By Bruce Rolfe

The Climax-Scotts varsity football team enjoyed moments of strong play on the offensive side of the football, another strong second half defensively, and one incredibly unselfish play near the end of the game in a 36-26 win over Britton Deerfield September 3 at C-S Jr./Sr. High School in the home opener.

The 2-0 Panthers battled through a first half when the team was penalized eight times for 40 yards and trailed 6-0 after one quarter.

But the pattern of staying focused and coming through with strong defense in the second half emerged again for C-S.

The Panthers were coming off a short week of practice playing on a Thursday night and faced a handful days of extreme heat that forced the team to alter its routine slightly.

“We were moved inside for a couple days, and that can really cause a bit of a hiccup. But you know, just like tonight when we got into the game, those kids overcame it all week,” said first year Panther coach Justin Kirinovic.

A new quality that drew heavy praise from Kirinovic surfaced late in the fourth quarter when senior Elijah Bowron thought about his team more then personal accolades to ensure his team secured the win.  

With a 36-26 lead and 2:22 left in the game and C-S taking over possession on the Patriot 35-yard line, Bowron found a gap and could have scored a touchdown. But the Panther senior  alertly fell to the ground at the Patriot two-yard line to keep the clock moving and allow the offense to run out the clock instead of scoring and giving Britton Deerfield an opportunity for a quick score and a chance to recover an onside kick for a last gasp try at tying the game.

“You know, that move by Eli was probably one of the smartest moves I’ve seen by a high school football player before. We talk a lot about family with our team, our team’s a family. He easily could have walked in for another touchdown there. But the family needed him to go down, so that way we could just knee out the clock, and he did exactly that. It shows senior leadership, it shows that he’s all about the family, all about his brothers. It was a great win for him,” said Kirinovic.

Britton Deerfield opened the scoring with a 42-yard touchdown pass play (the two-point conversion failed) from quarterback Cayden Allshouse to John Johnson for a 6-0 lead after one quarter, however the Panthers started to find a rhythm in the second quarter.

Senior Maddox Wyman followed an Alex Wurtzel to Dane Sattler 23-yard pass play that put the Panthers on the Patriot 10-yard line near the end of the first quarter, with a 10-yard touchdown run six seconds into the second quarter to knot the score at 6-6. Sattler caught the two-point conversion pass, giving C-S an 8-6 lead.

Britton Deerfield responded with a 52-yard, eight play drive capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Carson Roe with 7:42 left in the first half. A successful two-point conversion on a pass gave the visitors a 14-8 lead.

A nice pass from quarterback Alex Wurtzel to an open Elijah Bowron that covered 51 yards with just over six minutes left in the first half tied the game at 14-14 (the two-point conversion attempt failed).

Britton Deerfield took some momentum into the lockerroom at halftime after Cayden Allshouse hooked up with Johnson on a touchdown strike covering 11 yards with 12.7 seconds left in the second quarter that gave the visitors a 20-14 halftime lead after the two-point conversion was no good.

Similar to the season opener at Concord when the Panther defense held the Yellowjackets to just six second half points, the C-S defense stiffened in the second half again, holding the Patriots to six points over the final two quarters.

It didn’t take long for the Panther offense to find the endzone as Alex Wurtzel followed a two-yard pick up by Bowron on the first play from scrimmage with a 51-yard touchdown run just 38 seconds into the third quarter. Dane Sattler ran in the two-point conversion, giving C-S a 22-20 lead.

The Panther defense held the visitors to just four yards on the Patriots’ next possession and the home team had the ball back.

Alex Wurtzel completed a pass to Maddox Wyman covering 10 yards and then nudged ahead on a fourth and short to keep a drive alive.

The Panther junior quarterback kept the drive alive again moments later on a fourth and one play with a two-yard pickup and four plays later he responded again by picking up a first down on a fourth and one play with a one-yard pickup to keep the drive alive that gave his team the ball on the Patriot 13-yard line.

A penalty on Britton Deerfield moved the Panthers to the Patriot six-yard line and Wurtzel finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown run with 1:58 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion attempt was no good, but C-S entered the fourth quarter with a 28-20 lead.

The Patriots, who were aided by a pass interference penalty on C-S, responded by moving the ball 64 yards in 10 plays in a span of five minutes to pull to within 28-26 with 9:55 left in the game. The Patriot touchdown came on an Allshouse to Johnson pass play that covered 19 yards. Britton Deerfield could not come through on the important two-point conversion attempt on a pass play and C-S maintained a 28-26 lead.

The visitors attempted an onside kick however C-S recovered the short kick on its own 47-yard line for good field position.

The Panther offense moved down to the Patriot 31-yard line, however the Britton Deerfield defense stopped the home team on a fourth and two play, giving the offense another shot to take the lead.

Allshouse went to the sidelines earlier in the quarter with an injury, leaving the quarterback duties to junior Chase Stetler.

He attempted four straight passes that fell incomplete and the Panthers took over possession on the Britton Deerfield 27-yard line with 4:16 left in the game.

Bowron gave his teammates some breathing room when he scored on the third play from scrimmage on a 27-yard run with 2:39 left in the game. Wurtzel teamed up with Bowron on the two-point conversion for a 36-26 C-S lead.

Four straight incomplete passes by Britton Deerfield gave C-S the ball on the Patriot 35-yard line with 2:22 left.

Bowron ‘s long run and alert move by taking a knee at the Patriot two-yard line allowed C-S to run out the clock.

Team and individual statistics from the game were not available.

The Climax-Scotts varsity volleyball team defeated Burr Oak in three games on the road September 1 (25-11, 25-10, and 25-7).

The team had a total of 23 aces on the night with Lucy Schultz contributing 7 of those. Schultz also led C-S in digs with 12. 

Kendal Reitz was one of the top contributors with 7 kills and 4 aces while playing solid defense with 6 digs.

Olivia Bolt was leading scorer, with 9 kills and 3 aces and contributed 5 digs.

Alessandra Pontoni had 23 assists and 1 ace. 

C-S Def. Burr Oak 25-11, 25-10, 25-7
C-S Stat Leaders
Kills: Olivia Bolt 9, Kendal Reitz 7
Digs: Lucy Schultz 12, Kendal Reitz 6, Olivia Bolt 5
Aces: Lucy Schultz 7, Kendal Reitz 4, Olivia Bolt 3. Alessandra Pontoni 1
Assists: Alessandra Pontoni 23

2026 C-S Girls JV/Varsity Volleyball
A Look Ahead ...
9/12 Panther Inv. (Var.) Home 8:30 a.m.
9/17 Hillsdale Academy (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.
9/22 Bellevue (JV/Var.) Away 5:30 p.m.

Climax-Scotts Community Schools is proud to announce Tim Bell as the new Assistant Softball Coach for the Panthers softball program.

Coach Bell brings more than 30 years of coaching experience across multiple sports, working with athletes from Little League through the high school level. His extensive background in education, athletics, and leadership will provide valuable support as he joins Varsity Softball Coach Jennifer Selby in developing Panther student-athletes.

Bell retired from Gull Lake Community Schools in 2023 after 21 years as a physical education teacher, serving students from Young Fives through fifth grade. His dedication to student growth and community partnerships was recognized with the Partners in Education Teacher Award during the 2022-23 school year.

A graduate of Western Michigan University, Bell earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Physical Education and a coaching emphasis, along with a minor in Communications. His career has centered on helping young people build skills, confidence, teamwork, and lifelong healthy habits.

Bell also brings significant organizational and leadership experience from nine years in the staffing industry, where he served in contracts, recruiting, and branch-management roles. That experience, combined with his work as an educator and coach, has strengthened his ability to communicate, build relationships, and support a positive team culture.

Panther families may also recognize Bell from his service as Climax-Scotts Community Schools’ Interim Athletic Director during the spring of 2026. In that role, he provided leadership and support to district coaches and student-athletes during a busy spring season, gaining valuable familiarity with the Panther athletic community.

As Assistant Softball Coach, Bell will work alongside Coach Selby to emphasize strong fundamentals, individual player development, accountability, teamwork, and a positive environment in which every student-athlete feels valued and supported.

Climax-Scotts administration is excited to welcome Coach Bell to the softball program. His decades of experience, commitment to students, and familiarity with Panther athletics make him an excellent addition to the coaching staff.

Please join Climax-Scotts Community Schools in congratulating Coach Bell on his new role and wishing him, Coach Selby, and the Panthers softball program continued success.

C-S High School Cross Country Schedule
A Look Ahead ...
9/12 Centreville Inv. (High School) Away  TBD
9/16 Pittsford (High school) Away 5 p.m.
9/30 Athens Away 5 p.m.

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