Scott M. Burnstein
October 11, 2008
Rprinted with permission of The Oakland Press
NORTHVILLE — The start of the 2008 season wasn’t too pleasant for the Novi football team. The Wildcats lost the opening game of the year to Milford, while having an incredibly tough time moving the ball on offense. However, the rest of the season so far has had everything coming up roses for Novi, as it has successfully worked out earlyseason troubles and hasn’t lost since Week 1.
Novi’s 14-12 victory in hostile waters on the road against Northville on Friday night pushes the Wildcats’ win streak to six games and clinches the Kensington Lakes Athletic Association Central Division title and reserves a spot in the Division 1 playoffs. The win also earned Novi a berth in the KLAA conference championship game next week at home against Plymouth Canton.
Novi (6-1) avoids a letdown after last week’s heart-pounding, last-minute triumph over Livonia Stevenson, when the Wildcats got the victory by completing a 2-point conversion instead of going for a tie in the waning seconds.
In a stroke of irony, in order to secure the win Friday, Novi was forced to successfully defend a last-second 2-point conversion attempt by Northville that would have tied the game and most likely sent it into overtime.
Besieged by injuries to his top two quarterbacks, Wildcats head coach Tab Kellepourey opted to install a three-quarterback system, rotating usualstarting signal caller Chris Bellamy with Will Mikkellson, who normally lines up at wide receiver, and Andy Donato, the team’s starting tight end/ fullback. Just like his decision to go for two in Week 6, Kellepourey’s out-of-the-box thinking as it pertained to who was under center for his team worked to perfection.
"We had to start thinking a bit unconventional when on Monday my starter (Bellamy) was nicked up so bad (he) could barely walk, and my backup was unavailable ’cause he’s battling an illness,” said Kellepourey.
"My receivers coach told me that Will (Mikkellson) could throw well, so we worked him in there alongside Andy (Donato), who we like to direct snap to on occasion. It worked real nice.”
An offensive showcase, this game was not. Northville’s conservative run-oriented offense combined with Novi’s quarterbacking issues, putting points at a premium all game long.
Playing in front of a capacity crowd, both teams started out a bit slow — the first five possessions of the game concluded in either punts or turnovers. But, it wasn’t long before things started to move more rapidly, as Novi and Northville each scored on their opening drives of the second quarter.
The visiting Wildcats were the first to get on the board when senior running back Andy Donato lined up under center, took a direct snap and motored into the end zone from 20 yards out. Taking little time to respond, the Mustangs gave their home fans something to cheer about and drove the length of the field on the following possession, scoring on a 2-yard run from Jake Weddle on a gutsy fourth-and-goal call made by head coach Matt Ladach. A missed extra point made the score 7-6, with 5:01 left to play in the first half.
Bellamy’s 23-yard scoring scramble at the 1:43 mark of the second stanza, in which he ran directly through the middle of the Northville defense, allowed Novi to end the quarter the same way it began, by putting seven on the scoreboard and providing his team a 14-6 lead at the break.
The second half was a defensive struggle, neither team gaining much of an advantage until late.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Novi made it deep into Northville territory on its first possession of the fourth quarter, but turned the ball over on downs.
Taking over from its own 19, Northville (4-3) drove downfield on a 19-play drive that ate up nearly eight minutes and ended with another Weddle 2-yard rushing touchdown with under a minute to play in the contest.
Weddle’s score pulled his team within two points, 14-12. On the ensuing 2-point conversion, the Mustangs dropped back to pass and attempted to thread a needle into the middle of the end zone, but instead was intercepted by junior cornerback Jimmy Pitcher.
“I was really just in the right place at the right time,” said Pitcher of his game-saving play in the end zone. “We were in man coverage and nobody lined up across from me. So, I just went with the flow, drifted to the quarterback and jumped the route.”
“This is a new league, so its nice to win our half of it and have a shot at taking the whole thing next week. Between us and Northville, it’s a real special rivalry. The towns being so close in proximity, the kids all know each other and want to get the best of one another whenever they play. Everyone likes to play tough football around here and it showed tonight,” Kellepourey said.