Dreams Do Come True, Dragons defeat Wildcats to Win First ever State Championship

Written, Saturday November 27th, at 7:45 PM

The Dream is here for one prideful community, who wanted to be a top of the State and now it has came. Who would have ever thought that this day would come? or that anyone would say the 2010 Division One, Michigan High School Athletic Association State Champion, Lake Orion Dragons. It happened on Saturday at Ford Field.

The reality and the dream that one football town got was a State Championship for the first time ever, when the final seconds went off the clock at Ford Field, 107 players, alumni, staff, and coaches celebrated. Those on the field stormed it as the Dragons beat the Plymouth Wildcats 21-13 for their first ever State Championship.

Dragon Coach Chris Bell, can now take the monkey off the back, the fact the Dragons are a good team not to ever win a State Championship. "There's the accomplishment, to remove the label of good enough but not there yet. It's a huge accomplishment. You better believe it" Bell said.

The biggest reason why the Dragons is celebrating is their star running back Marques Stevenson. Stevenson has carried the Dragons on the ground this season, going over 2,000 yards in the final 14 games of his high school career, he is not sure where he will be going to college, but he will likely play football for a Division One School. Stevenson had 186 yards on 27 carries in the game against Plymouth. Everybody will talk about the two touchdowns that Stevenson scored but the most important carry of the game came when he didn't have to score a touchdown, it was to keep the clock moving.

On a third down and 15 from the Dragon 26 yard line and with 3:15 left in the game Stevenson ran a 34 yard run on a trap play to the Plymouth 40 yard line and kill more precious clock. Stevenson thoughts on the play of the game and the play that gave the Dragons their first ever State Championship. "I just saw a little opening outside. I bounced it. It was a risk, but obviously it paid off, I was determined to get the first down." Stevenson said.

The Dragons then went on to kill the clock from there on with two plays, causing Plymouth to use their remaining timeouts.

Plymouth head coach Mike Sawachuk praised Stevenson but also thought his Wildcat defense had their chances to contain Stevenson but could not. "I think he's a heck of a back, We had him wrapped up and he wiggled away" Sawachuk added.

The Dragons defense played it's part, only allowing six points against a very good Plymouth offense, led by their star Michigan recruit Brendan Beyer, who is going to Ann Arbor to play defensive end. The Dragons held Beyer in check offensively, to only three catches for 46 yards.

The Dragons got on the board first on a five play, 46 yard drive when quarterback Cole Schaenzer scrambled for a 23 yard run, diving into the end-zone for a Dragon touchdown, Dragon kicker Kyle Searlie added the extra point and went up 7-0.

The Wildcats answered the Dragon touchdown with an eight play, 43 yard drive leading to a 43 yard field goal from Notre Dame recruit and Plymouth kicker Kyle Brindza, making the score 7-3 Orion in the first quarter.

The Dragons then took over the second quarter, predominantly thanks to Stevenson, Demetri Hudson, and Dan Ney. Running back Demetri Hudson then broke off a long drive taking it to the Wildcats three yard line, plus adding a personal foul penalty against Plymouth for nailing wide receiver/defensive back Zach Zott to the Ford field turf. That play took it to the one yard line. The next play Stevenson ran the ball to the end-zone for a one yard touchdown run along with a Searlie kick made it 14-3 Green and White.

Orion however wasn't done scoring, after forcing Plymouth to punt, the Dragons used a four play 83 yard drive, capped by Stevenson's 36 yard touchdown run. Schaenzer's only completion of the game came in the second quarter when he tossed a 40 yard pass to Ney to set up the Dragon score to the Plymouth 36 yard line, one play later Stevenson was in the end-zone sprinting by Wildcats defenders toward the goal line, that score along with a Searlie kick gave the Dragons a 21-3 lead. Late in the quarter Zach Zott intercepted Wildcats quarterback Sean Austin at midfield, closing out the half at 21-3 in favor of the Dragons.

The third quarter went to Plymouth, the Dragons couldn't get anything started and were forced to punt the ball to the Wildcats. Plymouth punt returner and defensive back Victor Hicks, took the ball and returned it 46 yards for a Wildcats touchdown, Brindza added the point after touchdown, and momentum was starting to shift from the Dragons to the Wildcats at 21-10.

Plymouth's defense came to life led by Beyer, forcing a three and out on the Dragons next drive but the Dragons shut down the Wildcats offense causing to turn the ball over twice on downs, however the Wildcats forced the Dragons first turnover in two weeks when Dante Fox recovered a Cole Schaenzer fumble at the Dragon 40 yard line, giving the Wildcats new hope as we head to the fourth quarter with the Wildcats driving.

Plymouth drove to the Dragon 11 yard line, however the defense did not break as they shut down Brendan Beyer throughout the game, the Wildcats did get some points however with another field goal from 28 yards Kyle Brindza making the score 21-13 Dragons with 9:54 left in the game on a nine play, 29 yard drive. The Wildcats final drive came when the Dragons forced a punt at the Plymouth 34 yard line to the Dragons 25 yard line, and that's when Stevenson, Ney, and Hudson took over.

Ney finished his senior career with one catch for 40 yards, and 11 carries for 51 yards, Hudson finished four carries and 56 yards. Schaenzer was one for four passing for 40 yards and was sacked twice, for Schaenzer he has had some experience playing quarterback but taking over for Sean Charette was not an easy task, "It was definitely a shock at first, but I played quarterback before, at the JV level." Schaenzer said.

For the Wildcats, quarterback Sean Austin was 17 for 28 with 138 yards, Jerel Jenkins finished with 12 carries for 27 yards. Receiving for Plymouth, Michigan recruit Brendan Beyer had three catches for 46 yards as mentioned, while leading the way for the Wildcats were Thomas Afetian who caught six passes for 36 yards and Michael Olevinak who caught five catches for 32 yards.

The Dragons finished the year, State Champions of Division One at 13-1, while Plymouth finishes 11-3 and the runner up of Division One.

Tonight is the night of the Dragon, dreams do come true, especially in one community who has been waiting for this day to come, and it finally has, you are finally the best team in the State of Michigan. GO GREEN.