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Owls flying high

Oscoda gets revenge, blows out Alcona

News Photo by Jonny Zawacki Oscoda quarterback Brayden Mallak (3) scrambles for a first down during a North Star League football game at Alcona High School. Mallak found the end zone four times, twice through the air, once on the ground and also ran a kickoff back 81 yards for a score in Oscoda’s 55-8 win over Alcona.

LINCOLN — In the last three meetings between North Star League rivals Alcona and Oscoda, the Tigers have come out on top and scored points at a premium, averaging 55 points in their three game winning streak against the Owls.

On Thursday, the rivalry took a huge turn as Oscoda got revenge and dominated Alcona. The Owls put up 55 points of their own in a 55-8 shellacking in the North Star League opener for both teams at Alcona High School.

“It was a big win for us tonight. After dropping our first game of the season, we came back really tough last week and we needed a big week and we got one,” Oscoda coach Mark Whitley said. “We played well offensively and played really well defensively. We needed to win one against Alcona and I was glad we scored a bunch tonight and glad the kids stood up and played.”

The Owls wasted no time putting points on the board and displayed their aerial attack and fast paced, no huddle offense. Oscoda needed just five plays to find the end zone on its opening drive. The Owls pulled off some trickery as Owen Franklin took a handoff from quarterback Brayden Mallak and threw a strike to Andrew Dault for a 25-yard score.

Franklin hauled in a 30 yard catch from Mallak on the game’s first play and it was just the beginning of Oscoda’s offensive show.

The Owls forced Alcona to punt on its first four possessions as the defense was stout all night.

Oscoda scored two more times in the quarter as Mallak connected with Franklin for a 31-yard touchdown on the Owls’ second drive. Mallak was far from done in this one as he made up for an interception in the red zone and scampered in to the end zone from seven yards out to put Oscoda up 21-0 after one quarter.

“I want to tip my hat to offensive coordinator Dean Caldwell. He has done a heck of a job. He’s called great plays and put us in positions to score from anywhere on the field and we’re pretty dangerous,” Whitley said. “I give Dean a lot of credit and of course the kids because they are the ones making the plays, blocking up front and doing our jobs.”

The Owls went up by four scores and found pay dirt on their first possession of the second quarter when Franklin rumbled in from seven yards out.

Trailing 28-0, Alcona put together a 12 play drive that resulted in a 14-yard touchdown run from Mason Clark.

Clark finished the game with the Tigers’ lone touchdown and ran for 55 yards on 13 carries. Ethan Long rushed ten times for 53 yards. Defensively, Clark led the team with 11 tackles. Damion Stewart added eight tackles and Jacob Sytek had an interception.

“I thought our kids played well. We got dinged a little bit, Oscoda has a nice club and hats off to them. I thought our kids adapted well and we’re playing a bunch of young guys and they’re learning on the fly and we got better than we were last week so that was a positive and we’re just going to continue to grow from here,” Alcona coach Jason Somers said. “We had some opportunities this week to get into situations we don’t typically get into and we executed pretty well and that’s the bright spot in a loss like this. Our kids will continue to grow, continue to get better and we will coach the heck out of them.”

Any momentum that the home team gained was quickly erased when Mallak took the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown for his third score of the game. Oscoda made a stand at the goal line before the half and the Owls took a 34-8 lead into the break.

Mallak threw his second touchdown of the night early in the third quarter when he dropped a dime into the arms of receiver Nathan Moeller for a 55 yard score.

Mallak finished the night five of six passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball seven times for 72 yards and a score.

“It’s nice to have such a talented offensive. We have so many options with our offensive line and we can do whatever we want up front. We have two quarterbacks who can throw it deep and short and we have kids who can run the ball,” Whitley said. “I just think when we put the machine together, we’re pretty potent.”

Oscoda’s added two more scores in the fourth quarter as Dault ran 27 yards for a touchdown and Tyler Sivrais powered his way in from a yard out.

Dault finished the game with 71 yards on eight carries and a score. Franklin threw a 25 yard touchdown, ran for a seven yard score, added 61 yards receiver and collected 23 yards on the ground.

The Owls improve to 2-1 on the year and will host Mio next Friday on Oscoda’s Hall of Fame night.

Alcona begins the season 0-3 for the first time since 2002 and the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Tigers as they host Sault Ste. Marie next Friday.

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