Hawks dominate for first win

LIBERTY CITY — Two 0-4 football teams met Friday night in Class A, District 6 action. The Hawks were much better than the Warhawks.

Lynnville-Sully’s Hawks doubled their offensive scoring output for the first four games of the 2013 season. They rolled up a 77-14 win over host Southeast Warren.

The Hawks were dominant on both sides of the football.

Senior running back Melieck Meyer had a breakout game. Meyer scored three touchdowns for the Hawks. He rushed for 128 yards on eight carries. One of his touchdowns came on a 54-yard run.

Eleven players carried the football for the Hawks. They amassed 412 yards rushing in the game. Sophomore Sage Ehresman was 3-of-3 passing for 87 yards — two of those passes were for touchdowns.

Senior Zack Kaldenberg led the Hawk defense with four solo tackles and four assisted tackles. Lynnville-Sully’s defense held the Warhawks scoreless for three quarters. The Hawks led 57-0 at halftime and 63-0 after three quarters.

In a 42-point first quarter, Lynnville-Sully scored at will, including two punt returns for touchdowns by Bailee Samson and Caden Dunsbergen.

“We got through that four-game stretch. The kids kept working and had the right mind set. They never quit,” said Mike Parkinson, Lynnville-Sully head coach. “We saw Friday night what we can do — how explosive we can be on offense. I love the attitude our guys bring to the field, both at practice and in games.”

Parkinson said he expects those attitudes to be buoyed by the big win, as the Hawks prepare for this Friday’s Lynnville-Sully homecoming game against Pleasantville in Sully. The Hawks are 1-2 in Class A, District 6 play, 1-4 overall.

“The Pleasantville game is a big one for us. It’s homecoming and it’s another district game,” Parkinson said.

The Hawks moved Ehresman to quarterback and senior Brandon Dunsbergen to receiver. Meyer used his speed and quickness as a change-of-pace running back to fellow seniors Samson and Caden Doll out of the Hawk backfield.

Doll finished with 66 yards on six carries and Samson had 49 yards on three carries. Doll scored two rushing touchdowns. Samson caught two touchdown passes, plus had the punt return for a score.

Ehresman rushed for a touchdown as did Caden Dunsbergen. T.J. Cunningham, a senior, had one catch for six yards.

“Our first unit defense was only in together for a couple of series. We were able to play a lot of younger guys in Friday’s game. They stepped up and did a solid job on both sides of the football,” Parkinson said.

Doll, Samson, and Daniel Zimmerman each scored a two-point conversion for the Hawks. Noah Engle kicked five extra points.

Doll recorded three solo tackles and three assisted tackles, while Payton Scandridge made three solo stops and five assisted tackles. Caden Dunsbergen had three solo stops and six assisted tackles, and Noah Zylstra had two solo tackles and four assisted tackles. Blake Wehrle set up a touchdown with a fumble recovery and return. Erhresman recovered a fumble.