First win ever over FHN

Red Hawk Alex Hemry reaches for a first down. Photo by A. Brumleve.

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks had played Forest Hills Northern 22 times going into last Friday’s game, and had never beaten them. It turned out that game number 23 was the charm. In one of the most emotional rollercoaster football games in recent memory, Cedar defeated Forest Hills Northern 27-19 last Friday night to improve their record to 4-1.

FHN rode the excitement of their homecoming and jumped out to a quick and decisive 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Cedar had put no real resistance up until late in the second quarter when Tyler Baker caught a tipped pass near the goal line. Conner Burrows ran it over two plays later to narrow the lead to 6. On the ensuing possession the Huskies drove the length of the field to take a 19-6 lead into halftime.

Cedar came out of the long half and drove down the field, including a long completion from Tyler Covell to AJ Olszewski followed by a Covell one-yard sneak to narrow the score to 19-13. With the momentum changing, the Red Hawks held FHN to a punt on the ensuing possession but FHN held the Red Hawks to punt also. On that punt, Cedar’s gunner, Alex Hemry, hit the punt returner, as he was catching the punt, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Red Hawks. Two plays later Shane Bratt ran 42 yards for the go ahead score, 20-19. Both defenses took over and held each other in check until late in the fourth quarter, when Jake Fisk scored on a 5-yard run, after a Henry Porter 70-yard run, to bring the final of 27-19.

Cedar heads to Comstock Park tomorrow to continue the path for a conference championship. They appreciated the large crowd last Friday. Let’s show them our support and fill the stands again!