'We showed how good we can be': Harper Creek gets dominant win over city rival in opener

BATTLE CREEK - With its returning players, experience and talent, Harper Creek is hoping to have a special season.

Well, the Beavers began heading in that direction with a special opening night.

Harper Creek started the 2024 season with a dominant victory over its city rival Lakeview.

MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL:

Top 10 Football Teams in Preseason in 2024

Top 8 Players in Battle Creek Area

Harper Creek earned a 44-0 win over Lakeview in this non-conference high school football game at Lakeview High School.

"We have been working all season for this and it really showed out here tonight," Harper Creek senior quarterback Jesus Macedo said. "We have very high hopes for this season and tonight showed why and what we can do this season and we showed how good we can be."

Here are 3 takeaways from the game:

Fast Start

Harper Creek was hoping to get the season off to a fast start and it showed with three touchdowns in the first quarter and a quick 24-0 lead.

One of those scores came on a short field after an interception on Lakeview’s first snap by Nehemiah Wert, giving the ball to the Beavers on the 25. That led to a quarterback keeper from six yards out by Macedo. Macedo added another quarterback keeper from two yards out for his two touchdowns in the first half.

The shutout win was the first for Harper Creek over its city rival since 2012.

"We wanted to start fast," Harper Creek coach Mason Converse said. "Anytime you have a game against your rival on their home field, you want to have a quick start. So to score and then get an interception and score again, that takes the home crowd of it , gets our crowd into it. Couldn't ask for a better way to start.

"This was just a fantastic way to open the season. A cross-town rivalry, against a Lakeview team that has a historically good program. Couldn't be more proud of the way we played tonight."

Dominant Running Game

Harper Creek wants to control games with its running game behind an offensive line that brings back all five starters, which includes two four-year varsity members and three more three-year starters. The group of Zachary Kitchen, Ricky Johnson, Damarian Ashley, Kayden Decker and Brendan Van Syckle make up a unit with nearly 200 varsity games started between them.

The Beavers showed that right away with a dominant scoring drive on their first possession with seven straight runs, ending in a 40-yard touchdown run by Matthew Wensauer.

Overall, on its way to scoring the first four times it touched the ball, the Beavers only had two passes on their first four possessions.

With big holes to run through, Harper Creek also had two touchdown runs from Chase Nichols for 57 yards in the first quarter, as well as a 4-yard scamper to end the half for a 38-0 lead at intermission.

"We wanted the ball first and wanted to set the tone right away. Wanted to run the ball behind our big fellas," Converse said. "We ran the ball really well today, blocked extremely well. We have an experienced line. And, we have a stable of terrific backs,, which you saw tonight, and they all ran tough."

Harper Creek finished its scoring with another touchdown run in the second half from short yardage by backup quarterback Maddox McCarty.

What they said....

Lakeview coach Brett Vernon: "Look, they are a better team than us, and it just showed. Give them all the credit, they won the game.. But, we have to get in the right mindset to start the game. Just watching around the locker room before the game, we were holding this game above all else and we were getting too hyped up. And, when you do that, and you get that adversity that early, you can come crashing down quickly. So, I have to do a better job as a coach to get our kids mentally prepared for a game like this."

Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: 'We showed how good we can be': Harper Creek gets dominant win over city rival in opener