Hawks Hammer Falcons for First Win on Homecoming Night
The lights were bright, the stands were packed and the energy at Red Hawk Stadium was everything a homecoming night should be.
With an electric crowd behind them and their first win of the season within reach, the Cedar Springs Red Hawks delivered a performance worthy of the moment, defeating Allendale 63-34 on Friday night.
Cedar Springs set the tone on its opening drive when Deegan Pike moved the Red Hawks into Allendale territory on very first play. Spencer Schoenborn carried the ball down to the 12-yard line, and Nick Robinson, making his much anticipated return, connected with Pike for a touchdown. The two-point conversion gave Cedar Springs an 8-0 lead.
Robinson said being back on the field for the win meant a lot.
“It feels great,” Robinson said. “I did my best to be back for them and I knew that they were going to have my back. Everybody did a great job. There’s a lot of things we can do better, though. But it’s good to enjoy a win and we’ll see green next week.”
The Red Hawk defense forced a punt on Allendale’s first possession, helped by early tackles from Henry Metiva and Spencer Rosenberger and a sack by Metiva.
Cedar Springs quickly added to the lead. Pike broke free for a 39-yard touchdown run, his second of the night, and Robinson found Pike again on the two-point conversion to make it 16-0. Moments later, Kolin Brott, reading the the Falcon offense, stepped up and intercepted an Allendale pass and returned it to the Allendale 6-yard line, setting up a Robinson touchdown pass to Schoenborn for a 22-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Allendale responded with a second-quarter touchdown pass, but Cedar Springs answered immediately after Dayton Reynolds recovered an onside kick midfield. On the first play of the drive, Jakson Bravata scored on a long run, and Brott powered in the conversion to push the lead to 30-6.
The Falcons scored again to make it 30-12, taking advantage of openings in the defensive line, but the Red Hawks offense kept striking back fast. Brott returned the kickoff to the Cedar Springs 43, and Schoenborn raced 57 yards for a touchdown on the very next play. Brott powered through the middle, scoring the conversion behind a big block from Schoenborn.
Cedar Springs added one more score before halftime. Robinson found Ty Lawson to move the ball to the 3-yard line, then kept it himself on a fake handoff for a touchdown. Brott’s conversion gave the Red Hawks a 46-12 halftime lead.
Allendale opened the second half with a strong drive, a persistence that would last the entire second half, and scored to cut the lead to 46-18. Cedar Springs answered with a drive into the red zone before Schoenborn kicked a field goal, extending the lead to 49-18.
The Falcons continued to battle, scoring late in the third quarter to make it 49-26. But on the first play of the fourth quarter, Schoenborn broke free again for another Cedar Springs touchdown, pushing the lead to 55-26.
Allendale added another rushing touchdown and conversion midway through the fourth quarter, but Cedar Springs put the game away on its next drive. Bravata broke loose up the left side to move the ball deep into Falcon territory, and Schoenborn finished the drive with another touchdown. Bravata then found Pike for the two-point conversion, giving Cedar Springs a 63-34 lead.
The Red Hawks defense forced a turnover on downs with 2:18 remaining, and Cedar Springs used its running game to drain the clock before taking a knee to seal the win.
Head coach Gus Kapolka said he was pleased with the win and the way the offense and special teams executed, but he wants to see improvement defensively before next week’s game against Coopersville.
“We wanted to come out and wanted to be physical, and obviously we built up the big lead,” Kapolka said. “They executed well on offense, but we didn’t execute and tackle as well on defense and that was disappointing tonight.”
Kapolka praised the team’s offensive execution and Schoenborn’s work in the kicking game, including the field goal.
“We won, I’m happy,” Kapolka said. “Happy for our guys who came out and executed well on offense, special teams were great. Defensively, we have lots of things to fix before next week.”
For one night, though, Cedar Springs had plenty to celebrate. In front of an electric homecoming crowd, the Red Hawks earned their first win of the season and gave their fans a 63-34 victory to remember.
