It’s early in the season, so Climax-Scotts varsity volleyball coach Angela Gilbert is prepared to see the mixture of stretches when her team plays well but also has segments when there may need to be a little more focus.

The Lady Panthers enjoyed many more positive stretches then bad stretches September 4 in a three-game win over a young Burr Oak team at C-S Jr./Sr. High School, 25-5, 25-15, 25-13.

The Lady Panthers, now 7-1-2, moved in front early to nab wide margin leads in all three games. C-S pulled in front 14-2 and 18-4 in the first game, 11-5 in the second game and 10-4 in the third game.

Strong passing set up many attack attempts, especially in the first two games.

Court awareness and recognizing where the gaps on the floor were on their opponent’s side led to good ball placement the first two games.

Gilbert felt those two areas were driven by good communication.

“They’ve done a fabulous job of talking to each other and letting each other know where the plays are at to make them. They’re talking before each of the plays, and then they talk after each play. Be like, next time, go here. The spot’s open and stuff like that. The communication piece is what’s helping tremendously,” points out the Lady Panther coach.

However, such as the case often is in volleyball, when a team wins the first two games and gets off to a good start in the third game, focus can become a problem, which Gilbert saw creep in at times in the third set. However, overall, the team stuck to a team concept, recognizing every point is important. The team did do a good job limiting Burr Oak’s runs to more then two points just twice in the third set when the Bobcats had a pair of 3-0 mini runs late.

“When you get to a spread, sometimes it’s hard to keep that energy level up. So we always try to, especially in practices, we try not to go more than two in a row. But, you know, volleyball’s, volleyball and anything can happen at any point and time,” said Gilbert.

Sophie Braithwaite led the team with 12 kills, Holly Talbert and Mackenzie Vincent each had eight kills and Addy Reeves added six.

Ashlynn Gilbert had 31 assists, Reeves had a team high five aces, Vincent contributed five blocks and pitched in with 12 digs.

C-S will host the Panther Invite September 13 at 8:30 a.m.
C-S Def. Burr Oak, 25-4, 25-15, 25-13
C-S Stat Leaders
Total kills: 34 - Braithwaite 12, Talbert & Vincent each 8, Reeves 6
Total Assists: 32 - Gilbert 31, Ona Newland 1
Total Aces: 13 - Reeves 5, Talbert 3, Gilbert & Braithwaite each 2, Reitz 1
Total Blocks: 6 - Vincent 5, Reeves 1.5, Reitz .5
Total Digs: 42 - Talbert 12, Gilbert 8, Braithwaite & j.Carillo each 6, Reitz 4, Reeves & M.Carillo each 3, Newland 1

2025-2026 Volleyball (Varsity)
Sep 13: Panther Invite Home 8:30 a.m.
Sep 23: Bellevue Home 7 p.m.

2025-2026 Volleyball (JV)
Sep 23: Bellevue Home 5:30 p.m.

By Bruce Rolfe

After starting the season with two straight road games, the Climax-Scotts varsity football team is looking forward to four consecutive home games, starting with a home clash September 12 against Adrian Lenawee Christian at 7 p.m.

C-S will enter the game with momentum after registering a 41-13 win over Potterville September 5.

Execution on both sides of the ball helped the Panthers to the win over Potterville.

The defense forced three turnovers, held Potterville to just five first downs, 21 yards rushing and ended a handful of drives by holding the home team on fourth down plays.

The offense flourished too, finishing with 542 total yards offensively on 459 yards rushing and 83 more yards through the air.

Potterville yielded over 40 points for the second straight game (42-0 loss to Capac in week one.

C-S, now 1-1, started the game strong, scoring on a 11-yard run by Liam LaSala to the right side of the endzone with 9:07 left in the opening frame. LaSala ran in the two-point conversion and the Panthers had a quick 8-0 lead.

Quarterback Maddox Wyman’s 26-yard pickup two plays earlier pushed the Panthers deep into Potterville territory.

The Vikings, who were stopped by the C-S defense on their previous possession on a fourth down play, found success on their next drive, scoring on a fourth and three play on a 14-yard over the middle pass with 3:24 left in the first quarter.

The extra point kick was good, pulling the Vikings to within 8-7 after one quarter.

C-S bridged the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter with long pickups on the ground, capping the 80-yard scoring drive with a 14-yard touchdown run by Liam LaSala with 8:43 left in the first quarter. Cooper Dinse, Hunter LaSala and Aaden Krick provided key blocks on the run, giving Lasala a nice opening.

C-S scored on the two-point conversion on an Alex Wurtzel to Hunter LaSala pass in the left side of the endzone, giving the Panthers a 16-7 lead.

On a fourth and four from its own 41-yard line, the Vikings completed a pass to the C-S 33-yard line, keeping a drive alive.

The Panther defense stopped another Potterville fourth down attempt from the C-S 34-yard line, taking over at its own 28-yard line late in the second quarter.

A 25-yard pickup on a Wyman to Hunter LaSala pass put the Panthers on the Viking 22-yard line.

Liam LaSala crossed the goal line from the two-yard line, and then Dane Sattler scored on the two-point conversion, giving the visitors a 24-7 lead with 2:42 left in the first half.

A pass that bounced out of the Potterville receiver’s hands was caught by an alert Eli Bowron before the ball hit the ground and C-S enjoyed one more scoring drive late in the second quarter.

Starting at its own 43-yard line, the Panthers, sparked by a 14-yard pickup on a Wyman to Hunter LaSala pass that put the visitors on the Potterville 33-yard line, were thinking of a late scoring drive.

A 15-yard run by Bowron put C-S on the Viking 18 yard line, followed by a short four-yard pass from Wyman to Hunter LaSala and a four-yard run by Bowron to the Viking 20-yard line. However with the clock winding down the Panthers settled for a 37-yard field goal by Liam LaSala with six seconds left for a 27-7 lead at halftime.

While the defense stood tall most of the second half including another fourth down stop in the third quarter, the offense executed two more times.

Starting on its own 15-yard line, C-S used its ground game to control the clock and drive down to the Potterville 1-yard line, where Liam LaSala completed the 85-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge for his fourth touchdown of the night at the 5:47 mark. A Wyman to Hunter LaSala pass tacked on two more points and the Panthers enjoyed a 35-7 lead after three quarters.

Potterville moved to the C-S 14-yard line, but Wyman ended the threat when he stepped in front of a pass on the goal line for an interception.

An eight-yard touchdown run by Bowron capped the C-S scoring (the two point conversion was no good).

Potterville completed the scoring with a 84-yard touchdown return (the extra point kick attempt was no good).

An 85-yard touchdown run by Bowron on the ensuing kickoff was called back by a penalty on C-S, however the Panthers walked off the field with a hard earned 41-13 win.

Potterville’s offense came primarily through the air where the home team totaled 145 yards. The Vikings added 21 more yards rushing.

Besides scoring four touchdowns, Liam LaSala ran for 130 yards on 18 carries and added the 37-yard field goal. 

Elijah Bowron had 126 yards on 18 carries to go with two tackles and one interception.

Quarterback Maddox Wyman had six carries for 77 yards and completed six-of-nine passes for 66 yards.

Hunter LaSala had three catches for 44 yards.

C-S Varsity Football
A Look Ahead ...
Sep 12: Lenawee Christian Home 7 p.m.
September 19 Colon Home 7 p.m.

C-S JV Football
A Look Ahead ...
Sep 29: Concord Home 6 p.m.

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