Spate, Hewitt go off for Boyne City football in first victory Thursday
ELK RAPIDS — Boyne City head coach Dave Suttle knows what kind of football team he’s got.
He saw it when it was a close 14-12 matchup with Standish-Sterling in the opener – until things got away late – and he certainly saw it Thursday night when his Ramblers traveled to Elk Rapids and picked up win No. 1 of the season with a 48-6 final.
“Our kids have played really well,” Suttle said. “The Standish game was a game where we just made some mental mistakes. It was a 14-12 game into the fourth. They played pretty well. And the important thing is, regardless of who your opponent is, cleaning those up the following week. Our kids are getting to the right spots.”
The Ramblers padded up on a Thursday night due to an officials shortage, with Elk Rapids struggling to find officials to handle the varsity. So, it became a Thursday night doubleheader with the JV.
Regardless of when it was going to be played, the Ramblers were going to come out ready and a 21-6 lead after the opener quarter showed that.
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Spate leads the way
It was pretty well known that Boyne City senior Ryan Spate was going to be able to handle much of the load for the Ramblers this season.
He’s done nothing but prove that this season.
Spate came through with 152 yards on just 12 carries and two touchdowns Thursday, adding eight tackles, three for a loss defensively, he had a 56-yard punt return touchdown, went 6 of 6 on extra point tries, oh, and he kicked off eight times with a pair of touchbacks.
It was a game Suttle felt like Spate and the other offensive playmakers could find success in.
“Schematically their defense, in my opinion, has struggled to be effective against our offense,” he said. “It does allow Ryan and our tailbacks to have big games. They have for a long time.”
Owen Hewitt also had seven carries for 49 yards, then three catches for 50 yards and a score. He also led with nine tackles and an interception on defense.
Ben Stanek had a 92-yard punt return score and added a touchdown on the ground. Drew Neer went 6 of 7 passing for 86 yards and two touchdowns, another going to Hyker McKinney from 17 yards out.
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The big one ahead
With the first win of the season out of the way, Boyne City (1-1) will now put all of its focus into a rivalry matchup with Charlevoix in Week 3. The Ramblers will also be home for the first time, in their biggest game of the season.
It’s the kind of rivalry that was instantly on the minds of Rambler players once Thursday night came to a close.
“For sure,” Suttle added. “I think the clock struck zero last night and they were already talking about how next Friday is going to be and how excited they were.”
Charlevoix will visit Boyne at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 13.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Boyne City football gets first victory of 2024
