Adams scores 33 unanswered, advances to D1 State Championship
Quick Recap The #5 Rochester Adams Highlanders defeated #4 Grand Blanc 40-20 in the Division 1 semifinals and will face #6, Belleville, at Ford Field next weekend. This was a shocking dismantling of Grand Blanc, who started out this game…
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The #5 Rochester Adams Highlanders defeated #4 Grand Blanc 40-20 in the Division 1 semifinals and will face #6, Belleville, at Ford Field next weekend. This was a shocking dismantling of Grand Blanc, who started out this game with a commanding 14-0 lead but then made a few mistakes that snowballed into giving up 33 unanswered. Once Grand Blanc went up, they had a costly fumble and muffed kick that really turned the tide to Adams. From the point that Adams tied it up, Grand Blanc’s body language completely changed and they started to play emotionally, growing more and more frustrated with the ground-and-pound veer offense of Adams. All in all, Adams earns yet another come-from-behind win and they advance to their second-ever state championship as they’ll face the most talented team in the state, Belleville. Now, let’s go over some of the standout athletes from today.
Adams DB/SB Christian Schomer
I’ll be honest, Schomer wasn’t on my radar prior to this matchup but he was the clear MVP today. Defensively he was a lockdown corner, being targeted many times but only giving up a few catches. More impressively, Schomer had multiple pass breakups with one being tipped into a teammate’s hands for a pick-six, plus he came up with a key RedZone interception. He was making the opposing receiver incredibly frustrated throughout the entire game and balled out on the defensive end. Offensively, he came down with a leaping catch that he then ran all the way for a 60-yard score, along with having a few more catches and carries here and there. All in all, Schomer was directly responsible for 2 touchdowns along with taking away a touchdown late in the game with the pick.
@ChristianSchom6 was the MVP for Adams today. Schomer was lockdown with multiple pass breakups including a tipped pass that led to a pick-6, and this late-game interception. He also had a 60-yard touchdown reception! pic.twitter.com/DLUSpHtuYY
— Alex Pallone (@alex_pallone) November 20, 2021
Adams QB Parker Picot
The critics are correct, Picot is a baller. He’s your perfect veer quarterback as he’s incredibly smart, competitive, and can even throw the ball a bit. Grand Blanc loaded the box on most snaps in an effort to force Adams to throw the ball, and Picot delivered tossing a few touchdowns while rushing for a few as well. Picot finished with just over 300 all-purpose yards. There was one play in particular where Grand Blanc was struggling with their pre-snap communication and Picot quickly snapped it and threw to a wide-open receiver for the touchdown. A smart athlete who is the clear leader of this Adams team.
Grand Blanc RB Elijah Jackson-Anderson Elijah Jackson-Anderson 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Grand Blanc | 2022 State MI
Jackson-Anderson was responsible for all 3 touchdowns put on the board for Grand Blanc, and he came out of the gates incredibly fast with 2 scores that wouldn’t have happened without his elusiveness. My Tweet below encapsulates how locked in Jackson-Anderson was, and lists his stats.
Elijah Jackson-Anderson (@ihson_j ) had a great day for @GrandBlancFB as they fell short against @R_AdamsFootball . Jackson-Anderson scored 3TD’s (1 rushing 2 pass), totaling over 180 total yards of offense. pic.twitter.com/PVkLwWfZuK
— Alex Pallone (@alex_pallone) November 20, 2021
Closing thoughts
The story of this game was the veer offense working to perfection. Having played at Seaholm, I know the philosophy of the veer and this is exactly how it’s supposed to be done. Over time, the veer progressively chewed clock and tired the defense out, leaving the Grand Blanc offense frustrated and cold on the sidelines. It’s a sad end to Grand Blanc’s historic season, but I think every single player on that team should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments. Grand Blanc finishes at a historic 12-1 having earned a program-best record, first regional title, among many other accomplishments. Adams on the other hand advances to only their 2nd State Championship game ever, having last gone (and won) in 2003.