PAW PAW — It was a historical and eventful evening for the Edwardsburg football team Friday night.

The Eddies were looking for their first undefeated regular season in school history and the mythical Wolverine Conference outright championship.

It took two hours-and 45 minutes, 975 yards of total offense between two teams, 15 touchdowns resulting in 104 points, a timely interception and a whole lot of heart for the Eddies to take down the Redskins 56-48.

In a battle of unbeaten squads, the Eddies and the Redskin turned an extremely chilly evening in Paw Paw into a high-octane fire show that saw both team’s offenses set the field (and their defensive counterparts), ablaze.

Edwardsburg rushed for 511 yards and 8 touchdowns, while the Redskins rushed for 230 yards with six touchdowns, threw for 234 yards, and returned the game’s opening kickoff 90 yards for a score.

Dustin Vires (168 yards), Tyler Treat (107 yards), and Jackson Gaideski (101 yards) all eclipsed the century mark for Edwardsburg. Dominic Razzano and Jack Bywaters added 66 yards and 61 yards to the ground game respectively. Vires (3), Bywaters (2), Gaideski (2) and Razzano scored touchdowns in Edwardsburg’s winning effort.

Redskins do-it-all quarterback Kyle Williams, who was filling in for injured starting quarterback Jay Doll, was without a doubt the biggest offensive threat on the field for either team as he torched the Eddies’ defense for 386 yards total (234 passing and 152 rushing), and five rushing touchdowns on the night. Paw Paw tailback Tim Wielinga contributed 78 yards rushing and a touchdown as well to his team’s offensive output.

“We weren’t sure what to expect from Paw Paw offensively, but we were in no way ready for that. That kid (Williams) did a phenomenal job coming in throwing and running the ball,” Eddie’s coach Kevin Bartz said.

After Vires got the go ahead score for the Eddies with just over a minute left on the clock; Williams and the Redskins offense took to the field to try and get a game tying touchdown and 2-point conversion. On the second play of the final drive, the first being a Paw Paw passing play for a substantial gain, Edwardsburg sophomore defensive linemen Zach Plummer came up with a huge game-sealing tipped pass interception to give the Eddies the historical win.

“He (Plummer) was about the most unlikely of characters to come up with that play at the end; but that’s how our season has been. We’ve had guys step up time after time when we needed them too and now we have succeeded in ways no one else in this program’s history has. It’s a great feeling but we still have much more to do,” Bartz said.

The road will get no easier for Bartz and company as the game saw Eddies’ starting quarterback Brett Bowman and this season’s leading rusher Dylan Hulett go down with injuries.

Edwardsburg will now have to wait for the MHSAA state playoff brackets to be released on Sunday to find out who its upcoming opponent will be in the tournament’s first round.

 

Edwardsbug 14 20 8 14 – 56

Paw Paw 14 20 14 0 – 48

PP – Cole Luma 90 kickoff return for a TD (2-pt conversion good)

E – Jackson Gaideski 46 run (2-pt conversion good)

PP – Kyle Williams 58 run (2-pt conversion failed)

E – Jack Bywaters 1 run (2-pt conversion failed)

E – Dante Razzano 38 run (2-pt conversion failed)

E – Dustin Vires 7 run (2-pt conversion good)

PP – Williams 4 run (Kick failed)

PP – Williams 2 run (2-pt conversion good)

E – Vires 67 run (2-pt conversion failed)

PP – Williams 4 run (2-pt conversion failed)

E – Bywaters 14 run (2-pt conversion good)

PP – Tim Wielinga 55 run (2-pt conversion good)

PP – Williams 11 run (2-pt conversion no good)

E – Gaideski 1 run (2-pt conversion no good)

E – Vires 12 run (2-pt conversion good)