Early Grit Not Enough as Knights Pull Away From Red Hawks

Cedar Springs and Kenowa Hills battled through a physical, defensive first half Friday night before the Knights pulled away after halftime, handing the Red Hawks a 44-19 loss on Red Flannel Eve.

Kenowa Hills led by just one point at halftime, 14-13, but scored 30 second-half points to take control of the game.

Cedar Springs received the opening kickoff and leaned early on its ground game. Schoenborn, Bravata and Pike all carried the ball during the first series, with Schoenborn picking up a first down run that was erased by a holding penalty. The drive eventually stalled on downs in Kenowa Hills territory.

On the Knights’ first offensive snap, Cedar Springs answered defensively. Kenowa Hills fumbled in the backfield, and the Red Hawks recovered at the Knights’ 26-yard line.

Schoenborn helped set up the first score of the night, breaking loose for a run to the 3-yard line. After two short runs were stopped near the goal line, Cedar Springs called timeout facing fourth-and-1. Quarterback Nick Robinson then kept the ball and dove over a defender into the end zone for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was stopped short, leaving Cedar Springs ahead 6-0 with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

The drive also included a milestone moment, as Schoenborn broke the Cedar Springs school rushing record during the first quarter, which was held since 2001.

Kenowa Hills responded on the following possession, using passes over the middle and a strong run game to move deep into Red Hawks territory. The Knights capped the drive with a short touchdown run, but Cedar Springs blocked the extra point to keep the score tied at 6-6 with 2:07 left in the opening quarter.

The defensive tone continued into the second quarter. After Cedar Springs punted, Kenowa Hills moved the ball across midfield before the Red Hawks came up with another takeaway, intercepting a pass over the middle and taking over at their own 32-yard line.

Cedar Springs wasted little time capitalizing. After a short run was stopped at the line, Robinson dropped back and connected with Ty Lawson on a 68-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good, giving the Red Hawks a 13-6 lead with 6:37 left in the half.

Kenowa Hills answered before halftime, putting together a scoring drive despite multiple penalties. The Knights found the end zone with 1:28 left in the second quarter, then converted the two-point attempt to take a 14-13 lead.

Cedar Springs went three-and-out on its final possession of the half, giving Kenowa Hills one more chance near midfield with 29 seconds remaining. The Knights moved the ball to the Cedar Springs 37, but the Red Hawks’ defense held through the final seconds to keep the halftime score at 14-13.

Kenowa Hills opened the second half with the ball and immediately seized momentum. The Knights returned the kickoff to their own 27-yard line and needed only three plays to reach the end zone. They converted the two-point attempt to extend the lead to 22-13 with 10:26 left in the third quarter.

Cedar Springs responded with a sustained drive, keeping the ball on the ground and converting a key fourth-and-1 after a fumble was recovered by Robinson for a first down. Deegan Pike later added a first-down run up the middle, and Robinson connected with Pike over the top for another first down.

The Red Hawks pushed the ball to the Kenowa Hills 26-yard line, but the drive ended on downs after Cedar Springs was stopped on fourth-and-2.

Kenowa Hills again moved quickly into Cedar Springs territory. The Knights appeared to score on a run, but a holding penalty brought the play back and set up first-and-20 from the Red Hawks’ 25-yard line. Moments later, Kenowa Hills connected on a touchdown pass to the end zone. The two-point conversion was good, giving the Knights a 30-13 lead late in the third quarter.

Cedar Springs started its next drive at its own 20, but after Schoenborn was tackled for a loss, the Red Hawks eventually moved the chains to the 31. The drive ended when Robinson’s pass was intercepted by the Knights.

The Knights continued to build on their lead in the fourth quarter. After a pass breakup by Pike, Kenowa Hills drove to the Cedar Springs 23 before an injury timeout stopped play with 9:54 remaining. The Knights later pushed the ball in from the 2-yard line, and the extra point made it 37-13 with 9:12 to play.

Cedar Springs took over at its own 31, and a Kenowa Hills holding penalty helped give the Red Hawks a first down. But after four more plays, Cedar Springs turned the ball over on downs, giving the Knights the ball at the Red Hawks’ 39-yard line.

Kenowa Hills took advantage of the field position, eventually scoring again on a shovel pass around the right side. The extra point pushed the Knights’ lead to 44-13 with 6:53 left in the game.

The Red Hawks continued to fight late. Bravata returned the kickoff to the 27-yard line, and Cedar Springs kept the ball on the ground while driving into Kenowa Hills territory. Robinson later completed a pass to Greenland, moving the ball to the 3-yard line. A run up the middle finished the drive for a Cedar Springs touchdown.

The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 44-19 with 2:21 remaining.

Kenowa Hills took over at its own 33-yard line on the final possession and ran the ball before letting the clock expire.

After the game, Cedar Springs coach Gus Kapolka said the Red Hawks ran into a strong opponent.

“I thought we did a pretty good job containing them in the first half. But, in the second half their guys took over. They had some big catches to set up a score. And then defensively, they played us very, very tough,” Kapolka said. “So kudos to them, to their kids and their staff for playing a really good game. And sometimes, that's just how it works out."

The Red Hawks prepare to take on the Lowell Red Arrows here at home on October 9th.