09/01/2006

Coloma holds off Glen Lake, 28-21

QB accounts for all four scores to power Comets

BY DENNIS CHASE

dchase@record-eagle.com

MAPLE CITY — Coloma found a cure for its week two blues.

Quarterback Alex Garrod.

Garrod ran for two touchdowns and passed for 179 yards and two more scores Thursday night as the Comets held off Glen Lake 28-21 in a non-conference football contest.

"We traditionally have not done well in week two (four wins in the last 14 years) and that's part of the reason we took the challenge of coming up here to play a good team like Glen Lake," Comets coach Mark Eddy said. "Thank goodness it paid off."

It did not come easy, though.

The Lakers reached the Coloma 37 late in the fourth quarter before turning the ball over on a fumble. The Comets picked up two first downs to run out the clock and improve to 2-0. Glen Lake fell to 1-1.

"I'm disappointed in the score, but I'm not disappointed in our effort," Lakers coach Bill Hollenbeck said. "They're a real good football team, a very good football team. Last week they beat (Watervliet) 52-14. It was 44-0 at half. I didn't sleep all week.

"But we showed we have the desire to be competitive, that we're never going to stop. That's something we had to accomplish in rebuilding this program — to create character and trust in each other. I think we're making great progress."

Garrod scored on a pair of sneaks from a yard out. He also hit wide receiver Joe Richardson on scoring tosses of 15 and 53 yards. The 53-yard strike proved to the difference.

Quarterback Jason Kemp threw for 174 yards and two touchdowns for Glen Lake. Both came in the first half. He connected with Matt Lichty from three yards — this after the two hooked up on a 50-yard pitch and catch to put the ball at the three.

Then just before half, Kemp threw a screen pass to Weston Buchan, who had eight Lakers lined up in front of him in the right flat. Buchan took it 74 yards for a touchdown.

The Garrod to Richardson 53-yard TD seemed to put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter. But Lichty returned the kick 83 yards and Kemp kicked his third extra point of the game to make it 28-21.

"They're a great team, but we played with them," Kemp said. "It's something we should feel good about. That's a (Class) B school."

Eddy seemed relieved afterwards.

"Coach Hollenbeck is legendary," Eddy said. "I knew his team would be prepared for everything we could throw at him. He has some kids who can play some football.

"We knew it would be a battle. Right now I'm feeling kind of lucky to get out of here (with a win), although we played some pretty solid football ourselves."

Lichty finished with five catches for 100 yards for the Lakers. Buchan, who sat out part of the game with asthma, gained 67 yards in eight carries.

Patrick Deering was in on 20 tackles and Buchan and Isaac Florip 15 each.