Mikes edge Pioneers, 28-26
CARMICHAELS – Smash mouth was in attendance at the West Greene-Carmichaels game Friday night. No, it was not the band Smashmouth, but smash-mouth football. The Mighty Mikes piled up 253 yards rushing from the backfield duo of Logan Phillips and Cody Andrews as Carmichaels escaped with a narrow 28-26 win over the Pioneers.
Andrews led the way for Carmichaels finishing with 23 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought we just wore them down,” Mikes head coach Mike Bosnic said. “Our kids got better as the game went on.”
The defending Tri-County South conference champion Mighty Mikes found themselves down at halftime, 20-14. The running of West Greene’s Cody Renner dominated the first half but things changed for Carmichaels after the half.
“We made some adjustments that we needed to make,” Bosnic said.
One of those changes was quite obvious in Carmichaels’ first series in the third quarter as the Mikes marched right down the field on a nine-play, 51-yard drive. A Bobby Virgili quarterback sneak, the last of nine running plays, from the one-yard line gave the Mikes a 21-20 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.
“We had some injuries,” said West Greene head coach Scott Orndoff. “Some were playing hurt. But they all went after it.”
The Pioneers trailed by a point and was driving with 8:08 to play when the game slipped from their grasp.
Phillips intercepted an Aaron Wilson pass and sprinted 45 yards to put the Mikes on top, 28-20.
“That was huge,” Orndoff said, of Phillips play. “There’s no question about it. It was a momentum changer. Those happen in high school, college and the pros.”
Renner had a huge night as he rushed nine times for 108 yards and two scores.
“He’s an exceptional kid,” Orndoff said of his 5-9, 160-pound running back. “He’s very strong and he never gives up.”
Although West Greene lost, Orndoff was not surprised at how close the game was considering last year the Mikes defeated his Pioneers, 35-14.
“We really don’t have a bad football team,” Orndoff said. “I know our record doesn’t show that. But we’re a lot better.”