Coming off a blowout win last week against Northwood, Wayne State faced its biggest game of the season against undefeated Grand Valley State. Before the fourth-largest crowd in Adams Field history, the Warriors looked in the beginning as if they would hand the Lakers their first loss this season, but Grand Valley’s offense would take over in the second half and go on to win, 24-10.
Wayne State (8-3, 7-3 GLIAC) looked sharp out of the gate as the Warriors offense marched down the field and capped off its first possession with running back Joique Bell’s 22-yard touchdown run straight up the middle. The Lakers responded by going 57 yards down the field, but on a fourth-and-7, running back James Berezik was stuffed by linebacker Raleigh Ross after just one yard. The Warriors drove right back down the field on the following drive but Bell was hit and fumbled the ball on the GVSU 21-yard line.
“I fumbled by the 20-yard line and I cannot do that,” Bell said. “I put that on my shoulders,”
Grand Valley (10-0, 10-0 GLIAC) drove 52 yards on the following possession, but quarterback Brad Iciek's fourth down pass was broken up by Ross, and the Warriors took over on downs.
“I felt good about our defense,” coach Paul Winters said. “I thought they played extremely well.
GVSU’s lone first-half score came on a Todd Carter 20-yard field goal with 14 seconds left before halftime.
In the second half, Grand Valley State punted on its first possession and the Warriors took the ball 66 yards down the field before David Chudzinski kicked a 21-yard field goal, extending Wayne State’s lead to 10-3.
But after that, it was all Lakers. James Berezik capped a 73-yard drive by scoring on a 1-yard run to tie the score at 10.
After a Warrior punt, the Lakers had a 10-play drive for a 19-yard touchdown pass from Iciek to Jonn Mathews on a fourth-and-1.
The next Warrior drive ended with a punt, but Mathews fumbled the kick and freshman Myles McNichols recovered at the GVSU 41-yard line. Three plays lost three yards and WSU was forced to punt again. Grand Valley then put an exclamation point on their victory with a 14-play, 80-yard drive, ending with a 5-yard touchdown run by Berezik.
With the loss, it is unlikely that the Warriors will sneak into the playoffs. But if they do finish inside the top 6, the team said it will be more than ready to go.
“If they are stupid enough to let us in the playoffs we will do some damage,” Winters said. “Hope fully they will be stupid enough to let us in the playoffs. If we get one more week then we will get another.”
Playoff teams will be announced at 3 p.m. on Sunday on ESPNews.
