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Sports

Warriors Run Over Hornets in Football Opener

Saline was unable to overcome a rough start to start the season.

The Saline Hornets football season got off to a rocky start on Friday.  The Walled Lake Western Warriors ran over the Hornet defense on the way to a 51-14 rout. Saline’s air attack came too late to mount a successful comeback.

“We had our physical errors, but the mental errors are what put us in a position where we gave up touchdowns. A team like [Walled Lake] is not going to make that mistake; they’re going to sit there with their hands open and take it,” said Saline head coach Mike Glennie.

Junior Reese Dils completed his first pass from scrimmage to start the year, but Saline’s drive faltered quickly. The Warriors pounded the ball on the ground; their opening drive went 66 yards for a touchdown.  CJ McGorisk finished the drive with a five yard scamper, and Walled Lake went up 7-0 without throwing the football.

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The rest of the first half did not fare much better for Saline. Dils was intercepted in the red zone with 7:58 left in the half. The turnover was converted into a touchdown on a McGorisk 58 yard run; the extra point was wide left and Walled Lake grew their lead to 13-0. The next Hornet drive was quickly stymied, but the snap to the punter was high; the end result was a blocked punt and Walled Lake possession at the two yard line.  The Warriors’ Connor Ruby punched the ball in from one yard out to give Walled Lake their halftime lead of 19-0 without ever throwing a pass.

The Hornet defense started the second half holding Walled Lake to a field goal. Dils, who ended the day 10-30 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, threw his second pick on the ensuing drive; two plays later, McGorisk connected with Chris Stepek for an 11-yard touchdown reception. The converted extra point made the score 29-0.

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“We gave up two touchdowns in the first half because we’re not disciplined. We gave up one in the second half and then fell asleep on another one, so we gave away twenty-eight points,” said Glennie.

After a three-and-out for Saline, penalties started to pile up for the Hornets.  Joe Wooley received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during a spat on the field; Wooley was ejected from the game.  A facemask and pass interference call (offset by an offensive holding), kept the Warriors’ drive going. Alex Buchanan ran in a one-yard touchdown, and Walled Lake converted a two-point conversion to drive the score up to 37-0. 

“We don’t do that. That’s not who we are, that’s not what this program is all about. Some of those penalties became acts of frustration that shows a lack of mental discipline,” said Glennie.

Saline’s offense finally starting clicking after that. Dils connected with Gage Hammond for a 68-yard touchdown pass, and the Hornets put their first points of the year on the board. The third quarter ended with Saline down 37-7.

The fourth quarter started with Walled Lake finishing another drive on the ground, with Brent Zdebski pushing through a pile for a one-yard touchdown run. Hammond responded for Saline with a 35 yard kick return on the ensuing kickoff. He then hauled in a 47-yard pass from Dils to bring the score to 44-14. Walled Lake finalized scoring with a 7 yard touchdown run.

Hammond finished the day with five catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns; he added five runs and 31 yards on the ground. Hunter Leslie led the defense with eight tackles.

The Hornets host Ypsilanti on Sept. 2.

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