By DAVID COOK
-The DeWitt football team extended its dominance in the CAAC Red, when it turned back rival St. Johns, 49-21, to clinch its 10th straight conference championship.
Junior running back J.D. Ross led the way on offense, as he rushed for 212 yards and scored a total of four touchdowns. He scored on touchdown runs of 83, 59, and 33 yards and also added a 49-yard touchdown reception for the Panthers, who have won 38 consecutive conference football games.
Quarterback Will Nagel added 141 yards passing and a pair of touchdown passes. SonQuise Trainor added a pair of touchdowns, and senior tight end Evan Conn caught a touchdown pass for DeWitt, which is ranked 10th in the state in Division 2.
-The Jared Smith express continues to roll for the Pewamo-Westphalia football team. Through eight games, Smith has rushed for 1,883 yards and scored 34 touchdowns. A junior running back, he set a school record with 343 yards on 17 carries in a win against Fulton. Smith rushed for 2,140 yards last year and is on pace to break that mark this season, as the Pirates reeled off eight straight wins to start the season and are ranked fourth in the state in Division 7.
Pewamo-Westphalia has also been playing strong defense. In the Pirates’ 34-7 win over rival Fowler, sophomore linebacker Bryce Thelen racked up 11 tackles and recovered a fumble, while junior linebacker Nathan Smith contributed seven tackles, two for loss, and a sack.
-The Fowler football team is headed to the playoffs and is ranked ninth in the state in Division 8. Scott Pemberton has been pacing the offense, as he has rushed for 903 yards this season through eight games. Cole Theis is leading the way on the offensive line, while Dallas Watts is averaging 10 tackles per game on defense.
“Our strong points have been our defense and running the football,” said coach Kris Ernst. “I feel the team has come together well, but we are still working to improve every day. We have a lot of work to do before we reach our expectations.”
-The St. Johns girls swimming and diving team is having another solid season. The Redwings dominated the CAAC Blue with six straight dual wins to open the season.
They have had a number of outstanding efforts this season, led by the 200 medley relay team of Autumn Petrick, Amber Cousineau, Catherine Voisin, and Rachel Ely, which has some of the best times in the area this season.
Ely is turning in a big season individually, as well. She has turned in a time under two minutes in the 200 freestyle and has some of the fastest times in the area in the 200 individual medley. Ely and Voisin are also two of the fastest sprinters in the conference, while Voisin is also a top performer in the butterfly. Emma Schaefer and Ely have been dominant in the 100 breaststroke.
-The DeWitt girls cross country team turned in a big effort at the Greater Lansing Cross Country Championships. It finished in second place overall and received some outstanding efforts from its young runners. Freshman Ashley Shipps placed 12th overall, while sophomore Hannah Adler was 13th, and sophomore Katie Vitou was 23rd.
-The St. Johns girls cross country team also ran strong at the Greater Lansing meet. The Redwings placed fifth overall and were paced by senior Jen Eaton, who finished 20th overall. Freshman Lauren Lasceski placed 24th, and senior Milah Montle was 45th overall.
-The Pewamo-Westphalia boys cross country team won the Saranac Color Run. Junior Bryce Thelen led the way, as he took second place in a time of 17:00. Junior Brock Simon was fourth, senior Grant Hengesbach was fifth, and freshman Mitch Nuerenberg placed eighth.
-The St. Johns girls golf team placed third at the Division 2 regional tournament at The Emerald. Sophomore Abby Murray paced St. Johns, as she finished eighth as an individual with a round of 88. Senior Adrianne Simison and sophomore Alli Eccleton both placed 12th overall with rounds of 90.
-The Portland boys tennis team finished the season on a positive note. It qualified for the state tournament and finished 11th as a team in Division 4. Chris Platte reached the quarterfinal round at No. 4 singles, while the No. 1 doubles team of Cole Schneider and Trevor Trierweiler also reached the quarterfinal.
Schneider and Trierweiler also won a regional championship for Portland as did the No. 4 doubles team of Ryan Lefke and Jarrett Hoppes. Platte also won the regional title at No. 4 singles, while Connor Davis won the regional title at No. 3 singles.
-Senior Audrey Pohl has been enjoying a big season with the Pewamo-Westphalia girls cross country team. She finished ninth at the Greater Lansing Championships, with a career-best time of 19:20. Pohl also took first place in the first two CMAC jamborees of the season and finished second at the Saranac, Bath, and Holly invitationals.