Saints Post 1st Playoff Win Since 2003 With 49-6 Victory Over Broncos
By David Latva

Austin St. Louis (11) with a key block from Ronnie France (36) returns a punt 54 yards to set up a 12- yard touchdown run by Rob Robinson in the Saints' 49-6 win over Bark River-Harris Friday evening, October 31.

The St. Ignace Saints posted their first playoff victory since 2003 with a 49-6 win over the Bark River- Harris Broncos in a Region 1/ District 2 game in the state football Division 8 playoffs at St. Ignace Friday, October 31.

The Saints' victory, along with Cedarville's 30-0 win over Gaylord St. Mary that same night, will lead to an anticipated Region 1/ District championship game between St. Ignace and the Trojans Friday, November 7, at Saints Field, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

In Friday's Saints game, the Broncos (6-4 overall), a member of the Mid-Eastern Football League, took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards on 18 plays, scoring on a two-yard halfback option pass from Bryce Derouin to Dylan Roberts for a 6-0 lead at the 5:09 mark of the first quarter.

Bark River-Harris used 6:51 off the clock and with a spread offense, completed six passes for 54 yards in the scoring drive.

Broncos running back Eric White is tackled by the Saints' Andy Tamlyn (55) and Stefan Saffian (84) during first half of the St. Ignace win.

"We had a tough time adjusting to their spread offense," said Saints Coach Marty Spencer. "I was pleased with the way we responded and played tough defense for the remainder of the game."

St. Ignace (8-2 overall) held the Broncos to 139 total yards after the first touchdown and kept Bark River-Harris from crossing the 50- yard line until late in the fourth quarter, when the game was out of reach.

The Broncos took a 6-0 lead into the second quarter, but on the third play of the second quarter, Austin St. Louis returned a Bark River-Harris punt 54 yards to the 12-yard line and Rob Robinson went the remaining yards for the Saints' first touchdown. Gerrit Mortensen added an extrapoint kick, giving St. Ignace a 7-6 lead. The Saints never surrendered the lead.

St. Louis had a combined rushing and pass reception yards total of 120 yards. He had a 73-yard punt return touchdown called back at the 10:08 mark of the second quarter.

The Saints' Grant Simmons (76) and Louis Radecki (88) and marching band trumpet players performed the National Anthem, with Reid Marshall (far left) and his brother, Drew Marshall, holding the helmets of the players.

Later in the first half, Robinson dashed 41 yards to the three-yard line. Two plays later, the senior scored from one yard out for a 13-6 lead at the 2:29 mark.

Bark River-Harris took possession at its own 33-yard line and, on a fourth-down punt formation, the Broncos punter went to his knee to catch the low snap from center and punted the ball, however, the play was called dead at the 35-yard line because his knee touched the ground before he punted.

St. Ignace took advantage of good field position as Mortensen and St. Louis connected on a 24- yard scoring pass with 18 seconds left on the clock.

The Saints used some crafty play calling on the ensuing two-point conversion. Lester, the holder on a presumed extra point kick, flipped the ball to Mortensen, the kicker, who then threw a behind-the-scrimmage line pass back to Lester, who completed a forward pass to St. Louis in the back of the end zone for a 21-6-halftime advantage.

Jean Huskey displays a sign in her yard in support of the St. Ignace Saints in their playoff run. The number 76 jersey belongs to her son, Tim Huskey, a 1974 graduate of LaSalle High School.

"The two scores before the half were key to giving us momentum going into the half," added Coach Spencer.

The Saints kept the momentum going into the second half, as Mortensen and Lester hooked up on a 55-yard scoring pass on the second play of the third quarter. Mortensen added the extra point for a 28-6 Saints lead.

St. Ignace scored two touchdowns within 20 seconds of each other on a 46-yard pass from Mortensen to St. Louis at 4:47. St. Louis intercepted a Broncos pass shortly after, and returned the football 27 yards for his third touchdown of the game. Gunnar Zipp completed the touchdown with a two-point conversion for a commanding 42-6 lead.

The remainder of the game was played under a running clock, which is a Michigan High School Athletics Association rule used once a team has at least a 35-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Saints, with their second offensive unit playing, scored their final touchdown at 8:38 of the fourth quarter on a Caleb Litzner one-yard run. Mortensen kicked the extra point.

The Saints totaled 350 yards of offense that included 210 on the ground and 140 passing, while the Broncos totaled 209 yards of offense, including 126 from the air and 83 yards on the ground.

Saints offensive statistics: Gerrit Mortensen, 6-of-9 passing for 137 yards, three touchdowns, eight carries for 34 yards; Rob Robinson, 10 carries for 89 yards, one touchdown, one reception for 11 yards; Austin St. Louis, three receptions for 67 yards, two touchdowns, three carries for 53 yards; Anthony Lester, one reception for 55 yards, one touchdown, one pass competition for three yards, one two-point conversion; Caleb Litzner, seven carries for 26 yards, one touchdown; Evan Everson, one carry for six yards; Dan St. Onge, one carry for two yards.

Saints defensive statistics: Tyler Mapes, 15 tackles, one sack; Stefan Saffian, 13 tackles; Gunnar Zipp, 10 tackles, two pass interceptions; Billy Grogan, 10 tackles, one sack; Lance DeKeyser, eight tackles; Austin St. Louis, seven tackles, one pass interception for a touchdown; Andy Tamlyn, Lucas Thurston, four tackles; John Evashevski, three tackles; Curtis Gustin, Mike Barthelemy, Nate Montie, Louis Radecki, Frank Beaudoin, Cole Christiansen, and Caleb Litzner, two tackles.

Broncos offensive statistics: Tyler Hanson, 13-of-28 for 124 yards, 21 carries for 79 yards; Dustin Getzloff, seven receptions for 89 yards; Eric White, four receptions for 15 yards, seven carries for 15 yards; Bryce Derouin, one pass competition for two yards, one touchdown, one reception for six yards; Dylan Roberts, one reception for two yards, one touchdown.

Defensive statistics for the Broncos were not available.