Churchill’s road to season-opening win paved with adversity

The Livonia Churchill football team’s bus ride to New Boston Huron High School Thursday night was delayed repeatedly by flooded roads, stopped trains and multiple detours.

However, once the Chargers arrived at their destination approximately an hour before kick-off, they put the pedal to the metal, overwhelming the Chiefs, 36-12.

“We experienced a season’s worth of adversity in one night,” summed up first-year Churchill Head Coach (but longtime assistant coach) Allen Feigel. “The bus ride out there was horrific. It seemed like every road we were re-routed to was closed due to flooding.

“It was such a fluid situation that GPS couldn’t keep up.”

A drive that should have taken 30 minutes took an hour and 15 minutes, leaving the Chargers little time to properly prepare for their season debut.

“We arrived at about 6 p.m., the kids used the restroom, got dressed and warmed up just in time for kick-off,” Feigel said. “To make matters worse, the heat index was 102 degrees. If it had been two degrees warmer, they would have had to delay the game due to MHSAA rules.

No adversity too daunting

“To our players’ credit, they couldn’t have handled all the adversity any better. We fell behind quickly, 6-0, but outplayed them three of the four quarters.”

On a night when many Chargers excelled, senior receiver Peyton Sitarski sparkled for the winners’ offense, securing three passes for 133 yards (including a 70-yard TD reception).

Defensively, senior Miles Lueck was a football-seeking missile, leading Churchill in tackles, while Tyler Mileski also stood out.

Feigel praised the unheralded play of Dominic Stanley, who saved the Chargers valuable field position with his punt-fielding savvy.

“We’re really trying to emphasize all three stages of football this season — offense, defense and special teams — and they all did their jobs Thursday night,” Feigel revealed.

A+ in chemistry

Feigel added the 2023 Chargers have some special intangibles that will help them battle through unforeseen obstacles like Thursday night’s flooding.

“I love this team’s chemistry,” he said. “We’re not the most athletic team out there — and the players are smart enough to understand this — but they’re smart, both academically and in terms of football IQ.

“I love how our players cheer for their teammates, which is something you don’t see with every team these days. It’s a pretty close-knit team.”

In addition to players who excelled against the Chiefs, Feigel said he’s been impressed by linebacker RJ Stockton, and sophomore offensive linemen Peyton Gout and Max Schwesing.

Sophomore studs

“Max and Peyton started side-by-side on the offensive line Thursday and, especially for sophomores playing in their first varsity game, they did really well,” Feigel said.

While the bus ride home from New Boston was obviously more joyful than the trip there, the adversity re-emerged once the team returned to Livonia.

“There were tornado warnings in effect, so we all had to shelter in the school until 11 p.m.,” said Feigel.

Whose bus ride to his second game as head coach will most assuredly be a little less-eventful than the first.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.