By Wendi Reardon Price
Clarkston News Sports Writer
INDEPENDENCE TWP. — Clarkston Varsity Football is gearing up to battle for the OAA Red League Championship against Lake Orion this Friday.
“We have gotten better and better every week,” said Justin Pintar, head coach for Clarkston. “To come into this league with this schedule and win four straight is a testament to these guys. Buying in and believing we have the team to do it. It’s a grind week in and week out. You tell them there’s no easy games in the OAA Red. It is going to be one of the biggest games we have had between us and Lake Orion in a long time. It’s been a great rivalry, but it’s been a little while since we have had an OAA Red title on the line for the two teams. I am expecting a huge crowd here. They are going to be excited. We are going to be excited. It’s going to be a helluva a football game.”
The Wolves sealed their fight for the title with a 44-36 win over West Bloomfield last Friday, Sept. 29, putting their OAA Red record at 4-0.
Clarkston opened the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run by sophomore Griffin Boman with 3:38 remaining in the first quarter. A PAT from senior Eddie Langton put the score at 7-0.
The Lakers tied the score on their first play seconds later on a 69-yard touchdown run from Kamren Flowers and a PAT.
The Wolves opened the second quarter taking the lead back with another 2-yard touchdown run from Boman. The PAT was blocked to put the score, 13-7.
West Bloomfield didn’t let it slow them down and took the lead 14-13 after Elisha Durham caught a 22-yard touchdown pass, and they scored on their PAT.
The Wolves answered taking the lead back after senior Brody Kosin caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from senior Desman Stephens. The Wolves 2-point conversion attempt was batted down.
Before the Lakers could score again before the half finished, Stephens intercepted their pass, his 11th interception to lead in Clarkston’s record for career interceptions.
“We played a good half in the first half,” Pintar said. “We just had a turnover on the first drive. We had a penalty that hurt on another drive. Offensively we did a nice job in the first half. We just shot ourselves in the foot a few times. Defensively, we did a nice job. We just gave up two big plays. I said guys if you take away the two big plays and the two mistakes we made on offense then we are in great shape. We made a few adjustments we thought we could take advantage of, but we also knew if we kept doing what we are doing and eliminate the mistakes we would be in good shape. We were able to do that. We were able to get some stops from our defense. I thought that was our best offense performance of the year by far. It was nice to see us do that against a very good West Bloomfield team.”
The Wolves next score was a 14-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Brady Collins to Kosin with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. Stephens scored on the 2-point conversion, putting the Wolves up 27-14.
Clarkston took control of the ball less than a minute later when the ball went loose and Boman recovered it on the Lakers’ 12-yard line.
Nine seconds into the final quarter, Langton put the Wolves’ up 30-14 with his 29-yard field goal.
The Lakers possession didn’t last for long as senior Colin Kortman intercepted their pass on the first play, putting the Wolves on the 23-yard line
Boman scored with 7:42 left in the game on a 5-yard touchdown run. A PAT from Langton put the score, 37-14.
The Wolves last score was from Stephens on a 36-yard touchdown run.
The Lakers scored twice in the final 83 seconds to end the game, 44-36.
“That is a very talented group,” said Pintar. “We did a good job of schematically taking what they gave us. Defensively, we have a lot of guys who just know their responsibility, know their role. They do what they are supposed to do. Defense has been the spark for us.”
Collins went 7-for-8 in passing for 95 yards. Kosin caught four passes for 66 yards. Stephens caught three passes for 24 yards and senior Ryan Rector caught one pass for ten yards.
“They are starting to click,” Pintar said about offense. “Each week is getting a little bit better. I think this is our best offense performance all year, and we picked a good time to do it. Our line did a good job. We aren’t big up front but those guys compete. They play with a lot of heart and passion. The offensive line aren’t the ones they will write stories about but they are the ones that will win games. They did a great job up front doing that for us today.”
Boman was the leading rusher with 128 yards on 21 carries. Stephens rushed the ball five times for 95 yards. Sophomore Lukas Boman rushed the ball three times for 64 yar

ds and Collins rushed the ball six times for 60 yards.
Pintar shared the Boman brothers had a great night on both sides of the ball.
“Those guys did a helluva job running the football, running hard, making big plays for us,” he said. “They are only sophomores and every week they seem to be getting better and better and that’s what we ask of them – just learn from each week and they are doing that.”
The Wolves (4-2, 4-0 OAA Red) host Lake Orion (6-0, 4-0) this Friday at 7 p.m.

  Football, OAA Red