GRAYLING — The Boyne City Ramblers cannot be counted out, and they proved that Friday night in Grayling.
Trailing 18-14 with Grayling knocking on the door inside the Ramblers’ 5-yard line, Boyne City pulled off a stunner in the final minutes to win 21-18 — snatching away the Vikings’ first win of the season.
Leon Xiong was in the right place at the right time as a batted ball from Carter Van Horn fell into his opportunistic arms just outside of the Ramblers’ end zone for a game-saving interception that turned the tide and swung the momentum back to Boyne.
But the Ramblers (4-2) still had to go 99 yards to avoid the upset loss to the winless Vikings (0-6). A false start penalty backed Boyne to the 1-inch line, but the Ramblers forced their way out with some tough run plays.
Ryan Spate picked up a big chunk of yards to give the Ramblers some breathing room at their own 20-yard line, and then the ol’ hook-and-ladder struck gold for Boyne on their very next play.
Drew Neer found Jaden Alger who made a quick catch and pitch to Owen Hewitt. Hewitt took it from there to complete the 80-yard touchdown play with 1:29 left in the game. The extra point made it 21-18, and the Vikings were left with a long field ahead of them on the ensuing kickoff.
Neer finished the night 5 for 8 in the air 144 yards and two TDs. Spate led the Ramblers in rushing, picking up 134 yards on 21 carries with a TD.
Hewitt capped off the night by adding to his game-winning touchdown with a win-sealing interception with 30.7 seconds left. The Ramblers assumed victory formation and knelt once to burn out the remaining time for the win.
The Ramblers built a 14-12 lead at halftime after the Vikings led 6-0 and 12-7, but Grayling came out strong in the third and scored a 1-yard touchdown halfway through the quarter. A third miss on their two-point conversion attempts left the score at 18-14.
Grayling made a clutch stop on fourth down to get the ball back in Rambler territory with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and a big first-down run on 3rd and 13 got the Vikings down to the Boyne 11-yard line with five minutes to go.
Grayling burned some time off the clock and looked poised to score another touchdown, but that is when Van Horn made the tip and Xiong made the pick to give Boyne some hope — and that hope would turn into a win.
“We snuck out of there with one,” Boyne City head coach Dave Suttle said. “We were expecting a fight, and we got everything we thought we’d get and probably a bit more. Our kids were resilient enough to not give up. They kept fighting, and that’s the biggest thing that comes out of this.”
Suttle was very complimentary of Grayling’s play in the loss.
“They’re fighting for that first win, and they’ve lost to some damn good football teams. They played like a good football team, tonight,” he said.
Boyne City looks to keep the momentum going in Week Seven at Livonia Clarenceville, while the Vikings head to Kalkaska still in search of their first win.
FOOTBALL
Midland Dow 26
TC West 12
UP NEXT: The Titans (3-3) host Mount Pleasant on Friday.
TC St. Francis 55
Cheboygan 6
UP NEXT: The Gladiators (5-1) head to Jackson Lumen Christi on Friday.
Charlevoix 28
Elk Rapids 0
Charlevoix: Logan Wadkins 41-yard TD run, 24-yard TD catch; Ian Moran 1-yard TD run, 6-yard TD run; Wadkins 11 carries, 90 yards, INT; Moran 6-9 passing, 68 yards, 14 carries, 119 yards; Ryan Pearl 5.5 tackles, 2 TFL.
UP NEXT: The Rayders (4-2) head to Mancelona on Friday. The Elks (1-5) travel to Tawas on Friday.
Frankfort 41
Tawas 0
Frankfort: Carter Kerby 8-11 passing, 187 yards, 4 TDs, 50 yards rushing; Owen Mills 55 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 7 tackles; Rylan Lewis 2 catches, 96 yards, 2 TDs, 5 tackles, Tristin Griffin 2 catches, 49 yards, 2 INTs; Jayden Carver TD, INT; Ty Beeman 8 tackles; Carson Gillison 7 tackles; Cash Rosum 6 tackles.
UP NEXT: The Panthers (5-1) travel to Muskegon Catholic Central on Friday.
Manton 35
Pine River 39
Manton: Jarret Nixon 12 carries, 62 yards, 4 TDs; George Coffel 4-7, 88 yards; Luke Lindsay 9 tackles; Chase Herndon fumble recovery TD.
UP NEXT: The Rangers (1-4) host Roscommon on Friday.
East Jordan 43
Mancelona 28
East Jordan: Logan Shooks 2 rushing TDs; Korbyn Russell 2 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD; William Webb 1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD; Coen Burks 1 receiving TD.
UP NEXT: The Red Devils (4-2) host Harbor Springs on Friday. The Ironmen (3-3) welcome Charlevoix on Friday.
Glen Lake 44
Kalkaska 13
Glen Lake: Fletcher Middleton 1-yard TD run, 1-yard TD run; Benji Allen 6-yard TD run, 33-yard TD pass to Boden Fisher; Sam Dykstra 1-yard TD run; Jacob Peplinski 1-yard TD run; Keaton LaCross 5-8 passing, 134 yards; Dykstra 10 carries, 70 yards, TD; Middleton 13 carries, 55 yards, 2 TDs; Fisher 3 catches, 91 yards, TD; Allen 10.5 tackles, 1 TFL.
UP NEXT: The Lakers (5-1) host Johannesburg-Lewiston on Friday. The Blazers (2-4) host Grayling on Friday.
Gaylord 51
Alpena 0
UP NEXT: The Blue Devils (1-5) host Escanaba on Oct. 12.
Petoskey 42
Cadillac 18
UP NEXT: The Northmen (6-0) host Marquette on Friday. The Vikings (3-3) travel to Greenville on Friday.
8-PLAYER FOOTBALL
Martin 70
Brethren 8
UP NEXT: The Bobcats (1-5) play at Bear Lake on Oct. 12.
Onekama 34
Central Lake 12
UP NEXT: The Portagers (5-1) host Suttons Bay on Oct. 12. The Trojans (1-5) welcome Onaway on Friday.
Inland Lakes 54
Rogers City 16
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs (6-0) head to Pellston on Oct. 12.
Marion 48
Suttons Bay 0
UP NEXT: The Norsemen (4-2) travel to Onekama on Oct. 12.
BOYS SOCCER
TC St. Francis 8
Suttons Bay 0
Traverse City St. Francis: Louis Rhein 3 goals; Sam McMann 1 goal, 1 assist; Tyler Boyton Fisher 1 goal; Liam Donnell 1 goal, 1 assist; Jack Sperry 1 goal; Frank Reineck 1 goal, 1 assist; Lorenzo Tucker 1 assist; Landon Kiessel 1 assist.
UP NEXT: The Gladiators (13-5-2) head to Manistee on Monday. The Norsemen (6-10) host Benzie Central on Monday.
Manistee 9
Glen Lake 1
Glen Lake: Ollie O’Neal goal; Sawyer Homa 1 assist; Anthony Forton 9 saves.
UP NEXT: The Mariners (6-9) welcome Traverse City St. Francis on Monday. The Lakers (9-9) host Leland on Monday.
Pentwater 4
McBain NMC 0
McBain Northern Michigan Christian: Blair DeZeeuw 9 saves.
UP NEXT: The Comets (9-5-1) host Alcona on Monday.
Buckley 3
Reed City 1
UP NEXT: The Bears (4-13-1) head to Cadillac Heritage on Monday.
Harbor Springs 6
Boyne City 0
UP NEXT: The Rams (8-7-1) travel to Cheboygan on Tuesday. The Ramblers (2-11-1) host Kingsley on Monday.
VOLLEYBALL
TC Christian JV 2
GT Academy 3
The Mustangs def. the Sabres 25-16, 21-25, 25-16, 15-25, 15-11.
Grand Traverse Academy: Eden Hadfield 8 aces, 2 kills, 23 assists, 14 digs; Sadie Brown 3 aces, 8 kills, 2 blocks, 11 digs; Lilah Vasquez 1 kill, 1 dig; Kialie Wise 3 aces, 2 kills, 1 block, 1 assist, 16 digs; Rylee Morrison 1 kill, 1 assist, 10 digs; Megan Pavwoski 4 aces, 18 kills, 6 blocks, 5 digs; Katie Dreychan 1 kill, 1 block, 2 digs; Shania Paul 3 aces, 1 assist, 8 digs.
UP NEXT: The Mustangs (11-11-2) travel to Cadillac Heritage on Tuesday. The Sabres head to Benzie Central on Oct. 14.
GIRLS GOLF
Petoskey in 5th after day 1 of Katke Classic
BIG RAPIDS — Riley Barr led Petoskey to a fifth-place finish after the first day of the two-day Katke Classic at Ferris State University on Friday.
Barr, a junior, fired an 11-over 83 to place eighth on the individual leaderboard as Petoskey’s four top scorers combined for a 384. Sara Hasse carded a 99 and was joined by Emma Berg with an even 100 and Anna Hasse with a 102.
Traverse City West sits in 10th, led by Addy Shark’s 99. Damien Gagnon (104), Hannah Brown (107) and Sofia Hoag (111) were the other three Titan scorers. Traverse City Central had two golfers compete as Rylee Ellison fired a 103 and Maggie Gano carded a 110.
CROSS COUNTRY
Eagles finish 3rd at Baker Woods
HESPERIA — The Lake Leelanau St. Mary boys cross country team finished third at Hesperia’s Baker Woods Late Season Invite on Friday.
The Eagles tallied 90 points to champion Lowell’s 17 and runner-up Mason County Eastern’s 46.
Oliver Mitchell led LLSM with a 10th-place effort, finishing in 19:53.45. Cody Couturier was not far behind, placing 11th in 19:53.74.
Leading the LLSM girls was freshman Claire Couturier in 14th with a 25:02.6.