Offensive explosion sees Kingsley defeat Almont in D6 Final

The offenses came to play in today's D6 State Championship, as Kingsley defeated Almont 38-24. As both head coaches said in the postgame press conferences, Kingsley was able to win at the line of scrimmage, and that's why they won this football game. Kingsley led the whole way, and executed when it mattered most. This article will go over a few standout performances by both teams!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kingsley</h2>   RB | Eli Graves | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14556872/Eli-Graves">Hudl</a>   STATS: 33 carries, 210yds, 4TDs (6.4avg), 3 tackles   There was a lot of chatter in the press room about Eli Graves tying the state championship points record. The O-Line came to play and so did Eli, as he ran for 210 yards and 4 touchdowns. There were a few plays where he showed good vision, and he always made sure to hit hard and fall forward. It's rare for any running back to have the workload that he did, and even late in the 4th, he never seemed to slow down. Oh yeah- he also played defense!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/MG_4336.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1096109" style="width:387px;height:auto" /></figure>   The entire O-Line   Almont is no joke on the defensive front. As a matter of fact, Almont head coach James Leusby said it was the first time they got blown back on the defensive front all season. Center Noah Scribner stood out to me more than any O-Lineman from Kingsley, as he fired of the ball well and opened up holes in the run game. The guards did an amazing job as well, as they were able to pull quickly and block physically.   QB | Gavyn Merchant | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11722254/Gavyn-Merchant">Hudl</a>   Gavyn played a great, mistake-free game today. He wasn't asked to pass much, but when he was called on, he did well. One 3rd and 10 conversion late in the 3rd was a decisive moment in this game.   DB | Jon Pearson | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14556898/Jon-Pearson">Hudl</a>   It was a pretty even performance from the Kingsley defense, but Jon stands out as he totaled 1.5TFLs. He was quick to the ball, and of course was not afraid to stop the run.   LB | Kolsen Orton | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16086631/kolsen-orton">Hudl</a>   A solid performance from Kolsen. Four tackles from his LB spot, plus a critical forced fumble and TFL.   Closing thoughts   It was truly difficult to mention the biggest standouts of this team besides Eli and the O-Line. That I believe is the mark of a truly balanced and great team. The stat sheet proves it, especially on defense. Everyone played a role, and nobody picked up anyone else's slack- because there were no weak links!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Almont</h2>   LB | Ayden Ferqueron |<a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15013131/Ayden-Ferqueron"> Hudl</a>   STATS: 15 tackles (9solo)   Even though Almont got beat at the line of scrimmage, the linebackers got some work done. First off, Ayden passes the eye test as a muscular 6'1 195lb linebacker. He's as physical as they come and he flew to the football. Definitely not afraid to hit! His hudl shows what I'm talking about- he's a physical player and a good tackler. He can improve with his athleticism and size, but there's no doubt he was a key player in this championship run.   LB/RB | [player_tooltip player_id='899539' first='Chase' last='Battani'] | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16445033/Chase-Battani">Hudl</a>   STATS: 13 Tackles (8solo), 8 carries, 77yds, 1TD   Chase averaged 9.6 YPC alongside 13 tackles. Talk about putting the team on your back! He's another one of those small school gritty players who has a higher workload than almost all big school players. Defensively, he was another LB that was flying to the ball. Although Kingsley put up a lot of points, they didn't have many explosive plays, and that's because of Chase and this linebacker group. Offensively, he was the most efficient ballcarrier of the day. 77yds and a touchdown on 9.6YPC is a phenomenal performance. If he can make his way to some camps this offseason, I could see him getting some D3 attention.   RB/LB/DB/Returner | [player_tooltip player_id='899538' first='Luke' last='Winkler'] | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16445127/Luke-J-Winkler/about">Hudl</a>   STATS: 5 tackles, 8 carries, 42 yds, 3 returns, 108yds, 150 AP yds   Luke was another big part in the balanced Almont attack and defense. Although he didn't score, he set up several scoring opportunities for his offense. The return game in particular was huge, as his special teams play got his team back in the game. It was apparent in the postgame interview that Winkler was an extremely key part of this team, and he'll have a chance to ball out again next season.

The offenses came to play in today's D6 State Championship, as Kingsley defeated Almont 38-24. As both head coaches said in the postgame press conferences, Kingsley was able to win at the line of scrimmage, and that's why they won this football game. Kingsley led the whole way, and executed when it mattered most. This article will go over a few standout performances by both teams!