Red Hawks Come Up Short at Harper Creek

Cedar Springs made the trip to Battle Creek Friday night to take on the Harper Creek Beavers, hoping to pick up its first win of the early season. The Red Hawks showed grit on both sides of the ball and had several promising drives, but were unable to find the end zone in a 19-0 loss.

The Red Hawks were still without quarterback Nick Robinson, who was injured in last week’s game and did not return to action Friday night. In his absence, Cedar Springs continued working to find its footing offensively, with Jakson Bravata stepping in under center and the Hawks leaning heavily on their ground game.

Harper Creek opened the game with the ball and quickly moved deep into Cedar Springs territory. The Beavers drove inside the 10-yard line, but the Red Hawks defense made them work for every yard. Spencer Rosenberger came up with a good stop, and Ty Lawson made another key tackle near the goal line to keep Harper Creek out of the end zone temporarily.

On fourth-and-goal, Harper Creek was able to punch the ball in for the first touchdown of the night. Cedar Springs answered with a bright spot on special teams, getting into the backfield to block the extra point and keep the score at 6-0.

The Red Hawks got their first chance on offense starting at their own 23-yard line. Spencer Schoenborn got things moving with an 8-yard run up the middle, and Kolin Brott later powered forward on third down to move the chains. Deegan Pike also got involved early with a solid carry, but the drive ended on downs near midfield.

Cedar Springs’ defense kept the Hawks in the game throughout the first half. After Harper Creek got the ball back, the Hawks forced a punt, though the Beavers were able to pin Cedar Springs at its own 1-yard line.

Backed up against the goal line, the Red Hawks did not fold. Pike put together a couple of strong runs to bring the ball out to the 37-yard line, giving Cedar Springs some much-needed breathing room. Bravata followed with a big gain on a keeper, moving the Hawks across midfield and into Harper Creek territory.

The drive eventually stalled around the Beavers’ 30-yard line, but it showed the kind of fight Cedar Springs would continue to play with throughout the night.

Later in the second quarter, Pike delivered one of the hardest runs of the game, breaking loose for 28 yards while dragging several defenders along with him. The run brought Cedar Springs to the Harper Creek 42-yard line and gave the Hawks another chance to build momentum. A holding call, however, pushed the Hawks behind the chains, and they were forced to punt.

Harper Creek delivered the biggest blow of the first half with less than a minute remaining. Facing third-and-10, the Beavers broke free for a 57-yard touchdown run. The extra point made it 13-0 with 54 seconds left before halftime.

Cedar Springs tried to answer quickly. Schoenborn picked up a strong gain to move the ball near midfield, but a deep pass by Bravata was intercepted. The Beavers tried to take one more shot before the break, but Ryan Larkin came through with a sack to send the teams into halftime with Harper Creek leading 13-0.

The Red Hawks opened the second half with the ball and continued to battle. Schoenborn picked up a first down to keep the opening drive alive, but the Hawks were eventually forced to punt.

Harper Creek threatened again in the third quarter, but Cedar Springs’ defense dug in and stopped the Beavers on fourth down, giving the offense another chance.

The Hawks put together one of their better drives late in the third quarter, with Schoenborn helping carry the offense into Harper Creek territory. Cedar Springs pushed the ball to the Beavers’ 27-yard line, but on fourth-and-10, a deep pass toward the end zone slipped through the receiver’s hands.

Harper Creek put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter with another rushing touchdown, making it 19-0 with 2:38 remaining.

Cedar Springs made one final push into Beavers territory, but another interception late in the fourth ended the drive and sealed the game.

The final score did not fully reflect the effort the Red Hawks gave. Cedar Springs had strong individual moments from Pike, Schoenborn, Brott, Lawson, Rosenberger and Larkin, and the defense kept the Hawks within reach for much of the game.

With the loss, Cedar Springs falls to 0-2 on the season. The Red Hawks are still working to find their rhythm early in the 2026 campaign, but Friday night showed a team willing to keep fighting, even when the breaks did not go its way.