REALLY, STILL ON A BREAK BUT HAD TO SHARE THIS FOR THE DEER HUNTERS OUT THERE . . . .
Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press The Pirates head coach got the revelation while deer hunting
Pewamo-Westphalia head coach Jeremy Miller and defensive coordinator Nathan Thelen are hunting buddies and spent a good part of Sunday, Nov. 15, in different deer blinds along with former head coach Bruce Weber, who is assisting them this season.
But hunting deer was not their sole purpose. Figuring a way to beat Detroit Loyola in a Division 7 semifinal game was paramount in their thoughts ... and on their cell phones.
The three had already watched Loyola on film and noticed how the Bull Dogs used direct snaps to their main running back.
"We were driving out to our deer blinds," Miller said, "and all of a sudden Nathan said: 'Why don't we just, snap it to Jared?' "
The snap went directly to junior Jared Smith, and he carried the ball every time in the first half to give P-W a 16-0 lead the Pirates turned into a 30-0 thumping of the defending state champs on Saturday.
A year ago, Loyola beat P-W in the semis, 41-21. Quite a one-year turnaround.
"The ball didn't bounce our way last year, and we did some stupid things," Miller said. "I don't know if I'd say we were that much better this year, but we definitely executed better this time."
Smith, 6-feet, 205 pounds, gained 193 yards on 30 carries and scored two touchdowns, giving him single-season state records for rushing yards (3,094) and rushing touchdowns (52).
"He's big and strong," said Miller. "He's always trying to get better. So he's driven and works hard. And our wide receivers and offensive linemen, they block for him. His record is their record. They're totally unselfish, and they do a great job.''
Not only was P-W's victory a surprise, even more so was the way it shutout Loyola, which was averaging 42.5 points a game.
"All week leading up to this, we preached to the defense that you had to play fast," Miller said. "You've got to play faster than you've played. You've got to trust your reads, get to where you need to go and just be physical."
The result means that on Saturday at 10 a.m., unbeaten P-W will play unbeaten Ishpeming, which is making its fourth straight appearance in the finals and won titles in 2012 and '13.
But Miller is still looking for his first deer.
"The deer hunting was slow, but probably because we were constantly on our cell phones texting each other back and forth," he said. "There could have been a huge 12-point buck walk by my blind, but I wouldn't have seen it because we were all getting into that. We had the game plan. We were working it."
Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.
Division title matchups WITH DAVE BABE'S PICKS IN BOLD
FRIDAY
Division 8, 10 a.m.: Waterford Our Lady (13-0) vs. Muskegon Catholic Central (10-2)
Division 2, 1 p.m.: Detroit King (13-0) vs. Lowell (12-1)
Division 6, 4:30: Ithaca (13-0) vs. Clinton (13-0)
Division 4, 7:30: Zeeland West (13-0) vs. Flint Powers (11-2)
SATURDAY
Division 7, 10 a.m.: Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) vs. Ishpeming (12-0)
Division 1, 1 p.m.: Romeo (12-1) vs. Detroit Cass Tech (11-2)
Division 5, 4:30: River Rouge (12-1) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (11-2)
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