Whiteford Bobcat Football History - BlogsMonroe.com
Whiteford Bobcat Football History - BlogsMonroe.com
Whiteford Bobcat Football History - BlogsMonroe.com
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The history of <strong>Whiteford</strong> <strong>Bobcat</strong><br />
football is full of fantastic finishes,<br />
fourth-quarter <strong>com</strong>ebacks and<br />
game-winning drives. Some lategame<br />
heroics have led to conference<br />
championships and some to<br />
playoff berths.<br />
The following account is a gameby-game<br />
recap of <strong>Whiteford</strong>’s<br />
“fourth-quarter” wins:<br />
1957<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 6, Sand Creek 0<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 0-0<br />
Winning play: Ray Armistead 2 yard run.<br />
How they did it: 40-yard reverse by Wayne<br />
Goetz set up the winning TD.<br />
Footnote: Tom Creque had kicked a field<br />
goal early in the fourth quarter but it was nullified<br />
by a penalty.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 20, Cement City 13<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 13-13<br />
Winning play: Wayne Goetz 3 yard run.<br />
How they did it: Goetz scored with 1:40 left<br />
in the game, breaking the tie.<br />
Footnote: Game played at Bedford High<br />
School on Saturday afternoon.<br />
1958<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 12, Camden Frontier 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 6-6<br />
Winning play: Aaron Daniels 31 pass<br />
from Tom Creque<br />
How they did it: <strong>Bobcat</strong>s drove 74 yards in<br />
the final period. The pass was a short one to<br />
Daniels, who ran the rest of the way.<br />
Footnote: Camden scored in the first quarter.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 32, Airport 20<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Airport 14-13<br />
Winning play: Tom Creque 30 yard run.<br />
How they did it: Trailing 14-13, the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s<br />
scored three touchdowns in fourth quarter.<br />
Eugene Perry made it 19-14 on a 1-yard run<br />
early in the period. After the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s took<br />
over on downs, quarterback Creque scored<br />
on a 30-yard run to make it 25-14. Airport<br />
got the ball back. On fourth down, Creque<br />
intercepted a pass and returned it to the Jet<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> <strong>Bobcat</strong> <strong>Football</strong> <strong>History</strong><br />
A closer look at <strong>Whiteford</strong>’s fourth-quarter <strong>com</strong>eback victories<br />
5-yard line. After a penalty, Ray Armistead<br />
scored on a 17-yard run and Robert Iott<br />
added the kick. Airport scored on the ensuing<br />
kickoff, with 1:15 remaining.<br />
Footnote: It was a Dad’s Night game for<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> but it was played in Carleton due to<br />
wet conditions on the <strong>Whiteford</strong> home field.<br />
1960<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 18, Sand Creek 12<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 12-12<br />
Winning play: Pat Iott 2 run.<br />
How they did it: Iott scored halfway through<br />
the final period, climaxing a 52-yard drive.<br />
1962<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 10, Summerfield 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Summerfield, 6-3<br />
Winning play: Bob Butz 1 run.<br />
Tom Creque was <strong>Whiteford</strong>’s first quarterback<br />
How they did it: The <strong>Bobcat</strong> drive started<br />
in the third quarter and ended when Butz<br />
scored in the fourth.<br />
Footnote: Butz did all the scoring, including<br />
a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter and<br />
added the extra point after his fourth quarter<br />
TD.<br />
1963<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 20,<br />
Deerfield 13<br />
Score after 3<br />
qtrs: Deerfield,<br />
14-13<br />
Winning<br />
play: Barry Kiefer<br />
1 run.<br />
How they did it:<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> scored<br />
late. Deerfield had<br />
Robert Butz
a final drive but came up empty.<br />
Footnote: Kiefer also threw a TD pass early<br />
in the game.<br />
1965<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 7, Erie Mason 0<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 0-0<br />
Winning play: Rod Simpson 3 run.<br />
How they did it: After a short Mason punt,<br />
the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s took the ball and marched down<br />
the field with Simpson scoring with 3:15<br />
remaining.<br />
Footnote: It was the 14th straight win for the<br />
<strong>Bobcat</strong>s.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 21, Addison 12<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Addison, 12-7<br />
Winning play: John Hooker 3 run.<br />
How they did it: Hooker blocked a punt at<br />
the end of the third quarter and the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s<br />
got the ball at the Panther 12. On the first<br />
play of the fourth quarter, Hooker carried the<br />
ball from his fullback position over the final<br />
three yards.<br />
Footnote: Hooker had one of the greatest<br />
defensive performances in <strong>Whiteford</strong> history.<br />
He blocked three punts and intercepted a<br />
pass. He fell on one of his blocked punts for<br />
a touchdown in the second period.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 14, Adrian CC 13<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: ACC, 13-7<br />
Winning play: John Hooker 36 pass from<br />
Rod Simpson with :09 left in game. Ken Crots<br />
added the extra point, providing the difference.<br />
How they did it: <strong>Whiteford</strong> got the ball with<br />
1:19 left in the game at its own 11 yard line<br />
and no timeouts. Quarterback Simpson engineered<br />
the winning drive, which included a<br />
42-yard pass to Rich Koppelman. After throwing<br />
a pass out of bounds to stop the clock,<br />
he hit Hooker at the 10-yard line. The senior<br />
fullback did the rest. “Hooker caught the<br />
ball, juggled it momentarily as he sought a<br />
path to the goal line and then bolted into the<br />
end zone carrying an Adrian defender with<br />
him,” The Monroe Evening News reported. It<br />
was perhaps the greatest late-quarter drive in<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> history.<br />
Footnote: Crots added the extra point and<br />
gave the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s a second straight undefeated<br />
season and a River Raisin Conference<br />
championship.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> <strong>Bobcat</strong> <strong>Football</strong> <strong>History</strong><br />
ROD SIMPSON<br />
DAn Keller<br />
Jesse strAhAn<br />
1966<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 13, Boysville 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 0-0<br />
Winning play: Rich Koppelman 3 run (Jerry<br />
Comeback wins • page 2<br />
Butz kick).<br />
How they did it: On the first play of the<br />
fourth quarter quarterback Jerry Butz and<br />
Rich Koppelman hooked up on an 82-yard<br />
pass play for a touchdown. Koppelman<br />
scored later in the period after a short<br />
Boysville punt gave the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s the ball on<br />
the Knight 30. Boysville scored with 5 minutes<br />
left in the game.<br />
Footnote: Boysville had outscored its<br />
opponets 137-0 in its first four games of the<br />
season. ... The Butz-to-Koppelman pass<br />
remains the longest pass play TD in <strong>Bobcat</strong><br />
history.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 25, Deerfield 12<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 12-12<br />
Winning play: Dave Knaggs 86 yard interception<br />
return.<br />
How they did it: The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s scored twice<br />
in the final period, including Knaggs’ TD and<br />
a run by Rich Koppelman.<br />
1967<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 7, Ida 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Ida, 6-0<br />
Winning play: Dan Keller 8 run (Leo Bischoff<br />
kick).<br />
How they did it: The winning drive was set<br />
up after and Ida fumble gave the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s<br />
the ballon the Blue Streak 25. The key<br />
play in the drive was a fourth-and-four play<br />
from the 19. Quarterback Jerry Butz hit<br />
Delbert Norman for the first down. After<br />
Norman gained a yard on first down, Keller<br />
took it over from the 8 with 6:34 remaining.<br />
Bischoff missed his first opportunity at the<br />
extra point, but got a second chance when<br />
the Blue Streaks were called for an off-side<br />
penalty. Bischoff’s next attempt was good.<br />
Footnote: Bischoff intercepted a pass on the<br />
following Ida drive to secure the <strong>Bobcat</strong> win<br />
against the heavily-favored Blue Streaks.<br />
1970<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 13, Britton 8<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Britton, 8-6<br />
Winning play: Virgil Crots 1 run (Crots kick).<br />
How they did it: Crots scored the gamewinner<br />
with 1:39 remaining on a quarterback<br />
sneak. The winning play was set up after<br />
Mike Luck passed to Jeff Riedel for 28 yards<br />
on a fourth-and-15 situation.
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 9, Waldron 8<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Waldron 8-7.<br />
Winning play: Safety (Jesse Strahan<br />
blocked punt out of end zone).<br />
How they did it: With 3:45 remaining in the<br />
game, Waldron was forced to punt from its<br />
own 20. Strahan broke through the line and<br />
blocked the punt, which caused it to sail out<br />
of the end zone and giving the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s the<br />
lead.<br />
1976<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 7, Madison 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Madison, 6-0<br />
Winning play: Jeff Stark 9 run (Marvin<br />
Briskey kick).<br />
How they did it: The <strong>Bobcat</strong> TD came with<br />
only 1:30 left to play and ended a 40-yard<br />
drive. Briskey’s extra point was the difference<br />
-- his first attempt of his career.<br />
Footnote: Briskey kicked three extra points<br />
and one field goal on the season.<br />
1978<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 12, Deerfield 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Deerfield 6-0<br />
Winning play: Scott Stone 6 run.<br />
How they did it: Stone scored with a little<br />
more than a minute left in the game to lift the<br />
<strong>Bobcat</strong>s.<br />
Footnote: Stone scored both fourth quarter<br />
touchdowns for the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s, the first <strong>com</strong>ing<br />
on a 18-yard pass from Tim Whalen.<br />
1979<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 13, Blissfield 7<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 7-7<br />
Winning play: Todd Hardin 14 pass<br />
from Tim Whalen.<br />
How they did it: <strong>Whiteford</strong> recovered a<br />
fumble on the Royal 35-yard line in the fourth<br />
quarter. Five plays later, Whalen hit Hardin<br />
the corner of the end zone.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 15, Lincoln-Alcona 14<br />
(overtime)<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: <strong>Whiteford</strong> led 8-0<br />
Winning play: Scott Stone 3 run (DuPree<br />
kick)<br />
How they did it: Alcona tied the score 8-8<br />
with five minutes left in regulation. <strong>Whiteford</strong><br />
won the coin toss and gave Alcona the ball<br />
first in the OT. They scored on the third play,<br />
but missed the point-after attempt when<br />
Todd Hardin stopped the Alcona ball-carrier<br />
less than two-feet from the goal line. Stone<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> <strong>Bobcat</strong> <strong>Football</strong> <strong>History</strong><br />
scored on a fourth-and-three situation in OT<br />
and DuPree’s kick provided the difference.<br />
Footnote: It was the first overtime game in<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> history. ... Stone carried the ball on<br />
all four <strong>Bobcat</strong> downs in overtime.<br />
1981<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 14, Sand Creek 13<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: SC, 13-0<br />
Winning play: Tony DuPree 5 run (Dean<br />
Lennard pass from Tony DuPree for 2-point<br />
conversion).<br />
How they did it: Down 13-0, the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s<br />
scored twice in the final five minutes to stun<br />
the Aggies.<br />
Footnote: Coaches Jack Luettke and Tom<br />
Shafer told The Evening News that it was<br />
the players who decided to go for the 2-point<br />
conversion -- and the victory -- rather than<br />
play for a tie.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 14, Madison 8<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 8-8<br />
Winning play: Tony DuPree 71 run.<br />
How they did it: It looked like overtime when<br />
the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s got the ball back but DuPree<br />
ended things quickly with this 71-yard run.<br />
Footnote: The winning touchdown was made<br />
with about 2:30 left in the game. Madison got<br />
the ball back but Rich Stone intercepted a<br />
pass to end the Trojan threat.<br />
1986<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 14, Camden Frontier 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: <strong>Whiteford</strong> 6-0<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: Camden tied the score on<br />
its opening possession of the fourth quarter<br />
before the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s launched its <strong>com</strong>eback.<br />
Winning play: Joe Butz 2 run (Butz pass<br />
from Scottie DuPree).<br />
How they did it: A 10-minute, 20-play drive<br />
across 65 yards led the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s to its winning<br />
touchdown with less than two minutes<br />
left in the game.<br />
Footnote: Besides the winning touchdown,<br />
Butz had a great game defensively, too. He<br />
was in on 17 tackles and made an interception.<br />
1987<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 25, Morenci 22<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: <strong>Whiteford</strong>, 22-14<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: Morenci tied the score<br />
Comeback wins • page 3<br />
ChArlIe BUtZ<br />
22-22 with 2 minutes remaining.<br />
Winning play: Don Long 25 field goal.<br />
How they did it: After its touchdown,<br />
Morenci tried an onside kick. <strong>Whiteford</strong><br />
recovered on the Morenci 47-yard line. The<br />
final drive was directed by quarterback Joe<br />
Butz. Butz carried the ball four times for 40<br />
yards to get into field goal range for Long,<br />
who was attempting his first career field goal.<br />
Footnote: The win earned the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s its<br />
first playoff berth in school history.<br />
1993<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 3, Summerfield 0<br />
(overtime)<br />
Score after 4 qtrs: 0-0<br />
Winning play: Fred Kutzke 20 field goal.<br />
How they did it: Summerfield got the ball<br />
first in overtime but its drive stalled on a<br />
Charlie Butz interception. The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s had<br />
three running plays, then Kutzke’s field goal<br />
ended it.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 24 Morenci 10<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Morenci, 10-3<br />
Winning play: Charlie Butz 1 run.<br />
How they did it: The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s tied the game<br />
early in the final period on a Corey Simpson<br />
20 yard run. Butz scored on a 1-yard run<br />
behind a Tony Napierala block to put<br />
the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s ahead with 3:01 left. Fred Kutzke
eturned an interception 53 yards 36 seconds<br />
later to ice the game.<br />
1994<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 14, Blissfield 13<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 7-7<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: <strong>Whiteford</strong> led 7-0 until<br />
Blissfield scored in the third quarter with :20<br />
left on the clock and in the fourth with 2:30<br />
remaining.<br />
Winning play: Charlie Butz 1 run (Fred<br />
Kutkze kick).<br />
How they did it: Quarterback Butz scored<br />
with :41 seconds left and Fred Kutzke’s extra<br />
point gave the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s the dramatic win. The<br />
55-yard winning drive included big passing<br />
plays from Butz to Kutzke (38 yards) and<br />
Mike Scott (25 yards).<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 10, Morenci 7<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: <strong>Whiteford</strong> 7-0<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: Morenci tied the game 7-7.<br />
Winning play: Fred Kutzke 30 field goal.<br />
How they did it: This might be one of the<br />
most unlikely last-second wins in <strong>Whiteford</strong><br />
history. Charlie Butz (LB-QB) intercepted<br />
a Morenci pass with 40 seconds left in the<br />
game to set up Kutzke’s field goal chance<br />
to win the game. Kutzke actually missed a<br />
45-yard field goal but Morenci was penalized<br />
for roughing the kicker. The ball was moved<br />
15 yards closer with no time left on the game<br />
clock. Butz, the holder, scooped a bad snap<br />
off the ground and got it onto the tee and<br />
Kutzke nailed the 30-yard field goal for the<br />
victory.<br />
2000<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 20, Camden Frontier 6<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 6-6<br />
Winning play: Tom Reynolds 1 run.<br />
How they did it: A Joe Gust fumble recovery<br />
set up the winning score with 4:08 left in the<br />
game. The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s added a score with 2:43<br />
remaining to seal the win.<br />
Footnote: <strong>Whiteford</strong> didn’t score until 32<br />
minutes into the game, then scored 20<br />
straight points.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 14, Whitmore Lake 12<br />
(overtime)<br />
Score after 4 qtrs: 6-6<br />
Winning play: Curt Ovall 5 run (Curt Ovall<br />
run)<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> <strong>Bobcat</strong> <strong>Football</strong> <strong>History</strong><br />
How they did it: <strong>Whiteford</strong> got the ball first<br />
in overtime and scored on Ovall’s run and<br />
2-point conversion to take a 14-6 lead. The<br />
Trojans scored but couldn’t convert the conversion.<br />
Footnote: Ovall carried the ball 33 times for<br />
259 yards and all 14 <strong>Bobcat</strong> points.<br />
2001<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 26, Sand Creek 22<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: <strong>Whiteford</strong> 20-14<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: Sand Creek took the lead<br />
22-20 with 8:23 left in the game.<br />
Winning play: Nick Wohlfarth 1 run<br />
How they did it: After Sand Creek scored,<br />
Brandon Ybarra returned the kickoff to the<br />
Aggie 35. Wohlfarth finished the <strong>Bobcat</strong> drive<br />
with 4:02 remaining.<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 14, Blissfield 12<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: 6-6<br />
Winning play: Joe Roberts 5 run (Joe Gust<br />
pass from Roberts)<br />
How they did it: The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s got the ball<br />
back at its own 40 with 1:30 remaining in the<br />
game. Roberts marched the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s down<br />
the field, including a long pass to Ryan Stack<br />
that set up the score. On third down, Roberts<br />
scored from the 5-yard line with :23 left in the<br />
game.<br />
Footnote: Roberts led the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s in rushing<br />
(68 yards) and passing (136).<br />
2004<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 20, Parma Jackson County<br />
Western 14<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: <strong>Whiteford</strong> 12-6<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: Western took a 14-12 lead<br />
early in the final quarter.<br />
Winning play: Jed Bunge 24 run.<br />
How they did it: Bunge led the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s on<br />
its 80-yard final drive and scored the winning<br />
touchdown 3:50 left. The drive was kept alive<br />
by a fake punt on a fourth-down by George<br />
Flanner.<br />
2006<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 48, Pittsford 34<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: <strong>Whiteford</strong> 28, Pittsford 26<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: Pittsford led 26-0 before<br />
the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s came back to take a 28-26 lead.<br />
Comeback wins • page 4<br />
Pittsford tied the game with 11:01 remaining<br />
in the fourth quarter before the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s<br />
scored two touchdowns to put the game out<br />
of reach.<br />
Winning play: George Flanner 3 run.<br />
How they did it: Flanner scored six touchdowns<br />
and was successful on three 2-point<br />
conversions. The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s didn’t score until<br />
5:05 was left in the first half. All 419 yards<br />
gained by the <strong>Bobcat</strong>s was on the ground as<br />
the team was 0-4 through the air.<br />
2009<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 46, Madison 43<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Madison 36, <strong>Whiteford</strong><br />
34<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: Madison went up 43-34<br />
with 3:45 remaining in th game. <strong>Whiteford</strong><br />
scored on a 2-yard pass from Travis Pant<br />
to Brandon Albright, recovered an onside<br />
kick and scored again on the last play of the<br />
game.<br />
Winning play: Cody Donnelly caught a<br />
19-yard pass from Pant with :00 left on the<br />
clock.<br />
How they did it: The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s scored with<br />
a few seconds left on the clock, but the play<br />
was brought back due to a penalty and had<br />
one play left when Pant found Donnelly in the<br />
end zone. Pant threw for 263 yards and four<br />
TDs.<br />
2010<br />
<strong>Whiteford</strong> 15, Sand Creek 14<br />
Score after 3 qtrs: Sand Creek 8, <strong>Whiteford</strong><br />
0<br />
The <strong>com</strong>eback: The <strong>Bobcat</strong>s tied the game<br />
on the first play of the fourth quarter on a<br />
Cody Donnelly run and Gabe LaRoy-to-Grant<br />
Track 2-point conversion. Kody Baker recovered<br />
a fumble and Donnelly capped off a<br />
short scoring drive two minutes later.<br />
Winning play: Cody Donnelly ran in from<br />
one-yard out and Austin Bischoff kicked the<br />
extra point with 9:44 left in the game.<br />
How they did it: The Aggies scored a TD<br />
with 2:37 to go in the game, but the defense<br />
-- led by George Vergote -- denied the twopoint<br />
attempt.