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Chelsea goes to air early, tops Saline 34-21...
AnnArbor.com STAffAfter sitting through 189 minutes of football, dampened by an early rain and drawn out by 26 penalties, the Chelsea High School student section had just enough zeal left to swarm the field late Friday night. Their Bulldogs had just beaten rival Saline, 34-21. And any win over a rival is worthy of a celebration. "It was a good win for us," said Chelsea coach Brad Bush, whose team ends the regular season with a 7-2 record and awaits its place in the MHSAA playoffs. "We have great respect for Saline. I know they have struggled, but just like you'd expect they played hard and gave us a good battle." The teams' 45-year running series was set to expire when an expanded Southeastern Conference limited the number of crossover games between the Red and White divisions. Instead, they scheduled each other for a Week 9 non-conference game. "Not only have we played for so many years, but the teams and coaches have great respect for each other," Bush said. "It's what high school football should be about." But the game wasn't what some fans expected. The Michigan State University student newspaper was on hand to cover a battle of two future Spartans. But Saline quarterback Joe Boisture left Jerry Niehaus Field in an ambulance midway through the first quarter and Chelsea found most of its early success through the air rather than with its usual heavy doses of MSU-bound running back Nick Hill. Boisture suffered a concussion and aggravated a previous back injury and taken to the hospital as a precaution. Chelsea took a 20-7 halftime lead on three passing touchdowns. Starting quarterback Brian Paulsen, who would also leave the game with an injury in the second half, connected with Nigel Schuh on a 33-yard strike in the first quarter and with Hill for a 14-yard score in the final minute of the half. In between, the Bulldogs reached into their trick plays for a reverse 74-yard touchdown pass from wideout Nate Udell to Jesse Forner. Forner would add a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, helping to fend off a Hornet comeback attempt. "That trick play put us in a hole and we spent the the whole second half trying to get that possession back and even up the score," said Saline coach Mike Glennie. "We had a couple opportunities late, but just didn't get it done." The Hornets (3-6) gained 224 of their 348 total yards in the second half, much of it coming when they traded their typical spread attack for the power running of tailback Garrett Gordon out of the flexbone formation. Gordon finished with 163 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of scores in the second half that pulled Saline within 27-21 with 4:17 left in the third quarter. The teams traded turnovers and punts until Hill, who finished with 136 rushing yards on 25 carries, cemented Chelsea's win with a 15-yard touchdown run with 5:33 remaining in the game and Charlie Hess added his fourth point-after kick. |
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