SENIOR SEND-OFF: Plymouth’s season finale capped by riveting rally
There’s no getting around it: High school athletics teams’ Senior Nights are bittersweet experiences — celebrations of athletes whose decade-plus commitment to a sport is coming to an all-too-soon end.
On Friday night against visiting Westland John Glenn, Plymouth’s football team guaranteed its seniors’ special night was “better”-sweet, as the Wildcats rallied for a heart-pounding 34-27 victory.
Following the traditional and often-emotional pre-game ceremony that is highlighted by each senior being introduced with his or her parents (Plymouth’s cheerleading and pom squads were also recognized along with the football seniors), Plymouth used a senior-fueled comeback to give its last-year players a night to remember.
(To check out highlights from Friday’s thrilling match-up, click here.)
Those who followed Plymouth football closely this season weren’t surprised that Friday’s game went down to the wire. The Wildcats lost two back-to-back heart-breakers by one point each — and suffered a third setback by just one score.
So close to playoff-bound
Thus, the team’s final 3-6 record could have — but not for a play here and there — easily been 6-3.
For a while Friday night, it appeared as though the Wildcats were going to suffer another gut-wrenching setback when John Glenn’s Terron Scott’s scoop-and-score touchdown with 5:30 left in the third quarter extended the Rockets’ lead to 27-19 (the two-point conversion try that would have given John Glenn a two-score lead was no good).
Facing adversity for the umpteenth time this fall, Plymouth’s season-long character emerged when senior Cam Short — who was in Beast Mode the entire night — scored untouched from 3 yards out to cut his team’s deficit to 27-25 with 8:09 remaining.
The Wildcats’ ensuing two-point try was successful when senior quarterback Logan Pheiffer’s pass was secured by senior Jimmy Cleveland … but a penalty negated the play and pushed the ball back to the 7-yard line.
No worries.
On its second game-tying conversion try, Pheiffer again found Cleveland alone in the corner of the end zone to deadlock the game at 27-27.
As a potential overtime loomed, Cleveland recovered a Rocket fumble. A few plays later, Short again ran untouched into the end zone from four yards out behind the Wildcats’ massive offensive line to give Plymouth a 34-27 lead (after Daniel Vigo’s extra point) with 2:30 left.
The triumph was not going to be easy, however, as John Glenn moved the ball into the red zone on its final drive before junior quarterback Julian McLeod-Sessom’s last-gasp pass fell incomplete, triggering a much-deserved Wildcat celebration.
Run game was remarkable
Plymouth’s prolific running attack was in first gear Friday as it eclipsed 275 yards rushing for the fourth time this season — and finished the year with over 2,000 yards rushing for the second straight year (even though its best lineman, Lucas Barnes, missed multiple games with an injury).
Pheiffer capped his high school football career in style, amassing 155 yards rushing (he finished the year with 1,100) and a 23-yard touchdown.
Short rumbled for 85 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, junior Max Hornbacher was stellar, totaling nine tackles and a sack, while Preston Kocoloski had six tackles. Cleveland finished with four tackles and the all-important fumble recovery.
Running the old-school tight-T, run-heavy offense, John Glenn compiled 384 yards rushing.
Trailing 21-16 in the third quarter, Plymouth received a momentum boost when senior Vigo boomed a no-doubter 47-yard field goal.
So, while the high school football careers for Plymouth’s 30 seniors came to an end Friday night, the silver (and black) lining was that it ended in “better”-sweet fashion.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.