Central eyeing regional title against Eisenhower on Friday

Last week, Walled Lake Central faced an opponent from the tough Oakland Activities Association (OAA) Red Division on the road for a second straight game and not only came away with a victory, but also a district playoff championship.

The Vikings defeated the Clarkston Wolves, 45-26, in a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 1 district final on Friday, Nov. 4.

The victory earned Central (8-3) its second-straight district title after it won a Division 2 district crown last season.

“Our boys came out very focused and played their best football of the season,” said Central Head Coach Robert Meyer. “Playing football in November isn’t good enough for us.”

Central will next look to win its second-straight regional championship when it travels to face Utica Eisenhower (10-1) in a Division 1 regional final on Friday, Nov. 11.

Heading into their game against Clarkston (7-4) last Friday, the Vikings were coming off a victory over defending Division 1 state champion Lake Orion in the pre-district round.

Meyer was absent from most of the team’s practices this past week due to the passing of his mother.

“I told the staff I was going to be relying heavily on the assistant coaches and they said, ‘Don’t worry, we got it,’” Meyer said. “We’re not a football team, we’re a football family.”

The Vikings rallied around their coach, took the field and grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by K.J. Schultz.

In the second quarter, Curtis Booth scored on a 9-yard touchdown run for Central before quarterback Zac Leimbach added a 1-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 Vikings’ lead.

Mitch Baenzinger then put the Wolves on the board with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Mike Schwartz. The extra point was missed.

But a 35-yard field goal by Bryan Maxwell gave the Vikings a 24-6 halftime lead.

Central’s defense then made its presence felt in the third quarter when Zach Percha forced a fumble by Baenziger, which was then scooped up by Zach Hill and taken back 20 yards for a touchdown.

Baenziger responded with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Schwartz, but the Wolves again missed the extra point and trailed 31-12 at the end of the third quarter.

Schultz scored his second touchdown on a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter before Baenziger followed with a 25-yard touchdown run.

Booth scored his second touchdown on a 25-yard run before Baenziger concluded the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Joey Goss.

Schultz finished with 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 12 carries as well as 4 receptions for 100 yards.

Booth had 19 carries for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns while Leimbach completed 6-of-7 passes for 114 yards. Leimbach also rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

“I thought we caught Clarkston a little banged-up,” Meyer said. “The triple-option isn’t something they’ve seen before.”

The Vikings will now prepare for Eisenhower, which posted its fourth consecutive shutout in a 13-0 victory over Romeo last week in a district final.

Last season, the Eagles fell in a Division 1 regional final, 17-10, to Lake Orion.

“The Eisenhower defense is phenomenal,” Meyer said. “They’re very athletic and we’ll have our work cut out for us. But if we have alignment, assignment and execution, we should be OK. We’re looking forward to playing Eisenhower and marching towards gaining more respect.”