The Mt Pleasant Oilers struggled out of the gate, but a strong defensive effort, and the legs of Jerry Parra helped push the Oilers to a 28-17 victory Friday over Saginaw Heritage. Mt Pleasant marched down the field on the opening drive of the game, but failed to reach the end zone. Heritage responded with an 86-yard touchdown run by star running back Dylan Teneyuque-pfau.
The Oilers found themselves in scoring position once again early in the second quarter. Darren Bergman reached the end zone, but a very costly fumble gave Heritage the ball, and left Mt Pleasant scoreless. Finally, Jerry Parra and the Oiler offense woke up and Mt Pleasant tied the game at 7-7. But the Oilers couldn’t enjoy the resurgence for long as Heritage kicker Nick Coppolino nailed a field goal with seconds remaining giving the Hawks a 10-7 halftime lead.
Heritage came out swinging in the 3rd quarter when quarterback Majestik Dudley scored on a run, giving the Hawks a 17-7 lead. Then Jerry Parra stepped up once again with two straight touchdown runs, and Mt Pleasant wouldn’t trail again.
Darren Bergman provided the Oilers with some insurance. And then the Oiler defense held strong in the fourth quarter. Mt Pleasant walked away with a 28-17 win.
While Jerry Parra provided the offensive spark for Mt Pleasant, Shawn Fitzgerald provided the blocking to keep the Oilers offense alive throughout the evening. For his efforts, the Air Force commit earned our JNR Engraving Player of the Game honors. Parra also deserves plenty of credit, with three rushing touchdowns on the night.
At 5-4, the Mt Pleasant Oilers season appears complete. However, MHSAA rules say a 5-4 team might be eligible for the playoffs if there aren’t enough teams in the division with six wins. Mt Pleasant, along with Sacred Heart, Shepherd, Harrison and Vestaburg all must wait to find out if they join Beal City, Alma, Ithaca, Midland Dow, Clare, Breckenridge and Chippewa Hills during Sunday night’s selection show.
Stay tuned to My 1043, and keep checking My1043.net to find out what playoff game(s) we’re covering next week.
