Wyandotte Rolls Over Carslon 23-0; Would Be League Champs with Win Next Week Against Allen Park

The Bears avoided getting trapped Friday night at Gibraltar Carlson and instead stayed undefeated with a 23-0 win.

Before kickoff of what was homecoming night in Gibraltar (4-3), Carlson supporters tried intimidating Roosevelt (7-0) by leaving a metal bear trap next to its sidelines.

Wyandotte head coach Ron Adams removed the trap, then unleashed his team on the Marauders, who quickly turned from predator to prey.

The weapon of choice for the Bears’ Friday night was the passing game, an aspect that has primarily taken a backseat this season to the rushing attack.

Roosevelt quickly went to the air on its first possession and junior quarterback Kevin Matejko looked sharp. Big completions to senior running back and junior receiver Devan Stewart helped the Bears move 65 yards down to the Gibraltar 8-yard line.

Unfortunately for Roosevelt, the drive ended with no points after a missed field goal by sophomore kicker Jacob Simpson.

Carlson was unable to take advantage, however, and was quickly stuffed by the Bears defense, which was the story of the night for the Gibraltar offense.

With the ball back in Roosevelt’s hands late in the quarter, Matejko connected with Stewart for a 27-yard pass that put Wyandotte at the Carlson 27-yard line.

Three plays later, Dunn caught a pass along the Marauders sideline and was immediately surrounded by Gibraltar defenders. The talented runner eluded several Marauders and emerged from a sea of blue jerseys to sprint 25 yards to pay dirt and give his team a 7-0 lead.

“I had good blocking all around,” Dunn said. “I ended up making a couple of cuts and I was in the end zone before I even realized it.”

The next Wyandotte score came in the middle of the second quarter when Matejko hit senior Edge Jelsemeno for a 39-yard touchdown. The score extended the Bears lead to 14-0.

Both teams were scoreless in the third quarter, but with about two minutes left Roosevelt began driving from deep in its own territory.

The first play of the fourth quarter was a 32-yard reception by Dunn that put the Bears at the Marauders 37-yard line. On the very next play, a delayed handoff to senior fooled the Gibraltar defense, allowing him to charge all the way to the Carlson 3-yard line.

Three plays later, Matejko scored from one yard out on a quarterback keeper. A blocked extra point left Wyandotte with a 20-0 lead with about nine minutes left in the game.

One last defensive stand by Roosevelt quickly put the ball back in the hands of the offense with about eight minutes to go.

After a Marauders punt, the Bears successfully ate up the clock and capped a time-consuming drive with a 35-yard field goal by Simpson at about the one-minute mark. 

Adams said the Bears came into Friday night’s game inspired to knock off the Marauders, a Downriver League rival which beat them 39-18 in 2009 at Marauder Stadium.

“They were motivated to play this game,” Adams said. “Our players came out and played at a high level.”

Game Leaders

Matejko was 11-18, throwing for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Dunn had four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Jelsemeno had two catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. Stewart had four catches for a total of 86 yards. The Bears’ rushing leader was Matt, who ran for 48 yards on eight attempts.

A Look Ahead

Wyandotte is back home next week to take on Allen Park (6-1), which beat Southgate 15-7 Friday night. A victory against the Jaguars would make Roosevelt the Downriver League champions for 2011.