Bears set school record for total offense in 62-49 win over Portage Northern

ST. JOSEPH –  In the Bears last two weeks, St. Joe has won thanks to the defense, special teams and last week, it was the offense that won the game.  St. Joe amassed a school record 706 of total offense in a 62-49 win over Portage Northern.  
The 706 yards is also the third highest offensive total in MHSAA history and the 111 combined points is the 11th highest scoring total for a game without going into overtime. 

In a game that resembled a tennis match with the teams going back and forth across the field, it was St. Joe scoring first…. but it definatley was not the last.  After forcing the Huskies to a three and out. The Bears took over at midfield and on the Bears second play from scrimmage, Matt Lanier threw a 51 yard touchdown pass to Joron Brown, who raced down the near sideline for a 7-0 Bear lead.

Portage Northern took one play longer to tied the game at 7-7 when Wayne State University commit Cane Mack completed a 75 yard touchdown pass to Xavior Tyus.

St. Joe would retake the lead with 90 seconds left in the first quarter on a 6 yard touchdown run from Trey McGinnis, capping a 10-play, 71-yard drive.

Again Portage Northern would strike quickly to tie the game two plays later on an 82 yard pass from Mack to Braylon Amos.
Portage Northern would take a 21-14 lead early in the 2nd quarter after a Matt Lanier interception gave the Huskies the ball at the St. Joe 4 yard line. Tyus would score 2 plays later.

St. Joe would take 6:05 to tie the game, thanks to a 14-play, 80-yard drive. Ending on a 1-yard touchdown run from Thomas Moore.  An offsides penalty by Northern on the point after try would let the Bears attempt the 2 point conversion from the 1 yard line. Which Joron Brown made and the Bears took a 29-21 lead at halftime.

St. Joe would receive the 2nd half kickoff and make another long 79-yard drive in 12-plays.  Thomas Moore added another touchdown run form a yard out and the bears lead stood at 36-21.

Portage Northern would cut the Bears lead on their next drive as Mack completed a 58 yard pass to Jadyn Walker, giving the Huskies the ball at the 8-yard line.  Mack threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to AJ Ozuzu, but his two point conversion pass would fail.   St. Joe’s lead was 9 at 36-27.

St. Joe would increase the lead to 16 points late in the third quarter.   The Bears drove 52 yards in 8 plays, where Brown, McGinnis, and Moore all had carries.  Thomas Moore capped the drive with his longest of his three touchdowns runs.  An 11 yard TD put the Bears ahead. 43-27.

But the game was still far from over.    Portage Northern would score a touchdown with 9:58 left in the quarter by Xavior Tyus to trim the Bears lead to 43-35.

The Bears counterpunched and got the 2 score lead back 3 plays later on a 59 yard touchdown run from Joron Brown making the score 50-35.  

Again Portage Northern would strike quickly on a Cane Mack touchdown pass to Keegan McIntyre still with 8:55 to go. 

And again St. Joe restored the two score lead on two plays that were Trey McGinnis runs.  One from 9 yards, the other fromm 75 yards. And St. Joe’s lead stood at 56-42.  The two teams score 4 touchdowns in less than three minutes.

After St. Joe’s Hudson Lange intercepted Mack.  St. Joe again scored quick on a 69 yard touchdown pass to Bobby Nate and the Bears took a 62-42 lead, giving St. Joe an even 700 yards of offense.

Northern would score another touchdown with 1:10 left from Mack to Braylen Amos, but would fail to recover the onside kick.  St. Joe wearly of taking a knee and losing yardage would hand the ball off to run out the last minute and win the game 62-49.