Attention football fans...Mendon vs. Hudson coverage live tonight!!!

It has the potential to be one of the game's of the year...
For the last several weeks, most area football fans have been dissecting the playoffs, looking for potential opponents and stumbling blocks down the road.
A majority of fans I've talked to our less concerned with Ubly's opponent tomorrow, Summerfield, who despite having had a great season, are truly lacking in any type of playoff experience. Instead, they are focused more on who will win between Mendon and Hudson; and how well Ubly will stack up against them.
Well tonight is when you all find out. Having the rare opportunity to go see an out of area game on a Friday night, a buddy of mine suggested we hitch a ride with the Tuscola County Advertiser's Chad Wingert, the mayor of Mayville, and see Millington play at Ovid-Elsie.
But instead, I thought for an extra hour drive, we could see the heavily hyped Mendon vs. Hudson game, which would be useful if Ubly went forward, because I could talk to the winning coach right on the spot for a potential preview and actually seeing what they could do on the field instead of just reading about it in one of their area papers or on Mlive.
So to make a long story short, I'm working out the details right now, but if all goes well, we'll have live updates throughout the game...on a play by play basis, along with instant thoughts and analysis on the game as it occurs.
Spread the word Thumb football fans, if you want to know what Ubly might be facing in another week if they win tomorrow, this is the place to be.

Eagles win, Eagles fall

Caseville may have failed to win their first regional championship in volleyball tonight, but they were victors in their own right. Despite losing to Deckerville in three (25-10, 25-19, 25-19), the Eagles put the Caseville volleyball program on the map, with what could only be described as a gutsy performance against Deckerville.

Despite being decided underdogs, Caseville came ready to play and were every bit Deckerville's equal for most of the second and third games.

Watts noted that the key for this team to repeat and possibly surpass their success from this year it will take a dedicated effort throughout the summer.

This officially ends our volleyball season, aside from the All-Thumb volleyball team, which will be announced on Nov. 25.

Caseville advances to regional finals

The Eagles swept Faith Burton in their regional semifinals at North Huron tonight. They advance to the regional finals on Thursday, where they will meet Deckerville at 7 p.m. The Eagles swept BCAS earlier tonight, a team that made it to Battle Creek last year.
Photos will be up in the next hour...

Let's help out coach Herp

I'm reposting this message, I got in another post. I'm hoping everyone will take time to visit the web site below and leave a message. Between this and facebook, I'm hoping we can get 100 messages to coach before this Saturday's game.

Here is the message:

Chris,

Wondering if you could do me a huge favor. Bill Sweeney will be trying to beat my dad's straight wins record this Saturday.

Anyone out there that was coached by, coached against or just knew my dad should give him a shout. He could use the good wishes. Check out http://www.coachherp.com/.

Thanks - Coach Herp's Daughter #2 (Betsy Herp)

Here is info from the site as to why coach needs the well-wishes:

Ubly Football Coach Herp - Gerald F. Herp has been a coach, a father, a brother, an uncle and a friend to many people in this world. As you may know, because you have reached this website, he has been battling some medical problems since July 2009. It began with chest pains, a triple by-pass and finding out in the process that he had liver disease.
During his recovery from heart surgery he has had some setbacks with infections and kidney problems, making him ineligible for a liver transplant. While he is back at home, he needs lots of love, support and prayers to get him through the next six months, at which time he will be revaluated for a live donor liver transplant through the University of Michigan Medical Center. It truely is amazing what the medical community can do.
So we are asking for your help in providing words of encouragement, thoughts, prayers, funny stories about football, baseball and or softball (yes he coached those Ubly girls too!) or just good memories you have about Mr. Gerry Herp. Please be forewarned that whatever you write will be read by the masses and someday may even end up in a book about the "Best Little Coach in Ubly!"

Eagles soar to Class D district title

BY CHRIS OGRYSKI
EDITOR

AKRON – For the first time in over 20 years, the Caseville volleyball team has won a district championship.
Last Friday, the Eagles beat North Huron in four (25-15, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23) to claim the school’s first girls’ title in any sport since 1985.
For the Eagles, Rebecca Janke had 12 points, eight kills and three digs, while Tabitha Dexter added eight points and seven kills. Heather Nowak had 12 points and 10 kills, Chalon Foreman four kills, Emily Kurschner 12 points, Natasha Simmons 10 points, Amber Bieri seven points and nine digs, and Haley Buckey four digs.
Setters Maureen Fortsch and Kurschner were 98 percent successful on their sets, while blockers Angela Hessel and Veronica Sauer combined for six blocks. “Every player did her job,” Caseville coach David Watts said. “I am so proud of the young ladies.
“I’m beyond ecstatic!”
Watts felt it was a total team effort that led to his team’s victory. “Everyone - from the people on the court putting it all on the line, to the players on the bench cheering them on, to the Eagle fans in the stands yelling their support – played a key role in the victory,” he said.
According to Watts, one key for Caseville was to not focus on the championship and instead focus on playing good fundamental volleyball. “All week in practice, we hardly mentioned the title. Instead we focused on specific goals: taking that ‘one extra step’ to the ball, serving at least 90 percent (the team was 92 percent against North Huron) and ‘staying aggressive’ with our play,” he said.
“The team executed the gameplan and the results came.”
Yesterday in regional semifinal action, Caseville took on Burton Faith at North Huron. If they won, they advance to the regional finals on Thursday, November 12 at 7 p.m. where they face the Bay City All Saints-Deckerville winner.
For the Warriors, Megan Heffner had 15 kills, 22 digs, four aces and one assist, while Sara Clancy added 15 kills, five digs and one assist.
Amanda Navock had 39 assists, five digs and three kills, Stephanie Goretski 22 digs and two aces, Hanna Selaty eight kills and 18 digs, Caitlin Homrich four kills, four digs and two assists, Ashley Case four kills and Katie Knoblock two aces.
North Huron advanced to the finals with wins over Akron-Fairgrove (25-10, 25-20, 25-12) and last year’s champions Owen-Gage (25-17, 25-16, 25-14).

Area athletes compete in state finals

Harbor Beach’s Wessels earns all-state honors
BROOKLYN – With a seventh place finish (19:51.8) in division four action this past Saturday at the Milan International Speedway, Harbor Beach’s Ali Wessels earned all-state honors for the second straight year. Wessels finished fourth overall in 2008.
Also in D4 girls actions, Pirate teammate Alicia Erdman finished 55th (21:22.5).
In the division three girls race, the Bad Axe girls, who finished third at regionals to qualify as a team, finished 22nd overall.
For the Lady Hatchets, Cassie Hanson finished 107th (21:24.7), Breann Schramski 132nd (21:51.3), Hailey Richards 167th (22:35.3), Heather Smith 168th (22:35.5), Crystal Schaible 201st (23:16.7) and Mary Ellen Yaklic 209th (23:28.4).
In D3 boys action, Jeremy Pawlowski finished 122nd (17:52.5), while Nicholas Pawlowski finished right behind him at 124th (17:54.2). Teammate Martin Wolschlager finished 177th (18:32.9).
Ubly’s John Creguer finished 91st (18:16) in the D4 boys race.

Bearcats win district crown

The champs.
Justin Cleary...see coaches Terry Messing (right, background) and I think Dave Kaufman raising their arms to signal the touchdown that was just a few yards away.
Justin Cleary.

Freshman Curtis Booms, who my wife Jill taught years ago in Young Fives, tackles QB Garrett Cook. Booms is one of a long line of great Ubly football players my wife have taught through the years including Eric LaBuhn and Mitch Cleary, who were in here first Ubly class ever, which was a second grade.

Curtis Booms.

Eric Booms attempts a tackle.

Bryan Nash looks stunned after being called for pass interference in the first half. Genesee would get a 1st and goal on the nine and scored to tie the game at 6-6 at the time.

Justin cleary, who led the team with 157 yards rushing...

Justin Cleary.

Cleary on defense.

Steven Weber looks for a chance to sack the QB.

The celebration.

Time to celebrate.

The Ubly defense steps up.

Kade Kwiatkowski scores late in the game.

Joe LaFave is wrapped up on the kick return.

Joe LaFave picks off a Cook pass in the fourth.

The "U" is proudly displayed...

It was expected that Genesee would be a better test for Ubly than Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest was in week one of the playoffs. And the Wolves were, but only six points better.
Ubly put forth another dominant effort, knocking off a 10-0 Genesee team 52-6 (they won their opener over the Crusaders 52-0).
Tied at 6-6 heading into the second, the Bearcats scored 40 unanswered points in the second quarter and one in the fourth to win 52-6. As for the 40 points, the MHSAA does not have a record for points in the quarter, so no way to know how that stacks up with other efforts throughout the years.
Justin Cleary led Ubly with 157 yards on 17 carries and four scores, all in the first half.
Consequently, Garrett Cook was held to under 200 yards of total offense, which was the team's goal heading into the game. Cook was held to 77 yards passing and 63 yards on the ground for 140 yards on the day. He had been averaging 256 yards per game heading into the game.
We'll have photos up later tonight and possibly some audio from both coach Bill Sweeney and Jim Becker tonight or tomorrow.
In some bonus info, Caseville beat North Huron to win the Class D volleyball districts at Akron-Fairgrove tonight.

Here are some scores of note in Division 7:

Petersburg Summerfield beats Detroit Loyola 28-22, so they will face off for Ubly this Saturday at 7 p.m.

Also in D7, Hudson beat Reading 40-0 as expected, while Merrill beat Whittemore-Prescott 33-26 and Traverse City St. Francis knocked off Rudyard 54-8 (Editor's note: Rudyard is where my grandparents retired when they were alive) and Ispheming knocked off Ishpeming Westwood 38-0.

In a game to watch tomorrow, Mendon hosts White Pigeon at 1 p.m.

Other area scores include:

Millington 21, Vassar 6

St. Charles 35, Reese 14