DEFENSE STEALS SHOW AS 'JACKETS STAY UNBEATEN

The high-profile Birmingham Detroit Country Day offense started fast out of the gate but needed a bailout by the squad's less-heralded, yet equally good defense to keep its record unblemished on Saturday afternoon. Using a late goal line stand by the Yellow Jackets 'D', the DCD varsity football team staved off a frenetic rally from the visiting Muskegon Heights Tigers to come out of the game with a 21-18 win.

Both independents with no conference to call home, Country Day improves to 5-0 on the year, while Muskegon Heights drops to 3-2.  Junior tailback John Hill led the DCD attack by carrying the ball 18 times for a team-high 115 yards on the ground. Senior quarterback Willie Snead spearheaded the Tigers offensive assault by accounting for almost 300 all-purpose yards – 164 through the air (w/a pair of TDs)& 126 on the ground.

Racking up 11 first downs, 225 yards of field and three touchdowns in the first hakf of play, the Yellow Jackets were in control early and led 21-6 at halftime. 

Lee Bailey's 3-yard rushing touchdown got the day's scoring off and running and was quickly followed by Josh Harris' 2-yard sneak into the end zone. Harris, a highly-touted college prospect at the quarterback position, then found his No. 1 receiver, Kenny Knight, for a 26-yard scoring strike that capped a beautiful 86-yard drive down field. Hill, Bailey, Harris and Knight are all being recruited by Division I programs at the next level.

However, head coach Dan MacLean's team hit a bit of a wall in the second half and allowed the athletically-skilled Tigers to creep back into the game. MacLean's squad only accounted for 25 yards of total offense and a mere two first downs in the final 24 minutes of action.

With his usual point-machine of an offense on the frits, MacLean turned to his "no-name" defense to close out the team's fifth win of the year.

In front 21-12 with a little over six minutes remaining, the 'Jackets staged a triumphant goal line stop when DCD linebacker Patrick Dugan met Tigers running back Adam Ross as soon as he touched the ball on a fourth-and-two and was helped by a throng of teammates to drive Ross back into the dirt for a loss of yards and a switch of possession.  Dugan finished with seven tackles and a fumble recovery. Senior linebacker David Brown led the 'Jackets defense with a game-high 12 tackles and a sack.

Muskegon Heights scored on a touchdown pass from Snead to Darryl Terrell with 38 seconds left to make it 21-18 and Country Day's special teams unit then officially turned out the lights by recovering an ensuing Tigers' onside kick.

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