 14-0 second quarter advantage, good for a 14-7 lead at the half. When the action resumed, Imlay City bounced back with a 7-0 third quarter edge. That made it a 14-14 ballgame. Imlay City then outscored North Branch 3-0 from that point on, pulling out a 17-14 victory.
The winning Imlay City side generated their 17-point total aided by a Cash Young to Brett Lestage 33-yard touchdown pass (followed by a successful extra point kick courtesy of Max Galeana); a Daniel Rojas two-yard touchdown run (followed by an accurate extra boot by Galeana); and a Galeana 30-yard field goal. For the evening, Young completed two of 11 pass plays for 54 yards as Imlay City’s quarterback. He threw one interception along the way.
Lestage had both Imlay City catches. The Imlay City ground attack wound up with 135 yards on 31 totes.
Rojas (11 rushes for 77 yards) and Lestage (55 yards on nine totes) proved to be Imlay City’s toughest players to stop. The remaining five Spartan rushes netted a combined three-yard gain.
Bryce Homer and Rojas (eight each) supplied Imlay City’s highest tackle outputs. Henry Schmidt and Brady Homer added five stops each for the Spartans.
Imlay City will aim to keep its perfect record intact this Friday when they entertain Almont (4-0, 3-0) in a Blue Water Area Conference showdown set to begin at 7 p.m.
