West Catholic rides 3rd-quarter Kloska tsunami to a championship
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The West Catholic Falcons defeated Negaunee 59-14. The first-half was a close battle, but the second-half was all West Catholic. All in all, it was an incredible season for both teams. This article will fully recap the game, including box…
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Continue ReadingThe West Catholic Falcons defeated Negaunee 59-14. The first-half was a close battle, but the second-half was all West Catholic. All in all, it was an incredible season for both teams. This article will fully recap the game, including box score, players of the game, quarter-by-quarter analysis, plus final thoughts.
Box Score
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
West Catholic | 7 | 7 | 31 | 14 | 59 |
Negaunee | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | c14 |
Players of the Game
RB/LB | Timmy Kloska Timmy Kloska 6'0" | 220 lbs | RB Grand Rapids West Catholic | 2023 State MI | West Catholic | 2023
Kloska had an electrifying 3rd quarter, proving why he’s one of the best running backs in Michigan. On plays where he didn’t score, he broke initial contact more times than not and pushed the ball forward. Like almost every team West Catholic has faced over the last two seasons, Negaunee didn’t stand a chance against Kloska. It was nice to see Kloska’s final carry as a Falcon hit paydirt! Defensively, Kloska posted 2 solo tackles
I love how hype Kloska got when he heated up, and this is a player who is ultra-deserving of a state championship ring. One of my favorite players!
Stats: 19 carries, 242 yds, 4 TDs
QB | Ty Jacobson | Negaunee | 2025
Jacobson played his heart out, and was honestly one of the only bright spots for Negaunee. In the first-half, he led a clutch final drive that was capped off with a last-seocnd TD pass. He had a good day passing, going 7-12.
Stats: 7/12, 78yds, 1TD
QB | Bernie Varnesdeel | West Catholic | 2023
The gameplan required Varnesdell to perform well, and he did. Honestly, most throws he made were from a clean pocket, and the receivers were wide open, which is a testament to the WC offensive line and receiving core. When he threw it deep, most throws were near-perfect, which surprised me quite a bit. I’m proud of what he was able to do today.
Stats: 5/10, 225 yds, 3TDs
ATH | Phil Nelson | Negaunee | 2023
Major credit to Phil for playing a big part on this Negaunee team, and having some nice plays. As a returnman, he took the 2nd-half kickoff 98 yards to the house, while having 198 total return yards. As a P/K, he had over 120 yards kicking over 6 kicks. He also caught 2 passes for 28 yards and 1 TD, and posted 2 tackles with a fumble recovery on defense.
(Stats listed above)
Quarter-by-quarter recap
1st
On the first play of the game, West Catholic scored on a 72-yard touchdown from WR Carter Perry. At this point, everyone thought this was how the whole game was going to go. From a WC passing standpoint, they were correct. Through most of the 1st-quarter, Negaunee played keep-away offense and had a few promising drives, shaving off over 9 mins of clock. Throughout this quarter, Negaunee succeeded in waking West Catholic play their game.
2nd
West Catholic’s one and only possession in the 2nd quarter resulted in a touchdown, giving Carter Perry his second of the day. Negaunee continued to play their brand of football, as they eventually chipped away for a TD as time expired in the first half. Although a slow quarter, it ended with momentum on Negaunee’s side. West Catholic led 14-7 at halftime
3rd
The third quarter started out with a bang for Negaunee, as they returned the first kickoff 98 yards to the house. Unfortunately for them, Timmy Kloska Timmy Kloska 6'0" | 220 lbs | RB Grand Rapids West Catholic | 2023 State MI wasn’t having any of that.
In the 3rd quarter alone, Kloska ran for over 150 yards and racked up three touchdowns. West Catholic made Negaunee play their brand of football, and WC started clicking on all cylinders. On top of Kloska’s 3 touchdowns, West Catholic kicked a field goal and had another receiving TD, this time by Andrew McAlary Andrew McAlary 6'0" | 165 lbs | WR West Catholic | 2023 MI . By the time the 3rd quarter ended, Negaunee looked exhausted.
4th
More West Catholic in the 4th, and both teams had the emotions flying high. It was a similar quarter to what we saw in the D2 final, as it was mostly run the clock and get to the inevitable. Once the clock struck 0:00, the celebration was on.
Final Thoughts
Negaunee put up a great night, and they made West Catholic play their style of football throughout the 1st half. I loved how physical they were, and they truly hung with West Catholic for a while. I loved how Negaunee gave West Catholic credit during the postgame press conference, and I love how West Catholic gave Negaunee credit as well. Both of these teams are set up for nice futures. West Catholic will have a great O-Line next season, but they’ll lose a top RB. Negaunee is a young team, so they could be very good next season.