CLARKSTON — It took only four minutes and 40 seconds last Friday evening for reality to make an unwelcome entrance for Everest Collegiate’s gridiron warriors in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 8 district final against Harbor Beach, a contest Harbor Beach won 37-7.
Until that moment in the season, the Mountaineers hadn’t permitted their five Catholic High School League Intersectional 2 Division foes to score nary a point in shelling them by an average score of 47-0.
Everest gained a measure of respect with victories over reputable opponents: Division 6 No. 5-rated Warren Michigan Collegiate, defending Division 8 champion Ubly, and Ottawa Lake Whiteford, who had sidelined the Mountaineers in recent past playoffs.
Macomb Lutheran North dealt Everest a bitter 17-14 overtime loss in the CHSL Prep Bowl, but the Mountaineers bounced back a week later to blitz Burton Bentley, 51-0, in the opener of the MHSAA playoffs and set the stage to welcome Harbor Beach in a district final.
In business-like fashion, an energized Everest took the opening kickoff — spurred by halfback Jim Nedwick’s 31 yards in five carries and quarterback Oliver Neiman’s 11-yard pass to Kevin Cronin — to Harbor Beach’s 38-yard line.
That would be the end of the line for Everest’s hopes of further playoff action when Neiman was sacked for a 17-yard loss.
The difference between Harbor Beach’s No. 3 ranking and Everest’s No. 5 took on Grand Canyon-esque proportions.
The Pirates responded quickly with a four-play, 79-yard march, climaxed by a 48-yard touchdown pass for an 8-0 lead. Moments later, Harbor Beach made it 14-0 when it converted a fumble by Nedwick into a 30-yard touchdown.
The Pirates built a 30-0 halftime lead on a 10-yard run early in the second quarter and a 64-yard pass and run play late in the quarter.
Harbor Beach threatened to enlarge its advantage in the second half, but caused its own undoing by a fumble at the goal line and an end zone interception.
Everest assembled an 80-yard drive 14 plays for its touchdown early in the third quarter. Nedwick accounted for 53 yards on 11 carries, including the last six for the touchdown on a one-yard dive. For the game, he had 118 yards on 25 carries.
Neiman kept the ball 11 times for 85 yards and completed eight of 13 passes for 98 yards.
Harbor Beach’s last touchdown followed Everest’s unsuccessful fourth-down-and-10 from its own 17-yard line.
Coach Mike Pruchnicki has guided Everest’s football program since its inception a dozen years ago, winning 99 against 32 losses, a .756 success rate.
The Mountaineers have won seven CHSL Intersectional 2 titles and are 4-3 in Prep Bowl appearances.
On the state level, Everest has won two regionals and seven districts.
The closest Everest has come to the state finals was in 2018 when its semifinal game was forfeited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
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