FeedsFord Field bound
Vikings win semifinal shootout
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Inkster junior quarterback Aaron Shavers (above) threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns to help his Vikings beat Montague, 53-34, in a Division 6 state semi final showdown at Olivet College on Saturday. Photo by Carl BrownIt took more than 600 yards and seven touchdowns to do it, but the mighty Inkster Vikings did it.
They beat Montague High School, 53-34, in a Division 6 semifinal at Olivet College on Saturday and are now bound for Ford Field with a chance at their first-ever State Championship.
Inkster (12-1) will have the chance to hoist the state championship hardware when they face off against Saginaw Nouvel (11-0), the No.1 ranked team in Division 6, at 4:30 pm on Friday.
For a team that relies heavily on its experienced defense—one that has held opponents to single digits throughout the post season—Inkster had to change gears and ride on the back of its offense on Saturday.
“It was a war,” said Inkster Coach Greg Carter, who’s looking for his fifth state title after winning four as head coach of the Detroit St. Martin de Porress. “The kids played solid but the defense struggled in the second half. I knew Montague was good, but I didn’t think we would give up 34 points. The offense pulled us through.”
What the Vikings didn’t accomplish on the ground they got done through the air.
Between senior running backs Tim Hogue and Anre’ Goree and junior quarterback Aaron Shavers, Inkster racked up 300 yards with a ground assault.
Goree earned the most yards in the ground attack. He pulled together 165 on 24 attempts and scored twice.
He plunged in from the oneyard line on Inkster’s first possession to knot the game, 7-7. Then in the third he was the sole carrier on the team’s three-play 56-yard drive. He capped off the quick drive with a five-yard jaunt into the end zone, making it a 40-20 game. The performance put him at 19 rushing touchdowns for the season.
The Goree show didn’t stop there. He opened up the second half with an 85-yard kickoff return score for a 21-7 lead. He also had a key interception on the Viking 7 that would have brought Montague within six points with about six minutes left to play.
“The interception was key,” Carter said. “Montague had gotten the ball on an onside kick and if they would have scored they probably would have tried another onside kick to go for the win. That was an important point in the game.”
Hogue, recovering from a shoulder injury against Olivet last week, managed 57 yards on nine carries and two scores, boosting his touchdown total to 20 for the year. He scored from 11 yards out at 5:19 of the second frame—the only score of the quarter—to put his team up 14-7 and again from nine yards at 6:54 of the third to give the Vikings a 33-14 edge. He also caught one pass for 12 yards.
Shavers finished off the scoring on a 22-yard option with about two minutes to play. He was spectacular through the air, completing 11 of 17 for 306 yards and two scores.
He connected with junior wide out Renty Rollins on a fade route for a 60-yard score at 9:27 of the third. They hooked up again at 11:49 of the fourth for a 62-yard scoring play for Inkster to take a 46-27 advantage. Rollins finished with six snags for 183 yards.
Junior receiver Derrick Coker had another outstanding game, catching three passes for 105.
Inkster will have one less day and Thanksgiving to practice around before heading to the big turf at Ford Field. Even so, the emotions and excitement are sure to run high on Friday.
“The Inkster kids are excited because they have never been there before,” Carter said. “The kids that came over from de Porress with me are excited because a lot of people doubted their choice to go to Inkster and they have a chance to prove them wrong.”
