Red Hawk junior quarterback Collin Alvesteffer hands off the ball to senior Cameron Umphrey. Photos by K. Alvesteffer and R. LaLone.
By Lauren VanDenHout
Red Hawk sophomore John Todd runs with the ball. Photos by K. Alvesteffer and R. LaLone.
To kickstart their 2015 season, the Cedar Springs Red Hawks faced the Comstock Park Panthers on Saturday, August 29, at Grand Valley State University Lubbers Stadium in the GRidiron classic. The feeling of Red Hawk Pride was contagious throughout the stands as the boys took the field for the first time. The varsity team fought hard but the game ended in a loss for the Hawks, with a final score of 48-38.
The Hawks came out strong in the first quarter. Senior Cameron Umphrey made an explosive run up the middle for a 77-yard touchdown only 58 seconds into the game, followed by a two-point conversion from junior quarterback Collin Alvesteffer. Senior Isaiah MacDonald scored the second touchdown for the Red Hawks, with five minutes and thirty-five seconds remaining in the quarter. After Alvesteffer made another conversion for the team, the Hawks had a small lead against the Panthers going into the second quarter, 16-14.
Comstock Park came back and scored on a two-yard run by Pat Naughton, and the extra kick was good, making the score 21-16. Sophomore John Todd made a 63-yard run, which lessened the Panther’s advantage. Comstock Park scored again, and at halftime the scored stood 28-24 Panthers.
The Hawks stepped it up in the third and fourth quarter after starting quarterback Alvesteffer left the game with a sprained ankle. Umphrey scored on a 30-yard run in the third quarter (the conversion failed), and a 24-yard run in the fourth quarter. Junior Jacob Hooker, the back-up quarterback, made the two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Final score was 48-38 Panthers.
“I thought the game came down to us getting stops on defense and not having turnovers on offense. We did not accomplish those things, and we didn’t capitalize on Comstock Park’s mistakes. That was the difference in the game,” commented Red Hawk Coach Gus Kapolka on his team’s performance throughout the game.
Regardless of this loss, the boys are hungry for a win against the Sparta Spartans on Thursday, September 3. They play at home at The Red Hawk Stadium at 7 p.m. Come out and support the Red Hawks in their first home game of the season!
