Bobcats beat host Plains, 60-28

It’s probably enough to make a grown football coach get misty-eyed: running backs with track speed and wrestler physicality.

Those would not be tears of anguish in the eyes of the Superior High football coaching staff.  Misty eyes can also be the product of happiness. 

And after watching his Bobcats beat host Plains 60-28 Friday night in Plains, Superior head coach Jeff Schultz could be excused if he did have tears of joy in his eyes. 

But Schultz should probably get used to it, with only one of those speedsters in his senior year, Trizten Avilla.  The bulk of the young Bobcats will be back next year and the year after, no doubt displaying the track speed and power that makes coaches happy. 

Avilla, the only senior on the Superior roster, hauled in a pair of touchdowns from 6-5 sophomore quarterback Landon Richards, one good for 64 yards, the other a seven-yard flip into the end zone.   

And for those who might wonder, Richards also has speed to go with his long stride.  He got the Bobcats on the scoreboard first Friday night in Plains, capping a drive with a 10-yard TD dash.  The point after touchdown (PAT) run failed, but with 1:20 to go in the first quarter, Superior held a 6-0 lead. 

In the second quarter, Richards connected with another sophomore track speedster, Gannon Quinlan, on a 19-yard touchdown pass play with 11:19 remaining in the first half.  The PAT was no good, but the Bobcats had a 12-0 lead. 

Then it was Avilla’s turn to show off the wheels when he grabbed a pass from Richards and raced 64 yards for the score.  This time the PAT run by yet another sophomore with speed and power, Turner Milender, was good, lifting the Bobcat lead to 20-0 with 8:49 left in the first half. 

Plains got on the board when senior quarterback Darren Standeford hooked up with Zayden Allen on a 10-yard passing touchdown.  The PAT kick was good by Jamie Martinez, a Mexican foreign exchange student, cutting the Superior lead to 20-7. 

However, a short time later, Richards found Milender on a 40-yard scoring strike with 6:32 left in the second quarter.  The PAT failed, leaving the visitors with a 26-7 lead. 

Back came Plains, with Standeford displaying his speed and scrambling evasiveness on his way to a 15-yard touchdown run.  Martinez added the PAT kick and with 3:07 left in the half, Superior held a 26-14 advantage. 

Before the first half ended, junior running back Phin Cataldo, another from the Bobcats rapid backfield, capped a Superior drive with a 4-yard scoring plunge.  At the half, Superior had a 32-14 lead. 

A little more than three minutes into the third quarter, the Cats struck again, as Milender broke free on a 12-yard TD run, boosting the score to 38-14, Superior. 

A short time later, via a Plains turnover, Avilla put the finishing touches on a Bobcat drive, snaring a seven-yard pass from Richards.  The duo hooked up on a successful PAT pass, lifting Superior to a 46-14 advantage. 

Plains cut into the lofty Superior lead with 3:57 to play in the third quarter when he crashed into the end zone from one yard out and, with another PAT kick by Martinez, trimmed the Bobcats’ lead to 46-21. 

Less than a minute later, following the Plains kickoff, Milender ripped through the Plains defense and scampered 37 yards for a touchdown, his third of the game.  Cataldo caught a PAT pass from Richards to put the Cats ahead, 54-21. 

In the early moments of the final quarter, Plains senior Shawn O’Keefe picked up a Superior fumble and rambled 37 yards for a TD, cutting the Cats’ lead to 54-28. 

Superior put the icing on the victory cake when Richards scored the final points of the game with 7:58 left, threading through the Plains defenders on his way to a 21-yard score.  The PAT failed, but the score stood at 60-28, which was the final score. 

The win lifted Superior to 2-2 on the year, the same as their Western Conference 8-player record.  Plains fell to 1-3 overall and in conference play with the loss. 

Richards finished with 290 yards passing, completing 14 of 20 throws, good for four TD passes during the game. He also had 30 yards rushing and two TDs on the ground. 

Milender led all rushers with a game-high 156 yards and two TDs.   

On defense, Quinlan led Superior with 19 tackles, including a sack. George Hanson had all tackles and a sack, and Milender added 10 tackles and one sack for the Cats, who recorded five sacks as a team. 

Avilla was the leading receiver, hauling in four passes for 123 yards, while Quinlan had eight catches, good for 102 yards and one TD. 

Next up for Superior is their Homecoming game this Friday (Oct 4, 7 pm) with a game versus Victor. Plains hosts Troy this Friday, also its Homecoming event, at 7pm. 

    Plains senior quarterback Darren Standeford looks for running room during the Horsemen's game versus Superior this past Friday in Plains. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
  

    Superior quarterback Landon Richards (24) prepares for a short throw under the watchful eyes of Plains defender Caleb Lakko Friday night in Plains. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)