Panthers Sports

Chase VanMiddlesworth (8) tips a pass away intended for Newberry receiver Matthew Rahilly during action September 7 at Gaylord St. Mary’s. Liam LaSala is also pictured for C-S.
(Photo by Bruce Rolfe)


Lady Panthers rebound to post
win over Burr Oak


The Climax-Scotts varsity volleyball team rebounded from a first game loss with three straight close wins to capture a victory at Burr Oak September 5, 3-1.

All four games were close, with Burr Oak winning the first set 26-24.

The Lady Panthers answered with a 25-21 win in the second game and carried the momentum into the next two games, winning both, 25-18 and 25-23.

Sophie Braithwaite had an overall stong match, finishing with a team high 18 kills, a team leading three aces, and 17 digs. Lylah Parrish led the team with 38 digs, and had a 91.70 serving percentage with two aces. Ashlynn Gilbert had a team high 49 assists.

The Lady Panthers will host the Panther Invite September 14 at 8:30 a.m.

C-S Def. Burr Oak, 24-26, 25-21, 25-18, 25-23
C-S Stat Leaders

Kills: Sophie Braithwaite 18, Holly Talbert 12, Kendal Reitz 8, Mackenzie Vincent 8, Adalynn Reeves 6
Aces: Sophie Braithwaite 3, Lylah Parrish 2, Ashlynn Gilbert 2
Blocks: Mackenzie Vincent 2
Assists: Ashlynn Gilbert 49
Digs: Lylah Parrish 38, Sophie Braithwaite 17, Holly Talbert 16

Rebounding with strong effort
following season opening loss is
significant for C-S varsity football team


By Bruce Rolfe

Climax-Scotts varsity football coach Tyler Langs was looking for improvement in many areas in a non-league neutral game September 7 at Gaylord St. Mary’s against Newberry after his team dropped a 32-24 decision to Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian in the season opener.

However after watching his team fail to respond to some mistakes in the season opening loss, the Panther coach was especilly eager to see what the response would be against Newberry when mistakes were made.

His team answered with a huge effort on both sides of the ball, leading to a 54-28 win over the Indians.

“The biggest difference was there were mistakes made today, but we had a response. We had kids that came out and made plays. Our seniors did a phenomenal job of responding and making plays and some young kids making plays. So it was just awesome. We’re going to make mistakes, but the response to it this week was 10 times better than last week and we come out with the victory,” explained the Panther coach.

Now Langs is eager to see if his team can sustain long stretches without making mistakes and execute after miscues are made. The Panthers face a big challenge on the road September 13, taking on defending State Champions Adrian Lenawee Christian, which has won the state championship three out of the last four years.

“Win or lose next week, because you’re playing a really, really good team, we feel better that we’re able to respond and make those bounce back plays when we need them. And so it definitely gives us a little more confidence going into next week to be able to say, hey, we can compete because we know we’ll make the plays when we need them,” adds Langs.

Senior quarterback Logan Gilbert felt a good week of practice and overall better focus set up a better performance against Newberry.

“I’m very happy. Last week, that wasn’t us. We had a lot of mistakes. We didn’t bounce back from it in the game. And this week we had a great week of practice. We had a good game plan, good execution. And we had some mistakes in this game. I had some mistakes in this game and instead of putting our head down like we did last week, we kept it up and battled back,” said Gilbert.

Senior Jackson Bagwell enjoyed a huge game against Newberry, scoring four rushing touchdowns on the way to a 285-yard rushing performance on 24 carries. He added eight tackles, including three solo tackles and one tackle for a loss on the defensive side of the ball.

Bagwell opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run with 3:08 left in the first period. Luke Lawrence followed with a successful two-point conversion run and C-S took an 8-0 lead into the second quarter.

The second quarter was filled with offense as the Panthers exploded for three touchdowns and Newberry added two.

Newberry sandwiched a four-yard touchdown run and a 62-yard kickoff return for a touchdown (the two-point conversion was good on a pass play) around a 66-yard burst by Bagwell (Logan Gilbert completed a pass to Luke Lawrence on the two-point conversion) to pull to within 16-14.

The Panthers were able to take the momentum into the halftime break however after Bagwell broke loose for a 79-yard scamper (Luke Lawrence ran in the two-point conversion), the defense stopped the Indians for an eight yard loss on a fourth and eight play, and Gilbert hooked up with Chase VanMiddlesworth for a 42-yard strike with 2:13 left in the second quarter (Bagwell scored on the two-point conversion). That gave C-S a 32-14 lead at halftime.

Lawrence, who finished with 79 yards on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns, capped a 62-yard, 10-play drive that took 4:02 with a one-yard touchdown run with 3:12 left in the third quarter. He followed with a two-point conversion run, giving the Panthers a 40-14 lead.

Newberry made the game interesting by scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:05 of the third quarter to pull to within 40-28 after three quarters when Matthew Rahilly scored on a one-yard touchdown run (the two-point conversion was no good) and again on a 68-yard touchdown run with 1:25 left in the third quarter (the two-point conversion was good).

The C-S defense made sure Newberry would not mount a come back and the offense provided some breathing room when Bagwell scored on a one-yard run (the two-point conversion was no good) with 8:33 left in the fourth quarter and Gilbert teamed up with Lawrence on an eight-yard pass play for a touchdown at the 5:29 mark of the fourth quarter (Bagwell ran in the two-point conversion).

C-S had a whopping 538-199 advantage in total yards. A big effort by the offensive line and hard running by C-S backs led to a 411-143 upper hand in rushing.

“Sam Bleeker, Ryan Pejakovich, Cole Birkam, Hunter LaSala, they all did a phenomenal job. The running backs ran hard. It was awesome. The offensive line definitely dominated today,” observed Langs.

Gilbert added 127 yards passing on 7-of-12 passing.

Lawrence added seven tackles and Chase VanMiddlesworth had four catches for 85 yards and one touchdown. He added seven tackles and one interception.
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C-S Coed Varsity Cross Country
A Look Ahead

9/25 SCAA Jamboree #1 At Pittsford TBD
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Long road trip to face U.P. team
brings special memories


By Bruce Rolfe

Climax-Scotts varsity football coach Tyler Langs has his own coaching style, however he embraces something his father, longtime Panther varsity football coach Kevin Langs has preached for years.

Kevin Langs, also a Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, has always wanted the season to be about creating good memories on and off the field.

Tyler Langs and some dedicated parents helped put that plan into action when the Panthers left Climax September 6 on a charter bus to Gaylord, where they faced Newberry the following day at Gaylord St. Mary’s.

The trip proved to be very memorable for the team, coaching staff, cheerleaders, families and friends. And C-S came away with a 54-28 win.

The team got the opportunity to watch some of Gaylord St. Mary’s 46-12 win over Central Lake and the Engadine against Mount Pleasant St. Sacred Heart game Friday night as part of a football extravaganza weekend hosted by Gaylord St. Mary’s. C-S stayed in a Holiday Inn Friday night, had a team breakfast the following morning, and hung out together at the hotel before departing for the game.

“We talked about that at the beginning of the game. We said no matter win or lose, we got to stay in the hotel, we got to be together, have breakfast, had an itinerary. I mean, it was a lot of fun. So the boys were hoping that’s a memory that they get to have for a long time. And it just makes it a little extra sweeter when you come out with a W (win),” said Tyler Langs.

“I want to say thanks to the Grid Iron Club, Matt Birkam, Steve Wurtzel. All those people who got it all that together so that our kids could have this trip and their families. So thankful for what they give. Like Tyler said, these will be things win or lose, victory or defeat that you’re going to talk about for a long, long time. So to give a kid a chance to have that memory outside of playing a game and then being blessed to win against a very good Newbury team. I mean, Newbury believes they’ve got a shot at being in the dome (8-man State Finals) in division two. So put that all together, a pretty special weekend. A nice job by Coach T. (Tyler Langs), because he’s part of that,” adds Kevin Langs.

The Hall of Fame coach adds C-S is the first Southwest Michigan school that has played four upper peninsula teams over the years, recalling C-S also defeated Crystal Falls Forest Park in the 2004 State Finals 42-8, Bark River Harris in 2016, 20-8 in Petoskey, and Iron Mountain North Dickinson, 32-20, also in Gaylord in 2008.

The coaching staff and players enjoyed playing an upper peninsula opponent, noting the Yoopers hit hard and compete.

“It’s a fun experience. It’s a team in sports that you normally would never get to play. And we love being able to do this and meet half way and just get a different type of ball, different type of kid, different type of coach. And so you get to play it and there’s some tough kids. The U.P. teams, the kids are not afraid to hit. So a lot of toughness there,” said Tyler Langs.

The over night experience staying in a hotel is something the players enjoyed also.

“The first time, staying overnight in a hotel with these teammates for football, it was a new experience, a fun experience. We watched a little bit of a game yesterday (the St. Mary’s-Central Lake game). The whole experience is just amazing. Being able to hang out with these guys, I would rather do nothing else. Play football with them, that’s the best one ever,” said C-S senior Logan Gilbert.

While C-S has faced three other upper peninsula teams over the years, Saturday’s game against Newberry was the first time Gilbert has faced a U.P. team.

“It was pretty fun. A pretty cool experience to come up here to Gaylord and play here. It was a pretty cool field, a pretty nice day. Nothing better,” adds the C-S senior.

Playing in northern Michigan
brings back memories for coach


By Bruce Rolfe

While an overnight trip to Gaylord September 6 followed by a game against Newberry at Gaylord St. Mary’s the following day was special for the Climax-Scotts varsity football team, cheerleaders and coaching staff, the trip brought back some good memories for C-S High School teacher and varsity assistant coach Josh Vick.

Vick, who grew up down the road in Atlanta, Michigan, about 35 minutes from Gaylord, said it was fun for him to watch C-S play in an area very familiar to him.

“It’s been great. I used to play against Gaylord St. Mary’s. So to be on their field was a pretty cool experience. I was telling the kids in my classroom, we would go to Gaylord on the weekends and get McDonald’s. It was kind of cool to be here,” said Vick, who graduated from Atlanta High School in 1999.

Vick said Atlanta played Gaylord St. Mary’s in football, basketball and baseball when he was in high school.

He said it was also fun for him to visit with his father, who still lives in the Atlanta area and drove over to watch the game against Newberry.

The veteran high school teacher said similar to the players, it was fun for him as a coach to stay in a hotel with the team and be a part of something different for the team.

“It was cool. It gives the kids kind of an experience like they were a college athlete. Not a lot of high school athletes get to do that,” adds Vick, who has taught at C-S High School 17 years.

The trip also brought a special opportunity for three members of the Climax-Scotts Sideline Cheer team.

C-S juniors Isabella Gates and Michaela Todd and freshman Madisyn Gross said they were asked before the game if they wanted to sing the National Anthem. The trio did an excellent job.