Forty two years and two hours.

That’s how long Cardinal Mooney volleyball coach Dennis Caulfield and his wife, Patricia, were married until last October – the hardest moment of Caulfield’s life. Patricia passed away just after their anniversary and her battle against pancreatic cancer, rocking the Caulfield and Cardinal Mooney volleyball family.

Patricia passed in the middle of the volleyball season, but Caulfield couldn’t walk away from the rest of the season. That’s not him. After a decade of coaching at Mooney, it’s just what kept him going through each day.

Cardinal Mooney coach Dennis Caulfield claps hands with players after they beat Regina in a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

“These parents and those girls helped me get through one of the darkest times of my life,” Caulfield said, with “Patty” printed on his purple shirt. “They were an inspiration to me and always kept in contact even when I took three or four weeks off.”

One year later, the dark days turned purple right inside of Cardinal Mooney. Parents, players, opponents and the Marine City community came together to make Wednesday’s game against Regina a Purple Out to raise money and awareness for pancreatic cancer research.

“With this being such a deadly cancer, it’s usually caught too late because there is no testing,” Caulfield said before the match. “Maybe we can help somebody save somebody tonight.”

Mooney didn’t just raise awareness, but they also won their match 3-1 (25-15, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22) to improve to 26-7-3 overall.

It’s hard to figure out who appreciates who more – Caulfield loves his team and the players and parents would do just about anything for him. Last year when the team was up north winning their Mackinaw Island tournament, they would send videos back to Patricia. To the players, that whole season was for her.

Even after her battle ended, she was still in every Cardinals heart.

“Every time we step out on the court to play the game we love, we don’t just play for each other or coach,” senior Calista Chaltron said in a speech to the purple-covered crowd before the match. “We still play for Mrs. Caulfield … so no matter where Pat is in heaven and no matter where any of us end up, we will always have her in our hearts.”

Ironically enough, the night was also personal for Regina junior setter Alex Wilke, whose grandmother is fighting pancreatic cancer today. Once Wilke’s mom, Denise, caught wind of what Mooney was planning she helped as much as she could leading up to the event, even helping set up the gym throughout the day.

“It really hits home, my grandmother has been struggling with it,” Wilke said. “(Volleyball has helped) in all aspects of stress.”

Admittedly, when the idea of a Purple Out came to Caulfield, he wasn’t really sold on it. Having attention toward himself just isn’t his thing, but with persistent parents pushing and pushing, he eventually gave in.

“I was humbled by it, and kind of apprehensive,” Caulfield said with a smile. “I don’t like any attention to come to me and the family, but the parents were insisting that we do it, and I’m gracious they did.”

The night had speeches, raffles, donations, pamphlets on pancreatic cancer awareness and a gym wall crammed with purple ribbons. Oh yeah, and it also had that volleyball match between two teams wearing purple jerseys.

“Honestly, at school it’s all we could think about,” Chaltron said. “It’s an exciting event, we get so pumped up for it. We know everyone is going to come out for it, but we like that pressure.”

It was big, but that’s what happens when Caulfield and his family is included in an event. For every ounce of love and support Caulfield, his wife and his family has for the volleyball team, the Mooney family has just as much, if not more, to give.

“That’s the biggest thing – so many of the parents and kids are supportive and would do anything with my dad” Caulfield’s daughter, Jennifer Jarchow said. “But he has this way of making small things into something big.”

Pancreatic cancer symptoms

Upper abdominal pain that may radiate to your back

Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

Loss of appetite

Weight loss

Depression

Blood clots

Cardinal Mooney coach Dennis Caulfield claps hands with players after they beat Regina in a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney players celebrate beating Regina in a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney coach Dennis Caulfield talks with players in a huddle during a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney senior Calista Chaltron looks up during the National Anthem during a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney freshman Jenna Stoldt spikes the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney junior Anna Vorderbrueggen tips the ball over the net during a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney junior Abbey Guilliat bumps the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Alognac’s Mogan Beadlescomb runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

ALGOANC It was a great day to be a Saint.

St. Clair high school had a dominant showing Friday at the Division 2 regional finals at Algonac High School.

The St. Clair boys were the overall winner by a wide margin with 33 points. Yale was second in the race with 80 points and Croswell-Lexington also qualified after finishing third with 90 points. Seven St. Clair  runners finished among the top 15 in the race.

But none beat Morgan Beadlescomb of Algonac, who was first at 15 minutes, 13 seconds. Beadlescomb’s time set a new course record, besting that of former Saint Addis Habtewold.

“He ran amazing,” Algonac coach Dan Shafer said. “Right now he is ranked No. 1 in the state (14:58.7). He is running great. Earlier in his career he always seemed to have an injury and we were really cautious with him. This year, we threw caution to the wind. He didn’t taper off at all. His goal is to defend his state title and qualify for the Nike Nationals.”

The St. Clair pack was led Jack Keais (15 minutes, 46 seconds). Brendan Parr was fourth for St. Clair (16:30), Josh Williams was eighth (16:36), Collin Higgins was ninth (16:37) and Walker Child was 10th (16:38).

Derek LaDuke was 11th for the Saints (16:39) and Tyge McGueen was 15th (16:43).

“I thought we did great,” Keais said. “I turned around after I finished and heard coach saying the times out loud and I thought we did great. During the regular season we don’t take any dates off for meets. A lot of teams take days off and we train through them. It was really the key for us running our best times today. We are going to do our normal training program and show up ready to run hard next week at states. Hopefully we will perform and be ready to shock some people.”

It was also a special day for St. Clair boys coach Jon Davidson, who qualified for his 16th straight state finals appearance as coach of the Saints.

“Depth is what this is all about,” St. Clair coach Jon Davidson said. “It’s all about putting it together and running fast at the right time. We don’t start backing down until the final two weeks. We really pushed it hard. Today was a perfect day. We love running on this course and the weather was perfect.

“I’m very happy we hit 16 years. I was very excited. The good thing about running is you set goals for yourself and you chase them. You shoot for the eagles and bag a lot of pheasants along the way.”

On the girls side, St. Clair finished just short of qualifying for the state meet but did have the overall winner. Gabbie Morton finished first at 18:57 to pace the Saints.

Warren Regina was the overall winner with 39 points, Croswell-Lexington was second with 93 and Marysville was third with 106. St. Clair finished with 108.

In the Division 3 event also held at Algonac, Almont was the overall boys winner with 47 points, followed by Marlette (67) and Montrose (91). Eric Poth of Marlette was the overall winner (16:38).

In the girls race, Otisville Lakeville was first with 55 points. Marlette was second (58) and Montrose (81) third.

Julia Holman was ninth for Marlette (21:52) and Victoria Hale was 10th (21:56).

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @jhayes1136.

St. Clair’s Gabrielle Morton runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

St. Clair’s Gabrielle Morton runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

St. Clair’s Jack Keais runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Cros-Lex’s Calli Townsend runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Yale’s Brendan Macias runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Alognac’s Mogan Beadlescomb runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Cros-Lex’s Calli Townsend and St. Clair’s Morgan Markel race at the finish during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Cros-Lex’s Megan Cates runs during a regional cross county meet Friday, October 30, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Richmond’s Stefan Fenwick jumps over Keenan Mrad as he runs the ball during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s Stefan Fenwick jumps over Keenan Mrad as he runs the ball during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

They couldn’t contain them, let alone stop them.

The Richmond High School football team is just too good.

Croswell-Lexington High School did its best to defeat Richmond, but every time they drew within striking distance, the Blue Devils found a way to rise to the occasion.

Ultimately, that led to a 27-21 Division 4 playoff victory. Richmond moves on to face Notre Dame Prep, which defeated Marysville, 54-13.

It was Richmond’s second victory over Cros-Lex this season. This time, it was much more difficult than the Week 3, 35-12 victory.

Richmond (9-1) got off to a great start to open the game, as Andrew Hamel broke off a 39-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. Seven plays later, Richmond opened the scoring on a tight rope catch from Anthony Tavano in the corner of the end zone.

The score gave Richmond a 7-0 lead with 8:27 left in the first quarter.

The Pioneers (6-4) were undeterred and immediately looked for a way to respond. Joe Duff put the Pioneers in great position with a 48-yard run and then scored two plays later on a 3-yard run to tie the game at seven with 6:18 left in the first quarter.

The Richmond running game continued to pick up steam and found its groove on its next drive. Richmond ran the ball right through the Pioneers defense and went ahead again on a 7-yard touchdown from Hamel. That gave Richmond a 14-7 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Pioneers appeared ready to respond again on their next drive, but the Richmond defense stiffened in the red zone. After a long drive, the Pioneers were forced to turn over the ball on downs at the Richmond 11-yard line.

The defensive stand appeared to give Richmond even more momentum. Tavano hauled in a 28-yard reception to give Richmond a new set of downs on third down and D’Sean Hamilton capped the drive with a 3-yard score to give Richmond a 21-7 lead with three minutes left in the first half.

The Pioneers went back to work on offense before the end of the half. And just like most key situations, they gave the ball to Joe Duff. The senior running back, who had 168 yards rushing, responded with a pair of key runs and Justin Johnston capped the drive with a two-yard quarterback draw to bring the Pioneers within 21-14 at halftime.

As the second half began, Richmond went right back to work. But just when it appeared the Blue Devils were gaining ground, Cros-Lex senior linebacker Matthew Kettlewell made his presence felt. He intercepted Chase Churchill near midfield and returned the ball deep into Richmond territory.

Johnston took over there and found Luke Wilson for a 10-yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter to tie the game at 21.That’s where the game remained entering the fourth quarter.

With its season on the line, Richmond took over and did what it always does. The team found a way to make several big plays, none of which were bigger than Tavano’s 7-yard touchdown reception with just over 11 minutes left to play.

That gave Richmond a 27-21 lead after the point after attempt failed with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game. After the Pioneers were forced to punt on their next drive, Richmond got the ball back and instantly began driving down the field.

As the Blue Devils closed in on the end zone, it appeared all but certain they would score and go ahead by two possessions. But after a long drive, Richmond fumbled on its own 11-yard-line and Cros-Lex recovered to give the team new life with 4:52 left to play in the game.

The Pioneers drove all of the way back down the field but stalled at the Richmond 20. That’s where Johnston threw three consecutive incompletions to turn over the ball on downs.

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @jhayes1136.

Richmond’s Stefan Fenwick jumps over Keenan Mrad as he runs the ball during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Cros-Lex’s Joe Duff breaks past Richmond’s Andrew Hamel to score during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s Chase Churchill throws a pass during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Cros-Lex’s Matt Kettlewell runs the ball during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s D’Sean Hamilton runs the ball during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Cros-Lex’s Justin Johnston hands off the ball to Joe Duff during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Cros-Lex’s Christopher Zielinski runs the ball and breaks a tackle by Richmond’s Hunter Bergeon during a football game Friday, October 30, 2015 at Richmond High School.

The scenario is getting entirely too familiar.

The Detroit Red Wings continued a now weeks-old habit of not putting together the sort of energetic, creative and hard-nosed performance needed to win. They lost for the sixth time in seven games Friday night at Joe Louis Arena, falling to the Ottawa Senators 3-1. For the second straight game, the Wings allowed an empty-netter, reflecting their desperation to try to tie the score at the end.

The Wings are on a 1-5-1 slide, with their last solid all-around performance dating to the third game of the season, and their last victory to a week ago. During the past seven games, the Wings have netted just 12 goals.

Why the Red Wings lost to the Senators, 3-1

“It is frustrating,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “After the first three games, this has gone downhill pretty fast. We have bits and pieces here and there where we are showing what we can do, but our lowest level has got to be way higher than this.”

A big issue has been that Zetterberg and Dylan Larkin are the two skaters who stand out for their superior play – Zetterberg’s power play goal was his 12th point in 10 games, and Larkin twice got the Wings two-man advantages.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard (35) stops a Ottawa Senators right wing Alex Chiasson (90) shot in the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Oct. 30, 2015 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

“In order to be a good team, we are going to need depth of scoring,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “So we need way more guys contributing on the score sheet. I thought some guys took steps in the right direction, but we still need more. Part of that is the determination to get to the net-front, part of that is to get seconds, but ultimately we need more results from more guys.”

Jimmy Howard faced 34 shots to 30 for Senators goalie Andrew Hammond. The Wings have been outshot in five of the last seven games.

“We just have to get back to keeping it simple and making the right decisions out there,” Niklas Kronwall said. “I thought the energy level was pretty good, but the power play needs to get better. We need to have less turnovers.”

Mr. Hockey forever: Fans’ best run-ins with Gordie

The teams meet again Saturday in Ottawa. Petr Mrazek is scheduled to start.

After an unimpressive first few shifts, the Wings got skating in Ottawa’s zone and took a rare lead in shots. Justin Abdelkader had a clean shot denied.

Howard helped kill a penalty with three saves, including gloving a blaster from the blue line. Turnovers continued to be a problem, with Kronwall guilty of a couple in the first period alone.

Kyle Turris put the Senators up a goal at 18:46, when he knocked a loose puck into the net before Danny DeKeyser could clear.

The Wings got to start the second period with 1:14 left on a power play, but only managed one shot on Hammond. A second power play materialized two minutes later, and Larkin drew a second penalty to create a 25-second 5-on-3. Yet the Wings couldn’t get things going, and at one point Howard had to make a stop during the man advantage.

Red Wings seek to get Riley Sheahan going

“We had a lot of chances on the power play today, and to win games, when you get that many opportunities, that was a big part,” Gustav Nyquist said. “We need to do a better job on the power play.

“It is frustrating right now. We are not generating enough goals. Through 10 games, most of the time, Hank’s line has been carrying us. Us other guys, we have to do a better job of stepping up.”

It got worse at the game’s mid-point, when Matt Puempel put the Senators up by two. The Wings caught a break when an Erik Karlsson slap shot clanked off a post.

A fourth power play came Detroit’s way with five minutes to go in the second period. Larkin was able to draw another penalty, this time giving the Wings 1:07 with two extra skaters.

The reward was Zetterberg’s goal 23 seconds later, when he grabbed Teemu Pulkkinen’s rebound and found a hole just before Hammond closed his left skate to the goal post.

The Wings had to start the third period killing a penalty, hampering their offensive efforts. The Senators continued to attack, too, and slowed the Wings as they tried to gain zone entry. Abdelkader was denied on a net-front attempt, as he backhanded the puck at Hammond near the period’s midpoint. With four minutes to go, the Wings were being outshot, 14-5 in the third period.

“I thought there was a want and a will,” Blashill said, “but we still have to be more determined.”

It was, of course, Zetterberg who got the sixth shot, when he attempted a wraparound with three minutes to play.

Bobby Ryan scored for Ottawa in the game’s final minute.

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

Marcus Morris looked down at the scoresheet and chuckled.

It was after the Detroit Pistons beat the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in the season opener and Morris’ eyes were drawn to his scoring line.

37 minutes. 19 field goal attempts. Six makes. 18 points.

“This is the first time in my career a coach let me go 6-for-19,” Morris said in the visitor’s locker room at Philips Arena.

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has given Marcus Morris a complete vote of confidence and the results were evident Friday night.

Morris carried the Pistons offensively with 26 points – 15 coming in the third quarter – to move to 3-0 with a 98-94 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls in a battle of unbeatens.

Morris opened overtime with a 17-footer to spur a 7-0 run as the Pistons continued their best start since 2008-09.

“I said this when we brought (Morris) here, we thought he was one of those guys that just if you give him an opportunity,” Van Gundy said. “You know there are a lot of guys like that in this league that if they get in the right spot, right system, right opportunity, they can really thrive.

“We are only three games right now; he certainly is thriving.”

Reggie Jackson got the best of Bulls standout point guard Derrick Rose by going for 22 points on 9 of 24 shooting, seven assists and seven rebounds. He scored 17 points in the second half and got to the rim for several key baskets. Rose only managed eight points on 13 shot attempts, to go along with six assists and five turnovers.

Bulls vs. Pistons

Andre Drummond was dominant with 20 points, 20 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots – the fifth 20-20 game of Drummond’s career.

But the guy probably drawing the most cheers from the electric announced crowd of 16,035 was Morris.

The Pistons were stagnant for most of the first half. After taking an early 15-6 lead, they only scored 20 points the rest of the first half with 12 coming in the second quarter.

With the Pistons trailing, 41-39, at the 9:45 mark of the third quarter, Morris scored 15 of the Pistons’ next 21 points, and his triple with 1:58 left in the quarter gave the Pistons a 60-58 lead.

In previous stops with the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, Morris was looking over his shoulder at the bench, knowing a mistake or a couple of missed shots would end his time on court.

But after he was acquired from the Suns in the off-season, Van Gundy told him to just be Marcus.

“He’s letting me play,” Morris said. “He’s putting me in the spots that’s making me successful and by that I mean I’m not playing out of my game.

“He allows me to just play my game and when he has that much confidence, I feel the only thing I can do is get better.”

Morris’ game features midrange action – an advanced stat no-no.

But Morris – along with Jackson – are the players allowed to seek midrange scoring opportunities.

Morris can be efficient and he was 6-for-10 (10-for-15 overall) on midrange jumpers against the Bulls (2-1).

He started the key OT run with a 17-footer.

Jackson then beat Rose for a power drive to the hoop and Anthony Tolliver concluded the run with a triple.

Jimmy Butler posted 23 points on 5-for-19 shooting and 11 rebounds for the Bulls (2-1). Nikola Mirotic added 22 points and Pau Gasol finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Pistons’ Meeks out 3-4 months with foot injury

Contact Vince Ellis at vellis@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.

Oct 30, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) makes a slam dunk between Chicago Bulls forward Tony Snell (20) forward Pau Gasol (16) and guard Jimmy Butler (21) during overtime at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 98-94.

Oct 30, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) puts his arm around forward Marcus Morris (13) during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win in overtime 98-94.

Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond dunks over Chicago Bulls’ E’Twaun Moore (55) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Imlay Citys’ Isabelle Downey hits the ball over the net to Pioneers’ Rachel Soper, left, and Megan Baker, Monday, Nov. 2, during district volleyball at Cros-Lex.

CROSWELL It was quick, efficient and straight to the point.

The Croswell-Lexington Pioneers volleyball team was only interested in one thing Monday – winning.

It didn’t matter how pretty it was, the Pioneers simply wanted to jump start their postseason run with a solid victory in as little time as possible.

They accomplished that goal with flying colors Monday, blowing past Imlay City, 25-12, 25-11 and 25-11 in a Class B district opener at Croswell-Lexington.

“They are a really good team,” Imlay City coach Dan Purvis said. “We played with them for a while early in the game but then they took over with their serving.”

Purvis’ assessment was correct. The Spartans appeared to be at their best to begin each game between the Blue Water Area Conference teams, but soon after the Pioneers went to work.

The Pioneers have yet to lose a single game within a match against BWAC opponents this season and kept that streak alive despite the Spartans best efforts.

In each game, it was a big Cros-Lex (36-15-7) run that made the difference.

In the first game, the Pioneers turned a slim lead into a big advantage. After an early challenge, the Pioneers raced out to a 15-9 lead and then closed the game scoring 10 of the final 13 points.

The second game followed a similar script. Imlay City pushed Cros-Lex early and trailed 10-9. But from that point on the Pioneers scored nine straight points and 15 of the next 17 points to pull out the win.

“Serving and serve receive has been our strength all season,” Cros-Lex coach Ryan Wilson said. “It’s definitely been our advantage in the league all year. If we are ever not playing up to our caliber, that is what usually gets us where we need to be. That’s the one steady thing we can always rely on we are going to serve tough and we are going to make it hard on teams to run what they want to run.”

It was no different Monday. By the time the third game rolled around, it appeared as if Imlay City appeared resolved to its fate. The Pioneers quickly jumped ahead 6-1 behind several powerful serves and later led 20-5 before coasting to a victory.

“I think the biggest thing is we have to keep calm because its districts,” Rachel Soper said. “We have to keep coming at them like any other game. Now everyone is going to start playing harder because it’s districts.”

Head coach Ryan Wilson talks to his team after winning 3-0 Monday, Nov. 2, against Imlay City during district volleyball at Cros-Lex.

Melissa Rahn had three kills to lead Imlay City. Isabelle Downey had two kills, Cassie Malhado has six digs and Peighton Roberts had five serving points and two aces.

Lexie Davidson paced the Pioneers with seven kills and six aces, Claire Knapp had five kills, four digs and three aces and Becca Oden added five kills and four blocks.

The Pioneers will advance to Wednesday’s district semifinal against Armada, after defeating the Tigers last week.

“We always start off slow,” Cros-Lex senior Allessa Calamita said. “We have to be on our toes and they know us pretty well. If we block the middle we will be fine.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jhayes1136.

Pioneers Lexie Davidson goes up for a hit Monday, Nov. 2, during district volleyball against Imlay City at Cros-Lex.

Pioneers Allessa Calamita saves an Imlay City hit Monday, Nov. 2, during district volleyball at Cros-Lex.

Pioneers’ Lexie Davidson prepares to hit over to Imlay City’s side Monday, Nov. 2, during district volleyball at Cros-Lex.

Pioneers’ Claire Knapp jumps up to hit the ball into a pair of Imlay City blockers Monday, Nov. 2, during district volleyball at Cros-Lex.

Members of Cros-Lex celebrate a point Monday, Nov. 2, during district volleyball against Imlay City at Cros-Lex.

Red Wings center Dylan Larkin celebrates his goal against the Lightning during the third period of the Wings’ 2-1 win Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena.

Nothing like a Tuesday night home date with the Tampa Bay Lightning to leave the Detroit Red Wings feeling good about themselves.

Repeating their feat from three weeks earlier, the Wings bested their Atlantic Division rivals, 2-1 at Joe Louis Arena, only Detroit’s second winning streak of the season.

• BOX SCORE

Riley Sheahan showed signs he’s coming out of a season-starting slump, netting his second goal of the season with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle. Dylan Larkin scored his fourth goal of the season and second straight game-winning goal.

Jimmy Howard didn’t give up much, beaten in the second period during a two-man Tampa Bay power play.

The Wings entered the night coming off a dominating performance in their previous game, Saturday at Ottawa, where they were able to use their first two power plays to build a two-goal lead. But against big Ben Bishop and all around high-end opponent like the Lightning, that was not possible. Tomas Tatar had a solid shot denied by Bishop and Jakub Kindl had a good shot blocked as the Wings tried to break through during two first-period man advantages.

Howard helped hold off a Lightning power play with a big glove save on Steven Stamkos in what was a very even first period.

The Lightning opened the second period with two straight chances, but the Wings got the lead when Sheahan showed off what a deceptively good shot he has two minutes into the period.

Tyler Johnson’s line had a particularly good shift late in the second period that saw Howard withstand a couple of good attacks. The Wings went back on the PK with five minutes to go and found themselves doubly shorthanded after Joakim Andersson hesitated to clear the puck, instead ending up sending it over the boards for a delay-of-game penalty. It took Nikita Kucherov 21 seconds to make it 1-1.

Howard kept the score tied with a pad save on Ondrej Palat during the leftover power play.

The Wings survived a dicey situation early in the third period when Howard came out to play the puck only to have it bounce away from him, but Ondrej Palat couldn’t corral the puck. Instead the Wings took it down the other end, and Larkin fired a shot that snuck past Bishop’s blocker, at 5:54 of the third period.

The Lightning pressed hard for another goal, but Howard responded with a huge save on J.T.Brown and

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Check out our new Red Wings Xtra app on Apple and Android!

Port Huron Northern sophomore Sami Klink spikes the ball during a volleyball game Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

At times dominant, often inconsistent.

This proved to be the storyline of the Port Huron Northern volleyball season. It isn’t hard to see just how talented the Huskies are, but they often got in their own way with unforced errors that made the difference in games.

On Tuesday, Northern’s season came to an end after the same mistakes resurfaced. Anchor Bay defeated Northern 25-10, 25-18, 21-25 and 25-8 at Northern to win the Class A district game.

“When we get on a roll, we get on a roll and you can’t stop us,” Northern sophomore Sami Klink said after recording nine kills, eight digs and three service points. “But when we start to mess up, we can’t get back up and that’s where we really start to struggle.”

The Huskies got off to the worst start imaginable Tuesday as Anchor Bay (40-5) rattled off nine of the first 11 points of Game one. That put Northern in a big hole they were never able to climb out of and led to the first lopsided score.

The second game had a much different feel. Northern led 10-5 early before mistakes helped Anchor Bay go on a 9-0 run. Northern’s lead quickly turned into a disadvantage and the Huskies fell apart before losing, 25-18.

“It has a lot to do with talking,” Northern senior Jillian Rusch said after recording eight digs and five service points. “We have to talk a lot more. We have a lot of talent on our team but we have to combine it a lot more. Communication is key with that.”

Northern was at its best in the third game. With their backs against the wall, the Huskies came out fighting. They went on a 5-0 run to take a 12-7 lead and took their largest lead at 16-10 and 18-12.

After an Anchor Bay time out, the Tars began to claw their way back into the game, but would only pull as close as 23-21 before Northern scored the final two points to win, 25-21.

The fourth game looked similar to the first game as Northern quickly fell behind, 10-3. Before the Huskies got into the swing of things they were already facing an insurmountable lead. They fell behind 13-5 and Anchor Bay rattled off five consecutive points to take an 18-6 lead and eventually won, 25-8.

Maria Mallon had 19 kills for Anchor Bay and Hannah Gates added 13 kills.

“Game one and game four we started absolutely so slow and against good teams you can’t do that,” Northern coach Tim Langolf said. “It is so hard to come back. I was happy how we started playing in Game two and we just had a few mistakes on our side and it was more we were hurting ourselves and that hurt more than anything.

“In game three I was really happy with the intensity. The didn’t give up. I couldn’t be more proud of how they played that game. We are a good volleyball team but we have been so up and down. We never had a level of consistency all year.”

Northern ends the season 17-26-2 and will graduate three seniors — Rusch, Heidi Wilson and Carmen Rankin.

“Next year we just have to work harder and practice harder,” Northern junior Brooke Bowerman said. “We have to work outside of the gym and put in work on our own time and go the extra mile.”

If they do those things, the Huskies are confident they will take the next step in their progression next season.

“We have a lot of good pieces to build with,” Northern coach Tim Langolf said. “We are going to miss these seniors but we have a lot of talent in this program.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @jhayes1136.

Marysville junior Payton Husson spikes the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

When Marysville sophomore Hannah Delor hammered down her eighth kill of the match it was the final point in a sweeping win for the Vikings.

The well-balanced Vikings are off to the district finals after the 3-0 win (25-19, 25-8, 25-15), but it also meant the end of Marine City’s highlight-filled season.

After the game it was hard to find a dry eye in the sea of black and orange jerseys, but the Mariners will soon realize the successful season they put together this fall.

“After the game we got our goal sheet out that we made before the season as a team,” Marine City head coach Kelly Thomas said. “We achieved (all ten) goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year … we won the league, we were together as a team and a family and that’s what we talked about after the match.”

Thomas also added the five seniors — Ruthie Polio, Bailee Gunderson, Sydnee Frank, Taelor Frank and Hannah Coverdill — were the best senior group to come through the program in the last few years. That’s proven by the Mariners MAC Gold title and 16-13-4 overall record.

“In good times and in bad times, they were the heart and soul of this team, so they will be missed,” Thomas said of the seniors.

The Mariners opened up the match with a close first set, getting as close as 13-15 in the midst of the game. However, the play at the net by Marysville senior duo Bailey Bowns and Payton Husson was overwhelming at the end of the set, giving the Vikings the 25-19 win.

The second set was a completely different story as Marysville used three big runs to command the entire game. First was a 6-0 run that included two Husson kills to give Marysville an early 8-2 lead. Then it was a 7-0 run that included an ace by Devan Valko to make it 16-5. Finally, to end the set, the Vikings went on a 9-1 tear to win the set at 25-8.

“We really communicated more (in game two) and we had a better serve receive in that second game,” Bowns said, who finished with sevens kills. “That’s what’s really throws it all together for us, is when we serve receive well.”

The third game started close with Marine City getting as close as 9-10, but from there the Vikings ran away with a 9-1 run to make it a 19-10 lead. At that point the lead was too big to lose, and the Vikings strong play paid off in their second playoff sweep.

“This time of year the season starts to get long and the kids start to get tired, and keeping your mental toughness and staying consistent is tough,” Marysville head coach Ryan Welser said. “And that’s the number one thing.”

Husson ended the game with a match-high nine kills, and Valko also had a huge game with 24 assists and 10 digs on defense.

For Marine City, Taelor Frank ended her season with an all-around performance of eight kills, seven digs and two blocks. Sydnee Frank also gave the Mariners 10 assists, nine digs and five kills in her big night.

Contact Matt Sheehan at (810)-989-6267 or msheehan@gannett.com. 

Marysville junior Payton Husson spikes the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville senior Mikayla Morgan digs the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marine City senior Sydnee Frank bumps the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville players celebrate winning a set during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville senior Bailey Bowns bumps the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville senior Devan Valko sets the ball during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville sophomore Hannah Delor spikes the ball past Marine City junior Hannah Walendowski during a volleyball game Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville players celebrate and hold up a trophy after beating St. Clair in a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville players celebrate and hold up a trophy after beating St. Clair in a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

ALGONAC – They made it look easy.

For most schools, winning three playoff games in three days would appear to be a daunting challenge. But the Marysville High School volleyball program is far from ordinary. The Vikings made winning a Class B district championship appear easy, thoroughly dominating their opponents en route to victory.

Marysville punched its ticket to the regional round by defeating St. Clair, 25-17, 25-15 and 25-11 Thursday at Algonac High School.

“Marysville is known for not only being physically athletic, but they are mentally tough,” St. Clair coach Stephanie Pietrzak said. “That’s something you try to drill into your players and for whatever reason even since I played they are a mentally tough team. They don’t give up on anything. When you have someone like (Payton) Husson up front it’s difficult.”

Husson, the Vikings senior middle hitter, was dominant. She had 22 kills and three blocks to pace the Vikings effort. But she wasn’t alone. The Vikings balance and depth showed as several players had outstanding games.

“I think we have a lot of team chemistry and we just have fun on the court,” Marysville senior Bailey Bowns said after recording six kills and seven digs.

Hannah Delor had nine kills and Sam Miller had three blocks and a game-high 21 service points for Marysville. Caitlin May had seven digs, Mikayla Morgan had five digs and Devan Valko had 29 assists, five digs and two kills and the Vikings (48-4-2) rolled.

“I think blocking is something we have been working on and it’s going to be critical in regionals,” Husson said. “It’s kind of scary for the other team. It’s either get blocked or make a tricky play to get it over.We are definitely peaking at the right time. We were struggling at the beginning of the season getting that chemistry going.

“But we have clicked right now. Something about the past couple of weeks is really working for us. Our setter hitting combination has really developed and we are going to be a force to be reckoned with come next week.”

Next week is the regional round, where the Vikings will open play at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Imlay City against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.

“Our preparation will start (today),” Marysville coach Ryan Welser said. “We know we have a tough road. It’s probably the toughest road in the state. Our region is probably the toughest in the state with three top 10 teams in one region. But there is something special about this team. We got that chemistry. We got that firepower. We’ve got the serving. We have the serve receive and all of the pieces to the puzzle.

Marysville senior Devan Valko sets the ball during a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

“A lot of teams have those pieces, but it’s just that x-factor that’s missing. Whatever it is, you can’t put your finger on it, but this is a special team and we have something special with this group of girls and this chemistry we have. Maybe it is the group of seniors we have and the experience we have. There is something here that is more special than what we had last year.”

On Thursday, the Vikings showed just how special they were. They got off to a good start each game and the Saints struggled to keep them at bay.

St. Clair hung tough for part of the first game, but the Vikings went on a run in the middle of the game and won 25-17. The Saints had no chance in the second game as Marysville sprinted out to a 9-0 lead behind Husson’s standout play.

Then in the third game the Saints (20-18) got off to a fast start, but Marysville quickly answered. The Vikings turned a 5-3 lead into a 13-5 advantage and never looked back.

Jessica Bohm and Brooke Mahn each had six kills to pace St. Clair. St. Clair will graduate Kyra Baumgart, Maddie Brosky, Mariah Slis, Sydney Boyte, Michaela Buckley and Mahn.

“This year we were able to come out with a winning record,” Mahn said. “That’s a big thing for us.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @jhayes1136.

St. Clair senior Michaela Buckley smiles and wipes away a tear as she stands in a huddle with teammates after losing to Marysville in a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville senior Bailey Bowns digs the ball during a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville players celebrate and hold up a trophy after beating St. Clair in a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville senior Mikayla Morgan digs the ball during a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

St. Clair sophomore Brenna Johnson spikes the ball during a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville sophomore Hayley Delor looks over to junior Payton Husson as they celebrate with teammates during a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Marysville sophomore Hayley Delor blocks a spike from St. Clair sophomore Brenna Johnson during a district volleyball game Thursday, November 5, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Algonac players hold up a trophy after winning a district football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

It was the biggest game on Algonac’s field in years – possibly ever – and the defense played larger than life.

Hungry for its first-ever district title, the Muskrat defense was unfriendly to Almont all night in The Swamp, forcing five three-and-outs. The run-stuffing, hard-hitting defense sparked a 13-0 district finals victory and one of the largest celebrations Algonac’s field has ever hosted.

Of course, the offense showed up when the fans wanted it most.

AJ Garshott – the dual-threat quarterback who has helped lead Algonac to 10-1 on the season – punched in two short touchdowns on the night. When they needed a big run, they went with Joe McKee and his quick wheels that picked up 65 rushing yards. When the Muskrats wanted to pound the middle, they handed it to hard-nosed Shane Asselin, who ran for 75 yards.

“This is just … I can’t even put it into words how I feel,” Asselin said after celebrating with his team. “I just knew we needed those yards and I got them any way I could.”

Algonac’s AJ Garshott hands off the ball to Shane Asselin during a football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

The Muskrats will next travel to River Rouge (10-1 overall) for their next playoff game in the round of 16.

“(The most satisfying part) is watching our kids, that’s our payday,” Algonac coach Scott Barnhart said. “Even the young kids were up and didn’t get a chance on the field, they’re still as much a part of this … to have this experience together, that’s the whole payday.”

Algonac started the game shooting off fireworks on a long kickoff return by Brendan Piper to midfield. The Muskrats looked to be cruising, but an interception by Tyler Watt halted the opening drive just 16 yards away from the end zone.

A three-and-out forced by Algonac’s defense sent out the Raiders punt team, but a four-yard dud set up Algonac just 36 yards away from the end zone. The Muskrats took advantage of the short field and ended their drive with a three-yard run by Garshott, making it 7-0 after a Noah Todino kick.

Algonac’s Stephenson catches a pass in front of Almont’s Kyle Barr during a football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Almont opened up the second quarter slowly cruising down the field, chewing up six minutes of game time. However, the fierce Algonac defensive line blew up a fourth down passing play just outside of the red zone.

Algonac then took the ball all the way down to the five yard line, but penalties and strong, pesky pass defense by Almont stopped the drive just in time. That stout defense sent the game into halftime with a 7-0 Algonac advantage.

The third quarter started with more lockdown defense from Algonac, which forced two straight three-and-outs on defense. Almont’s defense was nearly as good, not letting Algonac sniff the red zone the whole quarter to send the game into the fourth quarter at 7-0.

Almont got a drive going to begin the fourth quarter, but that was blown up when Maison Graham had a sack to make it 3rd and 20 at midfield to ruin the driving effort.

Almont punted away to give Algonac the ball at its own 19 yard line with just under 10 minutes to play.

Algonac took the ball and calmly cruised down the field, chewing up seven and a half minutes. The drive also looked dead after an incomplete pass on 4th and long deep in Almont territory, but a pass interference call kept the ball in the Muskrats’ hands.

The Muskrats took that penalty and turned it into a game-icing touchdown with 2:27 to go as Garshott ran it in from two yards out. A blocked kick made it 13-0.

“District champs,” Garshott said when asked what he was thinking when he scored. “But I was still in the game, because even with two minutes left anything can happen.”

Almont tried to move downfield with little time, but an interception by Garrett Sparger just about locked up the game with 1:48 left on the clock.

Playoff Finals

Sandusky 7, Cass City 0

Deckerville 40, Morrice 20

Algonac’s Joe McKee runs the ball and breaks a tackle by Almont’s Nathan Hunter during a football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Algonac’s Shane Asselin runs the ball during a football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Algonac’s AJ Garshott throws a pass during a football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Alognac’s AJ Garshott runs the ball during a football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Algonac’s Joe McKee runs the ball and breaks a tackle by Almont’s Nathan Hunter during a football game Friday, November 6, 2015 at Algonac High School.

Heading to tunnel at halftime Saturday, the Michigan football team was angry.

Never mind its 35-16 lead or best offensive half of the season.

When the Wolverines saw the Rutgers Scarlet Knights celebrating a field goal, they took it personally.

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“You could tell that they were happy, that they were excited about being down by 19 points, which kind of blows my mind,” U-M defensive lineman Chris Wormley said.

It lit a fuse in U-M coach Jim Harbaugh as well, who was “livid” in the locker room, according to cornerback Jabrill Peppers. He was furious that the Wolverines surrendered two long returns on special teams to hand Rutgers 10 points.

As he tore into his team, he implored them to treat the game as if it were 0-0, and they emerged in the second half and slammed the door in a 49-16 win at Michigan Stadium.

Harbaugh went two when leading by 25 and had his quarterback throwing bombs in the third quarter.

This was a game that was never in doubt, as the Wolverines (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) scored on their second drive and ripped off five straight touchdowns to separate by halftime. After Harbaugh’s tirade, they outscored the Knights in the second half, 14-0.

Maybe the halftime energy was just Harbaugh’s way to keep their edge.

But this was a day when it was not necessary.

Michigan’s Jehu Chesson celebrates his tackle of Rutgers kickoff returner Janarion Grant in the fourth quarter on November 7, 2015, in Ann Arbor.

Quarterback Jake Rudock had the best game of his career as a starter — two years at Iowa, this one at Michigan — throwing for a career-high 337 yards and two touchdowns, while running for one.

He spread the ball to 10 different receivers and showed a toughness — a week after leaving the game injured at Minnesota — that inspired his team.

“You get those games and get into a rhythm,” Rudock said. “Anytime you can see a ball get completed and completed and seeing the field well that’s a big thing. That’s a tribute to our coaches, giving us a really good scheme.”

Facing the No. 119 pass defense in the country, Michigan capitalized quickly on offense, choosing to keep the ball in the air early. Rudock threw 18 passes in the first half of all varieties — screens, downfield, across the middle. He even lateraled to Jabrill Peppers, who weaved around for an 18-yard touchdown run.

U-M set season highs in points (49) and yards (487).

The defense returned to form, allowing only 225 yards, 54 which came on one first-quarter run. The defense was supremely motivated — both by last year’s Rutgers game, a 26-24 loss, and by the struggles in the secondary the week before at Minnesota, when the Wolverines allowed more than 300 passing yards.

U-M’s defensive line was fueled after watching a video Friday night that ended with the Rutgers (3-6, 1-5) fans storming their home field last year after the Knights threw for more than 400 yards.

“We discussed it, pulled it up, and what happened last year wasn’t going to happen this year,” Wormley said.

For the first time this season, the special teams had multiple letdowns — both to returner Janarion Grant, both in that infuriating second quarter.

But by game’s end, Harbaugh was over it, basking in the glow of a team that played as well as it has in a month, or maybe all season.

And his players didn’t mind the midgame, directed at them and the opponent, knowing that’s what he’s all about.

“He’s the ultimate competitor,” U-M tight end Jake Butt said. “That’s pretty clear at this point. Everybody knows that. I think down to the last tick on the clock, he’s going to be competing for everything. If it’s a call, if it’s a bad block, he’s going to be out there getting fired up and everyone around him fired up.”

They understand to ignore the scoreboard.

“When he says at halftime it’s a 0-0 game,” Rudock said, “he truly means it.”

Download our new Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!

Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder.

U-M report card: Offense great, special teams not great
U-M notes: Jourdan Lewis sets pass defense mark
U-M ticker: Esteemed World War II vets honored

LINCOLN, Neb. – It looked like Connor Cook and Michigan State’s offense had avoided Nebraska’s upset bid with a touchdown drive of nearly 9 minutes for a 38-26 lead with 4:16 remaining tonight at Memorial Stadium.

But Michigan State’s defense was just bad enough to give it all up. The Cornhuskers scored two touchdowns in that final span for a shocking 39-38 victory.

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Tommy Armstrong Jr. hit Brandon Reilly for a 30-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left over Jermaine Edmondson, on a play in which Reilly went out of bounds, but was ruled to have been forced out by Edmondson.

That ruling was reviewed and the touchdown stood, with a 2-point conversion failing. MSU then got the ball at its 42 after a short kick. Cook, on a record-breaking night, found Macgarrett Kings Jr. for 17 yards to the Nebraska 41.

But Cook took too long on the next play with 7 seconds left, and threw it out of bounds as the clock expired. Some fans rushed the field as the downtrodden Cornhuskers (4-6, 2-4 Big Ten) scored one of the biggest upsets of the college football season.

And now the No. 6 Spartans (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) stand with their first loss and very little hope of a College Football Playoff spot even if they can recover to win the Big Ten. That pursuit remains alive with Maryland at home next, followed by a trip to No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 21.

But this was one of the most devastating losses of Mark Dantonio’s tenure, and one of the most disastrous nights one of his defenses has ever had. Nebraska rolled up 499 yards, 320 of it from Armstrong’s arm.

Cook threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns, setting the MSU career touchdowns record with 68, and Gerald Holmes ran for a career-high 117 yards. But it wasn’t enough.

After MSU’s promising first drive of the game was halted by a fourth-and-1 stuff of LJ Scott, the Spartans went into a prolonged lull offensively. Most of it had to do with Cook sailing passes.

Nebraska, meanwhile, found plays to be made against an MSU defense substituting liberally in the secondary – true freshman Tyson Smith got his first career start at cornerback, and receiver Monty Madaris switched from No. 88 to No. 21 and saw action at corner for the first time in his career.

Wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. #8 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is surrounded by the Michigan State Spartans defense during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 7, 2015 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers drove 38 yards for a 44-yard Drew Brown field goal, then 80 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0 late in the first quarter. MSU’s Demetrious Cox was called for holding Nebraska receiver Jordan Westerkamp, but Westerkamp still got behind Cox for a 38-yard score.

MSU needed a response and got on the board with a 46-yard Michael Geiger field goal, after a drive of 42 yards. Then MSU got a stop and Macgarrett Kings Jr. made his first electric play of the night, three plays after a high Cook pass bounced off Kings into the hands of Aaron Burbridge for a big break of a first down.

On third-and-4 from the Nebraska 34, Cook hit Kings over the middle and Kings sharply reversed from running right to running left. Nebraska’s Jonathan Rose and Nate Gerry were left lunging the other way, Josiah Price provided a key block and Kings cruised in for the tying score.

Then Cox got a pick on a Montae Nicholson tip. Then Cook gave it back with just his third interception of the season, underthrowing Kings on deep pass. Nebraska got a 43-yard Brown field goal out of that, but then Cook finally found a rhythm.

He hit Price on a third-and-8. He hit Burbridge for 29 on a second-and-23 against a blitz. He rifled a perfect pass to Kings for an 18-yard touchdown on a third-and-9, with 17 seconds remaining. So after all the struggles, MSU led 17-13 at the break.

But the Cornhuskers took the ball to start the second half and immediately got the lead back, thanks to a 44-yard bomb at the expense of the freshman Smith. And then Cook got it right back with a 33-yard strike to Burbridge, who outraced defenders for a go-ahead touchdown that was the 67th of Cook’s career – pushing him ahead of Kirk Cousins for No. 1 on the MSU career list.

MSU got a pick and scored again, Cook’s fourth passing touchdown of the night, to Jamal Lyles. Nebraska came right back, touchdown and missed 2-point conversion to make it 31-26.

MSU scored on a drive that took nearly 9 minutes. Nebraska got it right back, setting up the final drive for the Cornhuskers.

Contact Joe Rexrode: jrexrode@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joerexrode. Check out his MSU blog at freep.com/heyjoe.

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Nov 7, 2015; Lincoln, NE, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Macgarrett Kings Jr. (85) carries the ball to score a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium.

The Port Huron Prowlers game against Berlin River Drivers started with a fight during the player introductions.

Prowlers’ Joe Pace and Berlin River Drivers’ Nicholas Wright throw punches Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game at McMorran Arena.

It ended with the Drivers scoring two goals in the final 76 seconds to win a 9-8 barn-burner on the Prowlers home ice.

And, in between all of that, there was 102 combined penalty minutes, four game misconducts, 79 combined shots on net and even a Drivers player shouting at the Prowlers mascot while in the penalty box.

After Berlin’s Nicholas Wright listened to the national anthem from the penalty box due to his pregame fight, two separate fights broke out just as the puck hit the ice. For Prowlers coach Trevor Karasiewicz, he didn’t mind seeing the two sides trying to establish dominance early on.

“Yeah, I want a more physical team,” Karasiewicz said. “I want team guys and who want to be a blue collar team, but tonight was just totally unacceptable.”

Karasiewicz and the rest of the team were clearly – and rightfully – disappointed after the game as they end their opening weekend at 1-2 with both losses coming at home. The game also blurred a stellar performance from Port Huron’s Ahmed Mahfouz, who had seven points with four goals and three assists.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re on all of (the goals),” Mahfouz said. “I’m here to get three points (for the team), not getting myself eight points every night.”

Berlin struck first with two goals, coming from Sean Poitras and Junior Harris.

From there, the Prowlers found one goal from Mahfouz and two from Chris Leveille to end the lengthy first period at 3-2.

The Prowlers pounced early in the second period with Mahfouz’s second goal, giving Port Huron a 4-2 lead and its first of three two-goal leads on the day.

Berlin’s Tyler Prendergast scored his two goals on the night in a two-minute span to tie the game at 4-all with 15 minutes left in the second period. Port Huron changed that with goals by Julian Fraser and Mahfouz to take a 6-4 lead midway through the period.

Berlin’s Cameron Yarwood and Cody Dion scored early in the third period to tie the game up at 6-6, but once again, that lead didn’t last long.

Dustin Skinner and Mahfouz each scored to give the Prowlers an 8-6 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

The lead was then cut to 8-7 with just more than seven minutes remaining as Yarwood scored a short-handed goal.

The key play the Prowlers would love to have back was the 3-on-1 opportunity with 90 seconds left in the game. Berlin goalkeeper Bradley Barone made the save – the biggest of his 41 in the game – and the Drivers took the puck down the ice to tie up the game on a Junior Harris goal.

With 27 seconds left on the clock, Berlin’s Troy Polino snapped the puck into the net for the game-winning goal.

“The guys just started getting complacent and started getting away from the game plan,” Karasiewicz said. “They thought the game was over, and it just kept coming in waves at that point.”

A loose puck gets battled for behind the net Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game between the Port Huron Prowlers and the Berlin River Drivers at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ Joe Pace and Berlin River Drivers’ Nicholas Wright throw punches Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ goalie Matthew Kinella looks back at a puck bouncing over the net Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game against the Berlin River Drivers at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ captain Joe Pace skates off the ice saluting the crowd after getting in a fight Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game against the Berlin River Drivers at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ Joe Pace and Berlin River Drivers’ Nicholas Wright throw punches Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ Chris Leveille looks for the open man Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ Ahmed Mahfouz misses a loose puck Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game against the Berlin River Drivers at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ Jared Hicks shoots on net Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game against the Berlin River Drivers at McMorran Arena.

Members of the Port Huron Prowlers gather after scoring a goal Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game at McMorran Arena.

Prowlers’ Joe Pace and Berlin River Drivers’ Nicholas Wright throw punches Sunday, Nov. 8, during a Federal League Hockey game at McMorran Arena.

The first weekend of play in Port Huron Prowlers history is in the books, and boy was it one to remember.

The season started with a road shootout victory over the Dayton Demolition, but once the Prowlers got home they dealt themselves two losses.

The Danville Dashers toppled the Prowlers 6-0 on Saturday, but the more gut-wrenching loss was the 9-8 defeat against Berlin River Drivers on Sunday.

In that Sunday game the Prowlers gave up three separate two-goal leads and allowed two goals in the final 90 seconds to turn an 8-7 win into a 9-8 loss. A few minutes after the defeat head coach Trevor Karasiewicz was frustrated – obviously.

What might be a surprise is the urgency to change the roster of the team.

After the 1-2 weekend, Karasiewicz was asked to name the brightest positive from the opening weekend, but that was tough to do after such a gutting defeat.

“I like how – actually right now there’s not much to say right now,” Karasiewicz said. “I just want new guys and we need to start winning.”

The Prowlers will be bringing new guys in later on in the week, but the number of players that are dropped and added to the roster is unclear as of now.

Despite the 1-2 start, there is certainly optimism with the Prowlers, and one positive note wears skates and wears No. 19.

His name is Ahmed Mahfouz, and it will take you about five minutes to realize how special of a player he will be in this league. In Sunday’s game, he had seven points with four goals and three assists, but the most impressive part of that is who those points came with.

Chris Leveille, who also had six points with two goals and four assists, dished out assists on all four of Mahfouz’s goals. In return, Mahfouz assisted Leveille on his two goals.

That, friends, is what I call early-season chemistry.

“It’s always nice to get some chemistry going with one of your line mates early in the season,” Mahfouz said. “Hopefully we can just continue to grow that chemistry.”

The Prowlers will return to action with a pair of home games against Dayton on Friday and Saturday, both at 7:30 p.m.

Marysville senior Bailey Bowns celebrates scoring a point during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

IMLAY CITY It was intense.

A battle of wills between two of the best teams in the state ensued Tuesday at a Class B regional semifinal at Imlay City High School.

After four action packed games, the Marysville Vikings got their revenge against Notre Dame Prep, ending the Fighting Irish’ season one year after falling to them in the playoffs.

Marysville won 25-14, 26-24, 19-25 and 25-22 to advance to the Class B regional finals. Marysville will face Goodrich at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

“I love playing in this kind of atmosphere,” Marysville senior middle hitter Payton Husson said after pacing the team with 24 kills, eight digs and two blocks. “I think we all rise to the occasion. That’s something special about our team. I think we all have extra motivation to have that banner hung and get a championship.”

Marysville got off to the best start imaginable in Game 1, with a 5-0 start behind five consecutive service points from Hannah Delore. The Vikings continued their momentum even after the Fighting Irish answered with four straight points. Marysville regained the momentum and surged ahead 8-4, 12-6 and eventually 20-10 before winning the game 25-14.

“I think when we play tough teams like this we really show what we are capable of,” Vikings senior Bailey Bowns said. “When we keep the energy it makes it that much more fun.”

The second game was much more competitive. The teams were tied early at three apiece before Marysville began to take control.

Marysville went up 10-4 and later 19-13 to force Notre Dame Prep to call time out. But the Fighting Irish wouldn’t go away. They responded with four straight points to pull within 19-17 and then a dog fight ensued.

Notre Dame Prep (46-10-6)  tied the game at 23 and then took a 24-23 lead before Marysville closed out the game with the straight points admits raucous applause.

Marysville coach Ryan Welser talks with players in a huddle during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

“We started really flat in the first game and it took us a while to get going for whatever reason,” Notre Dame Prep coach Betty Wroubel said. “We got ourselves in a hole and then we played tight. That second set we kind of had them. We had them 24-23 and we made three critical mistakes that gave them the game.

“That was a big swing. But we battled back. We just made too many mistakes. They won the serve and pass game and that usually wins the match for you. We misfired too many serves and we couldn’t get our sets in a zone that we could attack. They outplayed us. They out energized us and they deserved to win this game. We are pretty even teams but they outplayed us today. It’s a fine club and they are very well coached.”

The third game was highly contested as Prep raced ahead 4-1. But the Vikings showed their resiliency and rattled off seen of the next eight points to take a 8-5 lead. They went up by as much as 14-10 before the Fighting Irish started to close the gap. Notre Dame Prep surged ahead and then defeated Marysville 25-19.

“We just kept each other up,” Marysville senior Devan Valko said after recording 33 assists, nine digs and two kills. “Our defense was on point. Our hitting was on point. Everything was just clicking tonight and every time we got down we picked each other up. The fans really help us with our energy. We are really thankful for them.”

With the Vikings dropping their first game of the night, the intensity increased even more in the Imlay City gym as the Fighting Irish saw their chance to draw even.

The Fighting Irish got off to a good start, scoring the first three points of Game four. Marysville however, continued to answer and never allowed Notre Dame Prep to pull away.

Down the stretch Marysville took control but Notre Dame Prep pulled within 20-18 late. That didn’t stop Marysville from continuing to play its game and after a couple of Notre Dame Prep mistakes, the Vikings eventually got the victory on a Payton Husson kill to advance to the regional final.

Mikayla Morgan added 13 digs, Shannon Curley had eight digs and Delor had five kills, three aces and a match-high 16 service points. Sam Miller added three blocks.

“I just think we have spent a year since we got knocked out from them last year preparing and building that mental toughness for this moment,” Marysville coach Ryan Welser said. “This is as good of a win that we have had in a regional tournament before. I’m so proud of the girls. All 15 of them were in it. We played crazy, crazy defense tonight.”

Pioneers fall short

In the early game, Goodrich dispatched of Croswell-Lexington in three games, .

The Pioneers hung tough in the first game and trailed 24-20 late when they lost middle hitter Rebecca Oden to an ankle injury.

After play resumed, Goodrich closed out the game 25-21. The loss of the game hurt, but losing Oden was an even bigger blow.

“A lot of things didn’t go our way,” Cros-Lex coach Ryan Wilson said.  “We hadn’t had an injury all year and sometimes when that happens it can be tough.”

The Pioneers never recovered And in the second game they quickly fell behind. They trailed 6-2 and later 13-5.

Goodrich increased the lead to 19-7 and eventually won the game going away at 25-10.

The Pioneers will graduate five seniors, including Megan Jex, Rachel Soper, Allessa Calamita, Megan Baker and Makayla Boshaw.

“This was one of the most enjoyable seasons I’ve had,” Wilson said.

Calamita had 15 serve receptions, eight digs and six kills. Soper added 15 assists, four digs and four kills. Lexie Davidson had 15 serve receptions and six digs and Claire Knapp had 22 serve receptions, eight digs and five kills. Laurel Shaw had 11 digs and seven serve receptions and Jex had nine digs.

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @Joseph_Hayes11.

Freshman Ashley Turak, pictured swimming the butterfly, was a double OAA White champion in sprint freestyle.

Marysville junior Payton Husson spikes the ball during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Shannon Curley digs the ball during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Devan Valko sets the ball during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville sophomore Hannah Delor blocks a spike during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Bailey Bowns celebrates scoring a point during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Caitlin May digs the ball during a regional semifinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Mikayla Morgan dives for a dig during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

IMLAY CITY – They just couldn’t find their rhythm.

There weren’t many times this season where the Marysville Vikings volleyball team was out of sync and searching for answers.

The moment just happened to come at the worst possible time.

The Vikings struggled from the onset of their Class B regional final loss Thursday to Goodrich, falling to the Martians 25-14, 25-16 and 27-25. The Vikings got better as the match progressed Thursday, but not quick enough to hang with Goodrich at Imlay City High School.

“We lost the first two games decidedly,” Marysville coach Ryan Welser said. “We were down early and never in those games. Things started to fall apart and that’s not just us, that was the pressure they were putting on. We ran into a buzz-saw tonight.”

Marysville got off to the worst start imaginable in Game 1, falling behind 4-2 and eventually 9-4. That forced Marysville to call a time out but did not halt Goodrich’s momentum.

Goodrich went right back to work and went ahead 12-5 while Marysville continued to try to get into a groove. Goodrich expanded the lead to 18-10 and eventually 22-13 before scoring the final three points to win 25-14.

“We struggled at the beginning of the first two games,” Marysville senior Devan Valko said. “On defense we weren’t communicating well. We are normally one of the most mentally strong teams.”

In Game 2, the Vikings hoped to get off to a better start, but fell behind 5-2. They answered with three points to tie the game at five but Goodrich continued to respond to every Marysville run.

Goodrich went ahead 8-5 as the team traded runs. The teams were tied at five, nine, 11, 12 and 13 before Goodrich took control. Leading 17-15, they rattled off seven consecutive points to take a 24-15 lead and went on to win 25-16.

“We have never faced a team like that and we didn’t know how to adjust,” Marysville senior middle hitter Payton Husson said. “Their defense was fantastic. We struggled to find open areas.”

Before Game 3, the Vikings left the court for a private chat with coach Welser.

“I can live with losing, but I couldn’t live with our attitudes and our lack of energy and that sense of urgency after a point,” Welser said. “I’ve seen them be so resilient and fight holes and come back and I was looking at their faces and they weren’t showing me or showing each other they believed that could happen.

“We didn’t have the belief in the first two games. All I told them was I couldn’t sleep at night and played Game three and went down like a sinking ship.”

When the Vikings returned to the court, they had fire in their eyes. But they still got off to another slow start. This time they fell behind 3-0 and went on to trail 5-1. But their resiliency showed as Marysville came back to tie the game at eight and also 10 before Goodrich went on a run to pull ahead 14-11.

That continued to be the theme of the match. Goodrich would make a run, the Vikings would come back and Goodrich would surge ahead yet again.

Marysville sophomore Hayley Delor runs out of bounds to keep the ball in play during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Goodrich took a 20-16 lead and eventually 23-18 before Marysville played its best volleyball of the night. The Vikings stormed back with a 6-0 run to take a 24-23 lead, but it was short-lived. Marysville made an unfortunate mistake and the serve on match-point went into the net. Goodrich then responded with a pair of points to close Marysville out 27-25.

“It was great for us to end on a high note,” Husson said. “We didn’t play our strongeset but we showed how resilent we were. We never go down without a fight.”

The Vikings end the season 49-5-2. Husson led the Vikings with 19 kills, six blocks. She became the first Marysville player in school history to finish a season with 600 kills and 100 blocks.

Valko had 26 assists and three kills and four digs. Mikayla Morgan had 21 digs, Shannon Curley had 11 digs and Bailey Bowns had five kills and 10 digs.

“Regardless of what happened tonight we still know we are one of the best teams in the state,” Marysville senior Shannon Curley said. “That’s just the beauty of competition, someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. Tonight just wasn’t our night.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter

Marysville junior Payton Husson spikes the ball during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Mikayla Morgan claps hands with players during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Devan Valko sets the ball during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville sophomores Hayley Delor and Sam Miller jump to block during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville junior Payton Husson spikes the ball during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville sophomore Hayley Delor runs out of bounds to keep the ball in play during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville players react on the bench as they try to hold back Goodrich in the final set during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville junior Payton Husson watches as the ball gets past her block during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Marysville senior Mikayla Morgan dives for a dig during a regional final volleyball game Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Imlay City High School.

Richmond’s Matt Poppe and Chad Kavanagh hug after losing a regional final football game to Flint Powers Catholic Friday, November 13, 2015 at Richmond High School.

RICHMOND – It couldn’t have gone much worse.

Everything that could have gone wrong for the Richmond football team appeared to happen Friday during its Division 4 regional final game against Flint Powers Catholic. Richmond was uncharacteristic in many ways and that resulted in its 28-7 loss to Flint Powers Catholic at Richmond High School.

Richmond ends the season 10-2 for the second consecutive year after advancing to the regional finals each season.

Noah Sargent opened the scoring for Flint Powers Catholic in the first quarter, when he broke through the Richmond defense for a 46-yard rushing score. Morgan Livingston made the point after attempt to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead.

Richmond had three consecutive 3-and-outs in the first half, which led to improved field position for Flint Powers Catholic. Flint Powers Catholic capitalized and scored on a 3-yard run from Luke Brcic to take a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

Flint Powers Catholic continued to dominate play in the second quarter, but Richmond was able to get a big play from its defense to stay in the game. After a Flint Powers Catholic drive deep into the red zone, Richmond safety Matt Poppe picked off Sargant in the end zone to keep the Chargers at bay.

Right before the end of the first half, however, Flint Powers Catholic took a three possession lead on a 3-yard rushing score from Sargent. The Chargers quarterback appeared to be stopped before the goal line but the play was still ruled a touchdown, much to the chagrin of the Richmond crowd.

Richmond finally got on the scoreboard less than a minute into the fourth quarter as quarterback Chase Churchill led a seven play, 80-yard drive in 2:21.

The drive culminated on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Churchill to Anthony Tavano to bring Richmond within 21-7 with 11:20 remaining in the game.

But Richmond couldn’t overcome a plethora of penalties and self-inflicted mistakes, including an interception late in the game as it tried to close the gap.

The interception led to a 24-yard touchdown run from Tom Beaubien with just over a minute to play to cap the scoring.

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. Listen to him on 88.3 FM, Monday through Friday from 4-8 p.m.

Richmond’s Stefan Fenwick runs the ball during a regional final football game Friday, November 13, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s Spencer Trapiss catches a pass in front of Flint Powers Catholic’s Kelson Connors during a regional final football game Friday, November 13, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s Kyle Logghe forces a fumble on Flint Powers Catholic quarterback Noah Sargent during a regional final football game Friday, November 13, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s Matt Poppe and Andrew Hamel bring down Flint Powers Catholic’s Reese Morgan during a regional final football game Friday, November 13, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s Stefan Fenwick runs the ball and is brought down by a host of Flint Powers Catholic defenders during a regional final football game Friday, November 13, 2015 at Richmond High School.

Richmond’s Spencer Trapiss catches a pass and tries to get past Flint Powers Catholic defenders during a regional final football game Friday, November 13, 2015 at Richmond High School.