Red Hawks Finish With Fire, Defeat Sparta 52-27
SPARTAN STADIUM, SPARTA — The Cedar Springs crowd brought the noise. The Red Hawks brought the finish.
Before the first snap Friday night, the visiting stands were electric as Cedar Springs took the field, already giving a sense that, after everything this season had asked of them, the Red Hawks had one more performance to give their hometown.
And. They. Delivered.
Cedar Springs powered past Sparta 52-27 to finish the regular season at 4-5, turning takeaways into touchdowns and giving its seniors a victory to carry with them. Along the way, Spencer Schoenborn added a place in the school record book to a memorable final night.
For Coach Kapolka, the pride went beyond the scoreboard.
“I told the kids I’m proud of them because they never gave in this season. We had a lot of adversity, a lot of things to overcome, a lot of crushing defeats, but they never gave in.”
That resolve showed early.
Sparta opened with a sustained drive into Cedar Springs territory, but the Red Hawks held their ground. The defense, taking an early stand with Spencer Rosenberger breaking up a huge pass attempt deep into Hawks territory forcing the Spartans to settle for a field goal taking a 3-0 lead.
In vintage Hawks fashion, they answered immediately.
Schoenborn attacked the edges, keeping the Spartans on their toes while Deegan Pike powered through the middle, marching the Hawks downfield. Schoenborn finished the drive with a short touchdown run, and Kolin Brott muscled across for the two-point conversion. With 6:30 remaining in the opening quarter, Cedar Springs led 8-3.
And that's when the Hawks were just getting started.
A recovered Sparta fumble gave Cedar Springs another opportunity well into Sparta's territory, and the offense made it count.
Nick Robinson powered his way up for a first-down run, Schoenborn kept the chains moving, and Pike punched through the middle for a touchdown. Pike added the conversion, pushing the lead to 16-3.
Then the defense delivered again.
Cody Greenland intercepted a pass to open the second quarter. On the very next play, Robinson found Pike over the top for a 43-yard touchdown and a 22-3 advantage.
When Sparta threatened again, it was Evan Thompson who kept his eye on the ball and intercepted a pass near the end zone, returning it to the Cedar Springs 45-yard line.
Another takeaway became another scoring drive, capped by Jakson Bravata charging through the middle for a 17-yard touchdown. Robinson connected with Schoenborn in the corner of the end zone for the conversion, and the Hawks led 30-3.
The unrelenting Hawks kept pressing. After the defense forced a punt, the offense drove back into scoring position. Robinson placed the ball into the veteran hands of Schoenborn who swept around the left side for another touchdown, and Pike’s two-point conversion made it 38-3 with 3:28 left in the half.
Sparta managed a touchdown in the closing seconds, but the Red Hawks headed into halftime ahead 38-10, with their traveling crowd having plenty to cheer about.
Wasting no time at all after halftime, the Hawks gave those fans more to cheer about immediately.
Schoenborn opened the third quarter with consecutive first-down runs, moving Cedar Springs into Spartan territory. After a penalty pushed the Hawks back, Robinson connected with Schoenborn on a 38-yard touchdown pass. Schoenborn then kicked the extra point himself, extending the lead to 45-10.
Sparta continued to battle, putting together a scoring drive late in the third quarter. But Cedar Springs kept meeting that effort with its own. Rosenberger trucked his way through offensive ball carriers, Greenland wrapped up runners to limit gains, and the Hawks made the Spartans work for every yard gained until they scored a touchdown on a short pass. A Sparta extra point made the game 45-17.
Early in the fourth quarter, Schoenborn reached a milestone that will outlast the final score: Cedar Springs’ single-season rushing record. He also finished the season holding the school’s career rushing record.
For the hometown fans who had followed him and his teammates through the season’s highs and lows, it was another reason to stand and cheer.
Cedar Springs added its final touchdown early in the fourth, stretching the lead to 52-17. Sparta answered with a 69-yard touchdown pass and later a field goal, but the Hawks had built a margin the Spartans could not overcome.
With less than two minutes remaining, Malick Traore secured the final kickoff. Robinson then took a knee on the final three plays of his high school career, closing out the victory and the season.
There would be no winning regular-season record. But there would be a win on this night that was earned together, on the road, in front of a crowd that never stopped believing in its team.
Coach Kapolka also looked ahead, identifying a clear starting point for next season.
“We need to solidify our coaching staff, first and foremost, and put our guys in positions as coaches to be successful. We were a little discombobulated early in the year, but I think we start from there.”
That work comes next. Friday belonged to the players who finished, the seniors taking their final snaps and the Cedar Springs faithful who made the trip.
The record will say 4-5. The final night said something else about these Red Hawks: They never gave in.
