Jeff Theisen
September 25, 2008
Reprinted with permission of the Novi News
Novi head coach Tab Kellepourey knew Friday's game was going to be a lot tougher than people thought against the winless Salem Rocks, and he was right.
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The Wildcats were badly outgained in total yardage, yet still managed to escape with a 17-14 victory.
"We went over and scouted them last year and we saw they only had six seniors playing," Kellepourey said of Salem. "When you come back with a dominant-senior squad, he's going to win some games with that group.
"They forced our defense to really hang on and fight as hard as they can all night long."
The key play came from kick returner Paul Favorite. The Rocks had just plowed down the field to cut the lead to 10-7 before Favorite took the ensuing kickoff to the house.
He caught the ball at the 4 and headed up the right side of the field, breaking through the first wave of defenders. But Favorite ran into his own blocker before spinning to his right and finding daylight.
The score left Novi up 17-7 with 8:42 left in the fourth.
"I got some great blocks," Favorite said. "I hit someone, spun off and then there was just green grass. I just took off.
"We really needed that spark, and I'm just glad that I could give it."
Salem would come down and score again against a Wildcat defense that spent almost the entire second half on the field.
But the offense successfully gained three first downs to kill the clock. The biggest play came on an 8-yard leaping reception by Will Mikkelsen that was just inches past the first down marker to start the final drive.
"Will Mikkelsen is a tremendous athlete," Kellepourey said. "We felt we needed to throw the ball on third and long. Bellamy did a great job rolling out and throwing it. It was a little high, but the great thing about Mikkelsen is he's also a high jumper in track. He looked like he was going over a six-foot bar on that one."
Novi was first on the board when Chris Bellamy ran in on an 8-yard keeper with 4:51 left in the first half. The score was set up by Kyle Tipton intercepting a ball near midfield and bringing it back 37 yards, deep into Salem territory.
"They ran a screen that I just happened to read," Tipton said. "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. We worked on it all week in practice. Good coaching."
Regular kicker Dan Kilger was at a Novi soccer game, leaving sophomore Scott Stanford to man the duties. He responded perfectly with a 35-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half, and the Wildcats holding a 10-0 lead.
"We pulled a sophomore up to kick the ball and he steps up and kicks a 35-yarder," Kellepourey said. "Those three points wound up being the difference in the game. He did a tremendous job."
The Wildcats finished with just 31 yards passing and 97 on the ground for nine first downs (three of which came in the closing moments).