Live Game Updates: New Buffalo @ Hartford
Tonight, the Hartford Indians take on the New Buffalo Bison at Indian Stadium. Right here, Jerrod will provide you live game updates from tonight’s game and give you a behind the scenes look at the game! Go Green!
9:48 PM-The Indians are 2-0! They are 47-28 winners over the New Buffalo Bison at Indian Stadium tonight!! We will have live post-game on our Facebook shortly after the stats are tabulated! It’s a great day to be an Indian! From the press box, I’m Jerrod Birmele, signing off. Hope you enjoyed the game on the Blog, Twitter and Facebook tonight!
9:43 PM-New Buffalo is out time clearly and out of breath, as an easy first down play from earlier gets hit in the backfield. New Buffalo has a fourth down and two play with :54 seconds left in the game down 47-28. And it’s a turnover to the Indians! Game is over!
9:40 PM-The line of the cars leaving Indian Stadium is like that of people leaving…for the casino. Hartford is clearly in control now and the fans see that. New Buffalo has second down at their own 38 with 2:41 left.
9:37 PM-Game I believe it officially over! Sergio Perez blasts up the left side 34 yards for the Indian touchdown! Line play controlled by the Indians tonight! Juan Perez adds the PAT kick and with 2:46 left in the game, it’s now 47-28 Indians!
9:34 PM-That last drive may have been the Bison’s final hurrah. Hartford is beginning to drain the clock under four minutes now with a 40-28 lead. Facing third and about five at the New Buffalo 39. Indians hit with a sideline violation warning, then a five yard penalty on New Buffalo gives the Indians a “free” first down!
9:32 PM-After a 10 yard holding penalty and a couple of minimal plays, it’s fourth down and long. Jimmy Mullins makes a huge defensive play on fourth and long, tripping up the runner! It’s Indian ball with 4:15 left at their own 45.
9:28 PM-Nothing is bothering the Bison, as on third and eleven, a long run on the left side gives the Bison first and ten at the Indian 25.
9:25 PM-New Buffalo player is still down, so we are in hold. Turned off the Adrian game, it’s a blow out. Great job by the Bulldogs in the first half tonight! Player is now up and being carried to the Bison bench. Not a good sign for the visitors.
9:21 PM-Very next kickoff, New Buffalo nearly breaks it for a TD, but kicker Juan Perez saves it at the Hartford 39. That’s where New Buffalo starts. And now, a New Buffalo receiver goes down with cramps.
9:16 PM-Hartford has had some turnover trouble tonight and needs to play smart. And if running for TD’s is smart, so be it! David Mireles drags a would-be tackler into the end zone for a Hartford touchdown! A nine-yard run! But Hartford fails on the two-point passing attempt and it’s now 40-28 with 8:11 left in the contest. Tension, you can cut it with a large knife!
9:12 PM-Hartford now inside the New Buffalo 40, facing second down. Not getting a lot of room right now on the ground, as the New Buffalo defense has tightened. As I speak, Gareth MacMillan breaks a pretty sizable play, first down at the 29 of the Bison. Inside the final 10 minutes of the game. Costly penalty mini-kills an Indian drive, now at the New Buffalo 16.
9:10 PM-Hartford’s missed tackles have costed the Indians at least 14 points now and in this close game, it could be big! This time, it was two missed tackles on the visitor’s side of the field that costed them. Hartford has the ball at their own 46 after the kickoff.
9:06 PM-New Buffalo stymies the Indians on fourth down and takes over at their own 21 down 13. Very next play, New Buffalo’s Jim Mullen, down earlier for cramps, goes 79 yards for the touchdown and the extra point is good. It’s now 34-28 Hartford with 11:40 left in the game.
9:03 PM-On a big fourth down play, Sergio Perez gets the yard and gets the first down at the New Buffalo 30 yard line. Inside the final minute of the quarter. Still 34-21 Hartford as now the third quarter is over. Fourth and short from the New Buffalo 21 when we start the fourth.
9:00 PM-Inside three left in the third and it’s still 34-21. The crowd and the talent level on the field hasn’t dwindled one bit. Big game for both teams, as Hartford would start 2-0, New Buffalo needs a win to help its playoff hopes.
8:58 PM-Hartford gets the ball at their own 49 and get two free five yard penalties (too many men and an offsides) to get to the New Buffalo 41. First and ten Indians. Next play, MacMillan goes 5 yards, but now the Indians have cramp problems, most notable, Eric Perez.
8:54 PM-Well, New Buffalo has scored on the QB sneak with 3:44 left in the third quarter to make it 34-21, but the bigger story: cramps. A lot of them on the New Buffalo side tonight, this time to a stud running back. Costly injury? Time will tell.
8:49 PM-John Scherer makes up for a costly fourth down penalty with a seven yard loss for a tackle, but the next play, New Buffalo goes to the pass and hits it inside the Hartford 2. First and goal New Buffalo.
8:47 PM-Now make it two first downs for New Buffalo via penalties, as on 4th and 4, the Indians go offsides. New Buffalo is at the Indian 17 and driving with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Costly penalty x2 for Hartford.
8:41 PM-Noey Lopez hits the quarterback for his second sack of the game. Line play should be dictated by size, but the Indians are out muscling the larger New Buffalo line. Fourth down coming up for New Buffalo and they are forced to punt. But Hartford runs into the kicker, giving the Bison a first down in Indian territory.
8:38 PM-Smoke billows from a bonfire in the foreground. A hot day turns into a windy and somewhat cooler night!
8:36 PM-First mistake of the quarter, the Indians are offsides on the kickoff. Five yard mistake! It’s New Buffalo first down at their own 30.
8:32 PM-Hartford starts at the 29 yard line. First and ten to start the second half. However, two plays later, it’s David Mireles, off left tackle, going 67 yards for the Indian touchdown. It’s now 34-14 with 11:06 left in the half. New Buffalo looked stuck like glue!
8:26 PM-Sadly, half time is over and the Indians are back on the field. The good news: the meatballs were great! Indians are on the field already and we are waiting on New Buffalo.
8:17 PM-It’s half time and this guy is enjoying some super good meatballs in the press box! Yum!
8:10 PM-Indians have the ball at the 1 yard line as Coach Janicki calls his final timeout with :19 seconds left in the half. Hartford proceeds to fumble the snap, then with less than :03 seconds left in the half, Luke Traver runs the final two yards for the touchdown. Kick is blocked for the extra point. At half it’s 27-14 Indians. It will be Indian ball after the half.
8:05 PM-Indians have the ball with one minute left and by the edge of the ball, have a first down at their own 36 yard line. All rushing for the Indian offense so far. However, a big play by David Mireles, a 53 yard run, forces a New Buffalo timeout with :47 seconds left and the ball at the New Buffalo 14.
8:02 PM-Adrian update: Bulldogs lead 42-0 in the first half. Husson must not be good at all.
7:59 PM-Timeout New Buffalo with three minutes left in the half after they lost 4 on the previous play. They proceed to lose three more yards and it’s now third and goal at the 16 for the Bison. They proceed to run to the right, Hartford misses two tackles and New Buffalo goes the distances to make it 21-14 with 2:21 left in the half.
7:54 PM-The Indians defense looks a little susceptible tonight, especially on the ends. New Buffalo is down to the Hartford 22, two plays off the opposite ends. And then a fourth down conversion on a QB draw gives the Bison first and goal at the Hartford 9.
7:51 PM-New Buffalo timeout with 5:47 left in the half. The Indians lead being drown out by the race track. Only thing stopping the Indians so far tonight.
7:47 PM-Sergio Perez backs up the fourth down play with a long 53 yard run to the Bison 5. Then, he goes the final five yards for the touchdown. Juan Perez kicks the extra point, with 5:53 left in the half, it’s now 21-7 Indians.
7:42 PM-Hartford defense has a much better drive, sacking the New Buffalo Quarterback at the Indians 34 and force a punt and a touchback. Indians ball at the 20 yard line. And on fourth down, the Indians go into punt formation, but fake the punt and go under center. Sergio Perez runs for the first down. Hartford ball at their own 43.
7:37 PM-Touchdown New Buffalo on the second play of the second quarter from two yards out. It was on the run. After the PAT kick, it’s 14-7 Indians with 11:27 left in the half. And now, New Buffalo recovers the ball on a fumbled kickoff return and have the ball at the Indians 25.
7:33 PM-As we end the first quarter of play, it’s 14-0 Indians with New Buffalo ball at the Indians 4 when the second starts. The crowd is rather strong on the Hartford side and thin on the Bison side. The distance and heat may be the reason.
7:29 PM-OK, the Indians score quicker than I can type! Gareth MacMillan goes 48 yards for the touchdown. And after the extra point, it’s 14-0 Indians with 1:20 left in the first quarter.
7:27 PM-Well, Hartford hit the easy button. They literally “steal” the ball out of New Buffalo’s hands and have the ball at midfield.
7:24 PM-Hartford fumbled on the third play of their drive, New Buffalo recovers and has the ball at the Hartford 37.
7:22 PM-Hartford defense looks strong early and they are dominating the line play so far, forcing another Bison three and out.
7:20 PM-Nice to hear Chris Cook’s Adrian club is leading 21-0 in Maine over Husson in the first quarter. Chris is a co-captain for the Bulldogs.
7:15 PM-Indians forced to call second timeout at 5:45 point of first quarter. Very next play, David Mireles goes 17 yards for the Indians touchdown! Perez adds extra point for 7-0 Hartford lead with 5:38 left in first quarter.
7:09 PM-That talk really helped! Two solid plays get the Indians a first down near midfield. Then a big play by Gareth MacMillan sends them to the New Buffalo side of the field.
7:06 PM-Coach Janicki lets his offense hear it on an undisciplined play of the huddle. Hartford faces 2nd and 6 out of the timeout at their own 22.
7:02 PM-New Buffalo faces 3rd and 13, quarterback scrambles but Jimmy Mullins makes a big stop. Indians get the ball, inside the five, however.
7:00 PM-Hartford is entering the stadium in their green and white jerseys (new for 2011!). Hartford will kickoff to begin the game.
Jerrod’s Thoughts: Is 102 Years Long Enough? Wolverine Conference Says So
Imagine you are a major rival with a neighboring town two miles down the road. Imagine you have been playing for 102 years. Imagine one school leaves their respective conference for a conference with a much larger reach. Imagine the new conference tells them you are playing a full nine game conference schedule and the rivalry must end.
That dilemma is being played out just five and seven miles down the road to the west, respectively, in the small towns of Watervliet and Coloma.
This summer, Coloma, along with Lakeland Conference counterparts Berrien Springs and Edwardsburg, decided to leave the Lakeland and join the Wolverine “B” Conference, made up of ten teams (Class B), but will grow to twelve once Gull Lake leaves to join the Big 16 and the three teams join the Wolverine.
What happens is exactly what happened to the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2003 when it expanded from eight to twelve teams: the Wolverine “B” breaks into a North / South division, with the three expansion teams all joining the South Division.
However, unlike the SAC conference, which has allowed flexibility in scheduling procedure through the years, keeping rivalry games in tact, the Wolverine is sticking to its nine game scheduling policy which is its years-old athletic policy.
But here-in lies the problem: since the Wolverine is sticking to “history”, they just told Watervliet and Coloma one thing that it never thought it would ever hear: after 102 years, it’s over. Just like that.
Us all locally remember, fondly, the events leading up to the 100th game two years ago. The coverage locally was unparalleled. The special jerseys, the special shirts, the atmosphere. Dozens and dozens of alums returned one more time to root on their alma mater, hoping to capture the historic game, which in the end, Coloma won.
So, it’s over just like that? My major question isn’t how, but why? You can not place blame on any one of the schools involved. I’m sure for Ken Dietz at Watervliet and especially more-so, for Ken Schmaltz at Coloma, this decision was not lighthearted and easy.
Simply put, if you want someone to blame for the end of the rivalry, point your finger at the Wolverine “B” Conference heads of state.
When the Southwestern Athletic Conference expanded, adding Bangor, Hartford, Saugatuck and Watervliet in 2003 and split into two divisions, many thought it was the end of something special for the former eight team SAC.
But what it became was a symbol of opportunity, because rivals were still rivals. Take for example, Hartford. We had non-conference games for many years with Decatur and Lawrence when we were battling for Red Arrow Conference titles. Those were special rivalry games that made towns hate each other and made players play their hardest to beat the hated rival. And they are continuing today, uninterrupted.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference was prepared for expansion in 2003. They had a mission in mind and that was to create a conference that represented the best, both academically and athletically. Expansion changed it for the better, many say. And in my opinion, the SAC provides some of the best competition in all sports of small school leagues in the area. Period.
My opinion is the Wolverine “B” is prepared to expand, but not to commit to change for the future. With just a small amount of change, you could do what the SAC did in 2003. You can give the teams of your conference some scheduling flexibility, while maintaining a sense of continuity for your league. High school leagues and especially, college leagues, have made the practice work to proven perfection.
First, you have two divisions, a north and a south division. That means that teams are only playing for a record INSIDE their division. What is one or maybe two weeks of non-league games going to do, besides pit some excitement and learning experiences, so the conference games are that much better for the teams, fans and conference alike.
Second, rivalries bring excitement to leagues that need vigor. The Wolverine knows this. They have Otsego and Plainwell, who have been going non-stop for over 100 years, too. They know what a major rivalry game is like. Otsego has dominated the games recently, but that’s not the fact. My question is if Otsego and Plainwell decided to end their rivalry today, don’t you think those fans would be upset too? I would be.
Finally, in this generation of struggling school budgets, economic problems and falling school enrollments, money is tight everywhere, especially at the public school level. This doesn’t make things easier for the school budget and maybe hampers it more, especially athletic budgets. This is especially in the South Division, where some teams are around two hours apart (Berrien / Three Rivers). This isn’t good with gas prices, diesel more so, surging, either.
I understand the need for larger conference bases, don’t get me wrong. But Coloma and Berrien Springs instantly become two of the leagues smallest teams. It’s not going to be easy to go up against teams with a school enrollment twice your size, in some cases. Don’t get me wrong, they will be competitive. I will still support the Wolverine “B” because it is athletics and we all love the competitiveness of athletics, whether we like change or not.
My hope is those Lakeland Conference teams left can fit in somewhere. The biggest issue lies Buchanan. I believe that Brandywine and Cassopolis, being Class C’s, are a fit somewhere. For Buchanan, being a Class B, it’s a much tougher road. No league in the area is accustomed to handle a Class B. That’s the biggest problem with only three teams left in a conference, one is left out.
In this case, conference loyalty wins over glory. I sure hope that men that played in that rivalry series can tell their children and grandchildren about it. Because chances are for future generations, they will not be a part of a Watervliet / Coloma rivalry. Very sad for the generations before us that gave their blood, sweat and tears to that game.