Haslett vs Pinckney standout performers
Haslett demolished Pinckney 28-7 in what was a very wet, chippy, physical game. It’s a very emotional, high-stakes time in high school football as it’s win or go home every week, thus the teams still going to get cut in…
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Continue ReadingHaslett demolished Pinckney 28-7 in what was a very wet, chippy, physical game. It’s a very emotional, high-stakes time in high school football as it’s win or go home every week, thus the teams still going to get cut in half every single week. Let’s recap how the match played out, and highlight the best performances.
An emotional match
You could just tell this game meant more. With the rain pouring down in a packed house, it was perfect weather for a physical football game. Unfortunately for Pinckney, they live off the pass and the wet ball plus inferior offensive line meant they couldn’t get anything going. Pinckney was forced to punt on the opening drive, then Haslett powered their way in for a TD. On the next drive, Pinckney was stopped on a critical red zone 4th down and that’s when things started to fall apart. I counted 6 unsportsmanlike penalties on Pinckney, and Haslett had a few as well. The weather and luck were not on the Pirate’s side, and they let their emotions get the best of them. Hats off to Haslett as they came in with a great game plan and they’ll go on to face Mason in the 2nd round.
Standout performances
Offense
Haslett T Caleb Fisher – I could honestly highlight any of the Haslett offensive linemen, but this Sophomore really impressed me. Caleb already has a great body for a high school offensive tackle, and I was generally impressed with his technique and Haslett’s confidence to run the ball off his hip. I believe he had a few holding calls against him, but other than that it was a great game for the sophomore.
Haslett RB Nakai Amachree – Another sophomore, Amachree performed exceptionally well in what was a run-heavy game. Once he got in the open field he couldn’t be stopped, and no play demonstrates this better than the opening TD.
Touchdown @hhs_football1 ! Awesome cutback and score by Nakai Amachree. pic.twitter.com/MST7XK9ZQE
— Alex Pallone (@alex_pallone) October 29, 2021
Pinckney RB Brady Raymond – In a night where seemingly nothing was working for Pinckney, Raymond provided some much-needed sparks. Making the most out of every carry, Raymond was surprisingly shifty. He didn’t have a score to show for it, but Raymond was the one offensive piece for Pinckney that genuinely impressed me.
Defense
Haslett DT Keith Whitfield – Here’s your MVP for the game. Whitfield had the most dominant performance of any interior defensive lineman I’ve seen all season. On a rainy night where both teams were forced to resort to the run game, Whitfield bullied the Pinckney offensive line all night and made well over 10 tackles. As big and powerful as he is, he showcased some nice quickness with very impressive finesse moves. Without Whitfield, this game could have been very different.
HUGE 4th down stop by Haslett! Watch as Keith Whitfield (@_KW32 ) wins his block up the middle. pic.twitter.com/hhQwRHGX11
— Alex Pallone (@alex_pallone) October 29, 2021
Haslett LB/DL Nate Polston – If you can’t already tell, Haslett absolutely dominated the trenches in this one. Polston was all over the field, making tackle after tackle including a sack. I was impressed by how he was generally utilized throughout the game, and he also dominated everyone who dared to block him.
Final thoughts
Because of the rain, this was a match that favored Haslett from the start. This quickly became a game of the trenches and Haslett heavily outperformed Pinckney in that aspect. It was unfortunate to see the Pinckney sideline get so frustrated, as it surely affected how they played in a very negative manner. I look forward to seeing the result of Haslett’s next match @ Mason!