A landmark season for the Goodrich varsity football team ended just a couple stops short of the Silverdome.
Goodrich ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Detroit Crockett Saturday, Nov. 13, losing to the Rockets 40-13 at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit.
The Martians? season ended for the second straight year in the regional finals. The Martians earned the first ten-win season in school history, finishing with a record of 10-2.
Senior running back Kirk Elsworth capped his stellar career just short of setting the state season rushing record. Elsworth tallied 193 yards on 34 carries against the Rockets, and scored two touchdowns.
He finished the season with 2,867 rushing yards and 48 rushing touchdowns, just short of the record set by Clinton Township Chippewa Valley’s Chris Lamasney, who rushed for 2,890 yards in 2000.
However, Elsworth set the state record with 52 total touchdowns on the season, recovering a fumble by quarterback Keith Brotherton in the second half to score his second touchdown of the game.
The Martians hindered their own cause with five turnovers, which Crockett used to their advantage to take control of the game.
After the Martians stopped Crockett’s opening drive, Crockett’s Kyrel White intercepted a pass by Brotherton and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, giving the Rockets a 7-0 lead.
Goodrich came back toward the end of the first quarter on a three-yard touchdown run by Elsworth, tying the contest at seven.
However, Crockett quarterback Michael Collins connected with Darrius Williams on a 35-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to give the Rockets a 13-7.
Goodrich then made a critical mistake on the ensuing kickoff, as the Martians watched the ball roll to the sideline. Crockett’s Akim Sanders then fell on the ball at the Goodrich 27, and Collins then threw a touchdown pass to Steve Carter on the next play to give the Rockets a 19-7 lead.
Just before halftime, Collins connected with Williams on a scoring strike for the second time in the game, this time from six yards out, to give Crockett a 25-7 lead. The Rockets were never seriously challenged in the second half.