From the start of the season, Clarkston football Coach Kurt Richardson has lauded his team’s depth at the skill positions. A 41-7 victory over Troy Athens on Sept. 23 featuring junior Eric Ogg’s first start at quarterback and touchdowns by six different players gave credence to Richardson’s claim.
?(Ogg) threw the ball really well and I think that gives us another dimension,? said Richardson. ‘We have a stable of running backs ? When you get the second and third (string players) in there and they don’t fumble, that’s a great job ? I was real happy with the way all the kids performed.?
The move to start Ogg under center was precipitated by injuries to starting running backs Steve McIsaac and Nick DeVault. Senior Mike Kittle, Clarkston’s starting quarterback in each of the Wolves first four games, shifted to running back.
‘With Nick DeVault (being injured), we wanted to put (Kittle) out there and get him some more carries,? said Richardson.
Kittle, a starter at running back last year as a junior, ended up with only three carries in the ball game ? but he made them count.
On Clarkston’s opening drive Kittle rushed for gains of 6 and 5 yards before ripping off a 56-yard run down the Athens sideline for Clarkston’s first score of the night with 10:26 remaining in the first quarter.
Kittle, who nursed muscle tightness throughout the week, was removed from the game after his scoring run. His understudy at quarterback, Ogg, shined in his absence on Clarkston’s next drive as he completed a 36-yard pass to senior Nick Sorise. Two plays later Ogg weaved his way through the Red Hawks defense to score on a 27-yard run. After his touchdown with 5:26 left in the first quarter, Ogg completed a two-point-conversion pass to junior Bren Berquist to give Clarkston a 14-0 lead.
‘We wanted to score early, we didn’t want to let them hang around and keep them in the game,? said Richardson.
While Kittle put a distinctive stamp on the first touchdown and Ogg left his mark on the second, senior running back Kyle Cummings owned Clarkston’s third.
Running behind a spirited offensive line, Cummings gained 56 yards on five carries, including a 40-yard burst, to put the Wolves up 21-0 after junior Ryan Breen’s extra point kick with 1:43 remaining in the first quarter.
?(Clarkston) did the things necessary to dominate us and they did dominate us, there’s no two ways about that,? said Troy Athens Coach Darrell Mayne.
With Clarkston up three touchdowns, the Wolves let their passing game eat and Ogg’s arm feasted as he completed a third and ten with a 25-yard strike to senior David Briceland. One play later, Ogg heaved a 39-yard pass to Sorise for a touchdown, putting Clarkston up 28-0 after another Breen conversion and 10:31 remaining in the half.
‘We came out passing and that gave me confidence,? said Ogg. ‘I learned that I can play on varsity.?
Clarkston’s defensive unit allowed the Red Hawks pass heavy offense little room to fly, holding Athens to 54 total yards of offense in the first half and 200 for the game.
‘We didn’t hit the deep passes. When you are in this style of offense, a significant percent of it is what you do underneath, but in reality you have to be able to go downtown,? said Mayne.
Athens only score came with :03 seconds left in the game on a 16-yard pass from backup quarterback junior Brian Cischke to junior tight end Joe Pepoy.
Earlier in the game, Clarkston’s Andrew Lyons, a junior running back, scored on a 2-yard run with 3:11 left in the first half, followed by another Breen conversion making the score 35-0 and ushering in a running clock for the second half.
Junior Colton Tweed finished the Wolves scoring on a 2-yard plunge with 5:54 remaining in the game.
Whether Kittle and Ogg will split snaps at quarterback going forward remains to be seen. Richardson offered only a smile when asked what Clarkston’s back field would look like next week for the Wolves homecoming game against Waterford Mott on Sept. 30.
?(Ogg) stepped up and did some great things for us. He gives us another weapon.?
Ogg was the offensive star of the evening against Athens, throwing for 135 yards and a touchdown, and running for 30 yards and another score. In total, Clarkston posted 397 yards of offense, 262 on the ground split between twelve different ball carriers.