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Schuster accounts for five TDs, Chippewa Valley rolls past Warren Mott, 45-12
Warren – Quarterback Tommy Schuster and Clinton Township Chippewa Valley rebounded well following last week’s 49-42 loss to Utica Eisenhower.
Schuster threw four touchdown passes and ran for another touchdown as the Big Reds showed improvement defensively by defeating Warren Mott, 45-12, in a Macomb Area Conference Red Division game at Mott on Friday.
Chippewa Valley punted once. That came on its first drive. It scored on each of its next seven possessions.
The Big Reds also punted once last week.
Mott (3-2, 1-2), which lost its second consecutive game, played without starting quarterback Jake Dube, who suffered an upper body injury last week against Macomb Dakota. His status for next week’s game is uncertain. Mott averaged 42 points in its first three games before succumbing to Dakota, 42-14.
James Warner replaced Dube and was sacked four times. Warner was 8-of-13 passing for 72 yards but, without Dube, Mott lacked his big-play capabilities.
Schuster was 10-of-14 passing for 164 yards. David Ellis had four receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns
Don’t be too pleased with the outcome if you’re a fan of the Big Reds. Coach Scott Merchant saw plenty he didn’t like.
“I think we lead the country in offensive line penalties,” Merchant said. “Tommy was missing some reads early. It was really a sloppy game on our part.
“We make a lot of mental mistakes. They’re all correctable. We have some good skill kids. Tommy is a good quarterback.”
The Big Reds were called for eight penalties for 65 yards. Two unsportsmanlike penalties were nullified because Mott was called for the same on the same play. Chippewa Valley also had a roughing the kicker penalty that gave Mott a first down early in the second half when the game was still in doubt.
Chippewa Valley (4-1, 2-1), ranked No. 8, trailed 6-3 after Mott freshman Kevin Wierzbicki kicked his second field, this one from 32 yards, with 10:18 left.
That’s when the Big Reds went to work. Andre Chenault returned the kickoff 65 yards and after a couple of botched plays, and an illegal procedure penalty, Schuster threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Ellis who kept one foot in bounds before going out of the end zone.
Chippewa Valley stopped Mott on a fourth-and-2 on the next series and it took the Big Reds seven plays to score. Schuster’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Rybicki, who did most of the work as he ran the final 30 yards down the right sideline to give Chippewa Valley a 17-6 lead with 1:36 left.
Mott made a couple of poor decisions which led to another touchdown before halftime. A Mott receiver stepped out of bounds on a third down play to stop the clock with 22 seconds left. On fourth down the snap from center sailed over punter Liam Fogerty’s head and his subsequent punt netted a -6 yards.
Chippewa Valley took over on the Mott 19 and a 17-yard Schuster-to-Rybicki pass placed the ball at the 2-yard line with eight seconds left. Schuster completed the drive with a touchdown pass to Jon’Naize Owens on the next play and Chippewa Valley led 24-6 at halftime.
Mott outgained the Big Reds, 137-132, but big plays were the difference. Chippewa Valley had six plays from scrimmage that netted 14 yards or more, and had kickoff returns of 72 and 65 yards.
