Spartans enter football playoffs with 7-2 mark

IMLAY CITY — Imlay City made visiting Ovid-Elsie absorb a 35-21 loss in a non-league varsity football contest Friday night. 

With the outcome, Imlay City wraps up the regular season portion of its schedule with a 7-2 record. Ovid-Elsie finishes at 4-5.

“We have had a good season but from here forward we will need to bring our ‘A’ game,” Imlay City Coach Dave Brown said. “We will need to do that if we are to keep winning.”

In Friday’s contest, Imlay City spotted Ovid-Elsie a 14-7 advantage after one quarter was over. Imlay City then countered with a 7-0 second quarter edge, evening the score to 14-14 by halftime. When the action resumed, Imlay City managed seven points during quarter three as did Ovid-Elsie. That made it 21-21 with 36 minutes gone.

The hosts then outscored Ovid-Elsie 14-0 the rest of the way, pulling out a 35-21 victory.

Imlay City generated its 35-point total aided by a Daniel Rojas 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown (followed by a successful extra point kick courtesy of Max Galeana); a Brett Lestage 35-yard touchdown run (followed by an accurate extra point boot by Galeana); a Rojas 2-yard touchdown run (followed by a successful extra point kick courtesy of Galeana); a Lestage 70-yard touchdown run (followed by a PAT pass from Lestage to Bryce Homer); and a Lestage 9-yard touchdown run.

For the evening, Cash Young connected on four of 12 pass plays for 58 yards as Imlay City’s quarterback, throwing no interceptions along the way. His successful passes went to three different targets. Lestage (two catches for 21 yards), Jovani Pena (one reception for 37 yards) and Henry Schmidt (one catch for no gain) formed that group.

The Imlay City ground attack wound up with 237 yards on 35 totes. Lestage (15 rushes for 140 yards) and Rojas (97 yards on 17 totes) proved Imlay City’s toughest players to stop. The remaining three Spartan rushes netted no gain. Jackson Hill (No. 8) and Rojas (No. 6) registered Imlay City’s highest tackle totals. Brady Homer (five stops) made his presence felt as well.

The Imlay City defense also generated one interception by Trystan Whiting.

Imlay City will return to action Friday when it entertains Corunna (4-5) in a Division 6 opening round playoff game set to kickoff at 7 p.m.