Whenever SJH Kids Fall In Line
Dan Ward

There is nothing like a Friday Night in a small town during Football Season.
Walking into the stadium, shaking hands with friends you haven’t seen in a while, hot dogs, pizza, the student cheering section, and kids running around playing catch on the concourse. The crisp autumn air carries the faint smell of bonfire smoke. The atmosphere is magical. Enter this, the current batch of your Friday Night Heroes. Their opponent for this week is the Hamilton Hawkeyes. St. Johns currently holds a 2-1 record over the Hawkeyes, and last year’s win set the pace for the season.

I got there a little late this week. I was walking up as St. Johns scored their first TD. Coach Schmitt told me earlier in the week that he planned to take the ball if they won the coin toss. He wanted to get a score early and eliminate some of the butterflies from the first game. They did just that, and at 7:03 in the first half, Brady Heibeck scampered for the 15-yard score. The extra point attempt was no good, and the Redwings are up 6-0.

Soon after that, the Hawkeyes fumbled the snap, and the Redwings’ Archer Gurski recovered it. Ultimately, that drive stalled, and the Redwings were forced to give the ball back.

Early in the second quarter, though, the Hawkeyes, pinned deep in their own end facing 4th and 13, elected to punt. The high snap got past the punter, and he was brought down at the two. The Redwings made them pay for that mistake on the next play with a Lucas McCastle 2-yard run. The two-point conversion failed, and the score was 12-0. That’s where it would remain until the half.

The halftime show brought out the phenomenal Redwings’ Dance Team. Their routine was sensational as always.

The highlight of any halftime show is the marching band. The Redwing Marching Band is consistently one of the best in the state, and this year was no exception. The theme this year is ‘Kings and Queens’. They started with Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas,” followed by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and two songs by Queen: “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Fat Bottom Girls.”

The Redwings kicked off to start the second half, and Hamilton caught them a little flat-footed and quickly scored on the first play from scrimmage with a big pass. The extra point attempt was unsuccessful, and the score remained 12-6.
Both teams would slug it out at midfield for most of the third quarter until Cody Carn got loose in the second level and ran for 17 yards to the Hamilton 11. That drive ended in a Nolan Koenigsknecht 23yd field goal to put St. Johns up 15-6.

We entered the 4th quarter at 11:57, facing 3rd and 19. Conner Kurncz was flushed from the pocket and took off for a 20-yard run. Soon after, Kurncz shut the door with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Martinez on 4th and 3. Nolan Koenigsknecht drove home the extra point, and the score was 22-6.

The Hawkeyes would put points on the board at the end with a 19-yard touchdown pass and a 2-point conversion, but the Redwings walked away with the 22-14 win.

Talking to Coach Schmitt after the game, he had this to say: “It was great to open up the year with a win! We did not play a perfect game, but we found a way to make plays when we needed them throughout the game to come out on top. We had a number of guys filling a varsity role for the first time, and they all did a great job doing that! We played incredibly hard all night, and I am proud of the effort and selflessness our young men showed.”

Next week, the Redwings face off against the Ionia Bulldogs in Ionia. Be sure to come out and support them in their annual rivalry game.

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