Special Edition the Friday, November 1, 2013
LOG
Mona Shores High School • 1121 Seminole Road • Norton Shores, Michigan 49441
making a
SPLASH!
At the conclusion of the football team’s 47-26 Homcoming win over Zeeland East, head coach Matt Koziak was given a victory bath in celebration of the Sailors’ first time qualifying for the state playoffs. Shores finished the season 7-2 and faces Lowell tonight in the opening round of the playoffs.
Sailors head into first-ever playoff appearance About the Red Arrows By Cory Sander Sports Editor
As Matt Koziak, the head football coach at Shores, was leaving Joe Chan’s Bistro Sunday night after the team’s watch party, athletic director Ryan Portenga handed him a complimentary fortune cookie. Koziak opened it, read the fortune, looked up, and smirked as he slid it in his pocket. The fortune cookie read, “Opportunities lie beyond like new frontiers... It’s time to travel.” Today, the Sailors will travel to Lowell as Shores makes its first ever playoff appearance as the Sailors square off against the Red Arrows at 7 p.m. Lowell secured the top seed in the Division 2 district, which also has the Big Reds of Muskegon and the Rockets of Reeths-Puffer playing each other, by going a perfect 9-0 in regular season play. “We were thinking we would get Lowell,” said head coach Matt Koziak, who is in his third season as coach. “We couldn’t be more excited. It’ll be an awesome test to see where we really are as a team.” This is Koziak’s first time facing Lowell as a Sailor. He coached against them three times during his tenure as a coach at Muskegon before coming to Shores, once as their head coach and twice as assistant. “I am familiar with them. I’ve seen
Lowell has been in the Div. 2 state championship game four times, winning state titles in 2002 and 2009 and finishing runner-up in 2010 and 2011. The Red Arrows, which have fielded a football team since 1900, have posted a 560-349-36 record in 114 seasons. To compare the Lowell success against Shores, the Red Arrows have 187 wins since 1994 while the Sailors have 187 wins since 1962. The last losing record for Lowell was 1994 when the team went 3-6. • Head coach Noel Dean (1996-present): 167-32 record • 2013 team is 9-0, having outscored its opponents 397-151. Shores, on the other hand, has outscored its opponents 318-193. • Lowell and Shores played two common opponents (Grand Haven and Muskegon. Lowell defeated the Bucs 41-7 and beat the Big Reds 31-20. Shores beat GH 42-35 and lost to Muskegon 26-20. • Key player: Kyler Shurlow (quarterback) – passing: 109-for-179 for 1,944 yards and 22 touchdowns/4 interceptions; rushing: 889 yards on 142 attempts and 18 touchdowns (statistics from mlive) • Others: Ben Bigham (receiver), Josh Branagan (receiver), Dylan Brower (running back), Kanon Dean (running back) • Shores has faced Lowell twice in the past, losing 57-34 in 2009 and falling 65-25 in 2008. how they play a couple times now first hand,” Koziak said. “This is not my first time preparing for Lowell.” Koziak said preparing for Lowell will be no different than how Shores has prepared for any team during the season. The only change will be the temperature, which will be a little colder than the previous nine weeks.
“(This playoff game against Lowell) is just another game we have to prepare for,” senior wide receiver Logan Smith said. “Every team from here on out will be great, so we might as well get the best done first.” Koziak brought up some JV players last week to help the team toward a playoff victory. He said this will bring
more depth to the roster and get more things accomplished each day during practice having more bodies. “Each day this week leading up to Friday has been crucial,” senior cornerback Matt Rose said. “We had to maintain focus and get better every day.” Lowell plays mainly man-to-man coverage on defense which could be a favorable matchup to the highpowered, fast, Sailor offense. “We have weapons that can hurt Lowell’s man-to-man defense,” Koziak said. “They play aggressive, and I think that we can use that and make big plays.” The Sailor defense will have to come up big against a Lowell offense that averages 44 points a game. Their quarterback, Kyler Shurlow, is known to make plays with both his arm and his legs. “We have to be tough up front on the line,” Koziak said. “They’ve got a great quarterback, so we have to create long situations for him. The key to this game is to stop them offensively and put our offense in good situations.” Anchoring the Sailor defense at linebacker is one of the captains, senior Jake Workman, who cannot wait for kickoff. “I could not be more excited to play Lowell. I think we can come out in the first round and make a statement by beating them. Everyone just has to be focused and know their individual jobs,” Workman said. “When we do this, we are a tough team to beat.”
2
s e a s o n i n
r e v i e w
Game 1
Game 2
Shores 25, Muskegon Catholic Central 16
Shores 40, Spring Lake 12
In the 50th meeting between the two schools, Shores (1-0) scored the game’s final 18 points to erase a 16-7 deficit. The Sailors, who were coached by assistant Todd Conrad because head coach Matt Koziak was suspended two games for a recruiting violation, saw the Crusaders jump out to a 10-0 lead. Shores senior Asantay Brown rushed for a 27-yard score to close the gap to 10-7, but MCC took a 16-7 at the half. The second half belonged to the Sailors. Junior quarterback Tyree Jackson connected with senior Marquon Sargent for a 27-yard TD to make it 16-13, and on the ensuing drive, Shores took the lead when Jackson hit senior Logan Smith for a 29-yard touchdown toss. The PAT was blocked, making it 19-16. Shores wrapped up the scoring when sophomore Hunter Broersma raced 86 yards to make the final score 25-16. The Shores defense held the Crusaders to 18 total yards in the second half.
The Sailors, again without suspended coach Matt Koziak, held the Lakers scoreless through three quarters to raise their record to 2-0. The Sailors took an early lead in the game with a 62-yard run by sophomore Hunter Broersma and a 6-yard reception by senior Marquon Sargent, respectively. The Lakers attempted to fight back in the second quarter, but their attempt was stopped by junior Michael Smith’s interception on the Sailors 3-yard line. Broersma then scored on a 97-yard TD reception to add to Shores score, 20-0. Sargent then added two more receiving touchdowns. Junior quarterback Tyree Jackson was 15-for-26 for 294 yards and 5 TDs in the air. Senior Logan Smith hauled in four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Senior Malik Taylor led the defense with 10 tackles while senior Jake Workman tallied 9.
“The team came out flat without coach Koziak, but we dealt with the adversity and came out and played well in the second half, especially the defense, which was spectacular. The more experienced varsity players played well, but the newer players were nervous. – Simon Karel, junior
“The team played well overall. We stonewalled on defense, and the offense played well. We had them shut down by the second quarter. The team communicated well, and we didn’t have many penalties. We were well prepared from our practices.” – Bryton Woirol, senior
Game 9
Shores 56, Grand Rapids Union 12 Wrapping up the regular season, the Sailors put an exclamation on the historical season. Sophomore Dom Shermeta and senior Marquon Sargent both scored three touchdowns to lead the Sailors, who finished in third place in the OK Black behind Muskegon and Reeths-Puffer. Shermeta, who rushed 18 times for 173 yards, scored on a pair of 1-yard runs and from 15 yards. Sargent, who caught four passes for 124 yards, had three touchdown grabs of 19, 25 and 38 yards from junior quarterback Tyree Jackson, who was 9-of11 passing for 181 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore Hunter Broersma caught an 8-yard TD pass also for Shores. Defensively, senior Asantay Brown and sophomore Tyler Trovinger each had an interception. “We all came together and never split up. We performed well in the second half. The first half was a little shaky because of defense, but we kept pushing harder and harder.” – Austin Wingett, junior
The Sailors’ Log • Friday, November 1, 2013
Game 8
Reeths-Puffer 32, Shores 28
Sophomore Hunter Broersma waits for his blockers as he tries to get to the endzone against Reeths-Puffer. In a back-and-forth contest, Reeths-Puffer came out on top in the cross-town rivalry. Shores scored first on a two-yard TD run by senior Asantay Brown, and with the extra point, took a 7-0 lead. Following the Sailors’ first score, Reeths-Puffer needed just three plays to score, but the Rockets missed the PAT. However, the Rockets benefited from a fumble recovery on the Sailors ensuing drive, turning it into six points for a 12-7 lead. After trading punts, the Rockets made it 19-7. Shores cut the Rocket lead to six (19-13) with an 83-yard, 12-play drive. Brown scored on a four-yard pass from junior Tyree Jackson. But the Rockets punched right back, putting together a 14-play drive, making it 25-13. Shores eventually made it 25-20 when Jackson took the keeper up the middle and ran untouched for the score. After a Rocket punt, the Sailors needed just two plays to score after a 68-yard TD pass from Jackson to Brown. Jackson connected with Brown again on the two-point conversion try to give Shores the 28-25 lead. Reeths-Puffer answered, driving 63-yards in 10 plays to take the 32-28 lead. The Sailors had two chances to drive to the winning score, the first ending on a fourth-and-25 punt, the second ending with a Jackson interception. Jackson finished 18-of-29 passes for 308 yards and also scored on a 10-yard run. Brown caught 14 balls for 255 yards and two TDs. “Obviously, the game did not go as planned. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot. We didn’t execute plays well, we got in a dog fight, and we didn’t do what coach asked of us.” – Asantay Brown, senior
For in t sec Asa Jac and at t up Aft son Jac De
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Historical Sig
Sailors qualify for play By Holly Fredericksen Sports Editor Even though the Shores football team lost its final four games last year to finish 4-5, head coach Matt Koziak knew the Sailors were headed in the right direction. “I could tell the second after we lost our last regular season game to Reeths-Puffer in 2012 (we were going to be a winning team),” third-year coach Matt Koziak said. “I knew this team had the work ethic, character, bond, and talent to be really special.” When the football team travels to Lowell tonight, it will be playing the first playoff game Shores has ever had in its 52 years of football history. “We are taking the playoffs the same way we took the season: one game at a time,” junior Tyree Jackson said. “We don’t want to look past any teams. If we lose, it’s all done.” After putting in countless hours in the weight room and preseason training, the Sailors clinched magic win number six in their conference game against Zeeland East on Oct. 11. A 6-3 record is required for a team to move on to the postseason, and Shores has a 7-2 record. “It was such a good feeling (to make the playoffs),” senior Cody Schneider said, “especially after all the hard work our team has put in since the end of last season. Just to be the first to do something is another great feeling.” At the beginning of the season, the team set three goals: to make playoffs, to win the conference, and to win the state championship. “We set many goals this year, long term and short term,” Koziak said. “So far, we got one out of the two. The playoffs will determine the third.”
Senior Asantay B yard touchdown en, will help lead off appearance i
Game 7
Shores 47, Zeeland East 26
For the first time in school history, the Sailors qualified for the playoffs, jumping out to a 33-0 lead on Homecoming night and never looking back. Junior Tyree Jackson hit senior Asantay Brown for a 33-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead on Shores’ first possession. Shores scored again on its next possession when sophomore Dom Shermeta had a 9-yard scoring run. The Sailors made it three touchdowns on three possessions in the first quarter when Jackson hit Brown with a 22-yard scoring strike that gave Shores a 19-0 lead. The onslaught continued in the second quarter when Jackson connected with senior Marquon Sargent on a 42-yard touchdown pass. Three minutes later, Shermeta scored from 1-yard out, giving Shores a 33-0 lead. Zeeland East got on the scoreboard late in the first half, leaving the Sailors with a 33-6 halftime edge. Sargent kept the momentum going on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, taking a pitch from Jackson and exploding for a 54-yard touchdown run. Zeeland East scored again with 3:32 left in the third quarter. The Sailors finished their assault late in the third quarter when Jackson hit Sargent for a 57-yard touchdown. The visitors added two touchdowns in the final minutes of the contest, but it was too little, too late. “Overall, the team did well. The defense shut down the running game, and the offense executed well. We shut them down in the second half. We thought before the game that this was the big one. this one would put us in the playoffs and into Shores history.” – Connor Cannella, senior
Heading a room aga
Game 3
Game 4
3
Shores 32, Caledonia 20
Shores 42, Grand Haven 35
r the first time in 33 years, Shores opened the season 3-0. The Sailors, the return game of head coach Matt Koziak, got on the board just 33 conds into the game when junior quarterback Tyree Jackson hit senior antay Brown on a screen pass, and Brown raced for a 61-yard TD. ckson then hit senior Logan Smith for a 26-yard touchdown reception, d junior DeOntay Moffett added a 1-yard TD run for a 20-0 Sailor lead the end of the first quarter. After the Scots scored, Jackson hooked with Brown for a 46-yard TD. Caledonia made it 26-13 at the half. ter the Scots cut the deficit to 26-20 early in the third quarter, Jackn hooked up with Brown one more time, this time a 23-yard TD pass. ckson completed 14-of-24 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns. eontay Moffett rushed 19 times for 84 yards.
Shores opened its home schedule with a win to start 4-0 for the first time since 1980. The Sailors built a 28-7 lead in front of 6,000 fans but had to hold off the Bucs to secure the win. Sophomore Hunter Broersma, who led the attack with nine carries for 69 yards and two passes for 36 yards, scored three first-half touchdowns. Senior Asantay Brown caught eight passes from for 153 yards, which included a 32-yard touchdown pass from junior Tyree Jackson, who finished 13-of-21 for 200 yards. Jackson also scored on a 9-yard run. “The game went well. We improved on some minor problems from the week before. It was exciting to beat them on their Homecoming. People made their blocks, and the passes were accurate, which also made catches more frequent.” – TJ Daniels, senior During the first quarter, junior Tyree Jackson avoids Grand Haven’s Dakota Juarez. Jackson, who had a 9-yard TD run, was 13for-21 for 200 yards passing.
“We jumped out to an early lead and ran the clock down in the econd half. We had a phenomenal passing game with the offensive line having good pass protection. Also, the defense had a key goal-line stand in the fourth quarter.” – Blake Cramer, junior
gnificance
yoffs for first time Rushing
Team 1,852 yards on 272 carries for 20 touchdowns Individual Tyree Jackson, junior 71 carries, 341 yards, 3 TD’s Dom Shermata, sophomore 42 carries, 339 yards, 5 TD’s Hunter Broersma, sophomore 28 carries, 401 yards, 4 TD’s
Receiving
Team 2,259 yards on 128 receptions for 28 touchdowns Individual Asantay Brown, senior 56 catches, 1,094 yards, 11 TD’s Marquon Sargent, senior 31 catches, 608 yards, 9 TD’s
Passing
Team 2,259 yards on 130-of-209 for 28 TD’s and 6 interceptions Individual Tyree Jackson, junior 130-of-209, 2,221 yards, 28 TD’s, 6 INT’s
around the corner, senior Marquon Sargent looks for some running ainst Zeeland East.
Game 5
Muskegon 26, Shores 20 A standing room crowd of 10,000 saw Muskegon break a 20-20 tie with 5:59 left in the game on a 53-yard TD pass from DeShaun Thrower to Tavon Jackson to hand Shores (4-1) its first loss. Shores, which was looking for its first win over the Big Reds since 1982, led 12-7 at the half. Muskegon opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run, and Shores countered with a 6-yard touchdown run by senior Asantay Brown and a 53-yard touchdown pass from junior Tyree Jackson to Brown. However, Muskegon scored early in the third quarter to take a 14-12 lead. Later in the quarter, Muskegon scored again to take a 20-12 lead. Shores had a quick response for that touchdown with a score of its own as Jackson hooked up with Brown for a 9-yard score. Trailing by two, the Sailors went for the tie and got it when Jackson found senior Logan Smith in the corner of the end zone for two points Senior Josh Patrick looks for an opening in the Muskegon defense during the Sailors’ to tie the game at 20-all before the Big Reds came up with the big play. first loss of the season. Jackson completed 22-of-34 passes for 262 yards. Brown caught nine for 124 yards, and senior Marquon Sargent caught four passes for 90 yards. Even though we lost, we still put up a good fight, stuck together and held up against a state-ranked team. This was the first game we really bonded. The chemistry among us was stronger. We executed plays efficiently, but we need to start as strong as we finish and continue the fight.” – Andrew Gaskin, senior
Game 6
Shores 28, Kenowa Hills 14
The Sailors didn’t waste time as they jumped out 14-0 after the first quarter. Shores added another score in the second to take a 21-7 halftime lead. Tyree Jackson compiled 233 yards passing, including touchdown passes of 34, 15 and 11 yards. The junior QB also rushed for 87 yards with a 1-yard scoring run. Senior Asantay Brown had eight catches for 164 yards receiving. Shores’ offense more than doubled up on the Knights, getting 455 total yards with 222 arriving on the ground. Kenowa Hills was held to 210 total yards with 134 on the ground. Sophomore receiver Hunter Broersma contributed to the Sailors’ offense with a 34-yard touchdown catch. Senior receiver Logan Smith had a 11-yard touchdown. Defensively, Shores was led by Cody Schneider and sophomore Dom Shermeta. The two each had six tackles and three assists. The game went pretty well. We played more confidently. We had never beaten them before, so it was a big win. This was one of our better games on both offense and defense.” – Rudy Fierros, senior
i n r e v i e w The Sailors’ Log • Friday, November 1, 2013
Brown, shown here after his 32n reception against Grand Havd the Sailors into their first playin school history.
Season Stats
s e a s o n
4
s p o r t s
Through the Years
The Sailors’ Log • Friday, November 1, 2013
Year Record 2013 7-2 2012 4-5 2011 1-8 2010 2-7 2009 5-4 2008 3-6 2007 3-6 2006 4-5 2005 4-5 2004 1-8 2003 1-8 2002 3-6 2001 3-6 2000 1-8 1999 3-6 1998 4-5 1997 5-4 1996 3-6 1995 1-8 1994 0-9 1993 4-5 1992 4-5 1991 3-6 1990 5-4 1989 5-4 1988 3-6 1987 2-7 1986 4-5 1985 5-4 1984 1-8 1983 4-5 1982 6-3 1981 6-3 1980 7-2 1979 4-5 1978 3-5-1 1977 5-4 1976 7-2 1975 5-4 1974 7-2 1973 6-3 1972 3-5-1 1971 3-5-1 1970 1-8 1969 3-6 1968 8-1 1967 4-4-1 1966 1-8 1965 0-9 1964 4-5 1963 4-3-1 1962 0-1 Total 184-269-5
Making holes for the running back and protecting the quarterback are two of the jobs of senior Darius Gooden, who is one of 19 seniors.
What Others Are Saying
“(My wife Katie) Jazwinski and I are huge athletic fans. A lot of our friends are coaches of the OK Black Conference schools. We think it’s awesome and we love the atmosphere.” – Bob Jazwinski, special education teacher
“I am so happy they made it into the playoffs. It’s something I wish I would have been able to do back when I was in high school.” – Todd Rakowski, 1982 Shores graduate
“I think it’s awesome. I am really excited, especially since I am a senior and our class is the first senior class to experience being in the playoff.” – Evan DuVall, senior
“It makes me excited. It’s never happened before, and I hope the team does well.” – Madeline Burda, sophomore
“It’s really cool and a really cool opportunity to be the first student section at Shores to cheer on the football team and make history.” – Kennedy Potts, sophomore
“It’s awesome cheering for this team. The energy of the student section and the drive of the players can actually be felt on the track. I am excited to see them continue to do great.” – Amy Gesiakowski, junior
“I think the team going into the playoffs is great. I am very proud hard work and determination paying off.” – Chris Johnson, English teacher and 1998 Shores graduate
“School spirit has always been prevalent in our hallways, but this year was different and even more so marvelous. We’re forever proud Sailors.” – Chloe Grisby, sophomore
“I feel really happy that they made it in. I hope we stay in the playoffs and get far.” – Tenisha Kitchen, senior
“It’s beyond time for them to make it to the playoffs. Their dedication, hard work and patience is paying off. I can’t wait to cheer on the team.” – Kristin Abair, Shores graduate
“I am pretty excited. It’s been a long time since we have had a winning record.” – Brett Mosley, health teacher and 1983 Shores graduate “I am extremely excited for the school and team. It’s been a long journey; unfortunately, the current playoff system was not around many years ago.” – Marc Pasco, 1981 Shores graduate “I am so happy for the team making the playoffs for the first time, and I am glad I was there to witness them making history.” – Andrew Myers, freshman
“It’s great (that they made the playoffs). In 1981, we beat the Class A state champ and barely lost to the Class B champs but didn’t make the playoffs.” – Bob Filka, 1982 graduate “Sailor Pride has been really exciting for the entire Norton Shores community and for MSHS alumni. The attendance at the games has increased. The enthusiasm the fans are showing is outstanding. The team, coaches, current students and fans can be proud of the efforts of this season.” – Debbie Madole, Shores graduate
Meet the Sailors No. Name 2 Rose, Matt 3 Jackson, Tyree 4 Sargent, Marquon 5 Smith, Logan 6 Brown, Asantay 7 Schneider, Cody 8 Grissom, Michael 9 Schuiteman, Matt 10 Broersma, Hunter 11 DeRemer, Jacob 12 Steger, Jared 13 Patrick, Joshua 15 Chartier, Steven 18 Shermeta, Dom 20 Moffett, DeOntay 21 Smith, Michael 23 Workman, Jake 24 Dykstra, Noah 25 Brown, Bailey 30 Chandler, Libo 34 Johnson, Raphael 43 LaFever, Peyton 44 Cramer, Blake 45 Daniels, TJ 46 Rankin, Rashon
Position SLOT/QB/DB QB/DB SLOT/DB WR/TE WR/DB SLOT/DB SLOT/DB WR/DB SLOT/DB K SLOT/DB SLOT/DB SLOT/DB FB/LB FB/LB WR/DB FB/LB QB/FB/LB SLOT/DB SLOT/DB SLOT/DB SLOT/DB FB/LB FB/LB RB/DB
Class Senior Junior Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior Junior Soph. Junior Senior Senior Junior Soph. Junior Junior Senior Junior Junior Senior Junior Junior Junior Senior Soph.
Ht. 5’9” 6’3” 6’1” 6’4” 6’1” 6’2” 5’11” 6’2” 6’1” 5’7” 5’9” 6’0” 5’8” 5’9” 5’10” 6’1” 5’11” 5’11” 5’10” 5’8” 5’8” 5’10” 5’11” 5’9” 5’9”
Wt. 155 181 176 211 190 190 183 171 178 160 160 158 140 190 200 170 210 212 136 150 145 165 167 173 165
No. Name 48 Trovinger, Tyler 50 Taylor, Malik 51 Gleason, Scott 52 Williams, D’Andre 54 Sullivan, Collin 55 Gooden, Darius 56 Nunnery, Justin 57 Fierros, Rudy 58 Hall, Mason 60 Cannella, Connor 64 Karel, Simon 65 Karel, Samuel 66 Boyd, Christian 68 Brown, Nick 69 Gaskin, Andrew 70 Bordeaux, Mike 72 Hunter, Gavin 75 Eckerle, Trent 76 DeVore, Austin 77 Woirol, Bryton 78 Hellman, Zach 80 Burse, Kobe 81 Janczyk, Jason 85 Wingett, Austin
Position QB/DB OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB
Class Soph. Senior Junior Senior Senior Senior Junior Senior Junior Senior Junior Soph. Soph. Soph. Senior Soph. Junior Junior Junior Senior Junior Soph. Senior Junior
Ht. 5’10” 6’0” 5’10” 6’0” 5’8” 6’0” 6’3” 5’11” 5’9” 6’4” 6’0” 5’11” 6’2” 6’6” 5’10” 6’2” 5’9” 6’4” 6’3” 6’1” 6’4” 6’1” 5’11” 5’11”
Wt. 175 227 210 220 206 287 200 200 180 250 205 165 270 220 216 241 275 269 303 200 217 181 171 166
Coaching staff: Matt Koziak, Todd Conrad, Aaron James, Montrell Dockery, Mac Parker, John Slocum, Jason Dykstra, Phil Osborne