By DOUG DONNELLY

Monroe News

OTTAWA LAKE – Whiteford got punched in the mouth on the first play of the game Friday but responded with eight straight touchdown drives to beat Addison 64-22 in the first round of the Division 8 playoffs. 

“I knew they were going to come here and play hard,” Whiteford coach Todd Thieken said of 5-5 Addison. “They weren’t going to back down to us. They came out and hit that big play. We had to respond, and we did. I’m proud of how we responded.” 

Addison won the coin toss and elected to take the ball. On the first play from scrimmage, Panther running back Keelan Mullin ran virtually untouched right up the middle of the Bobcat defense for 75 yards. After the visitors tacked on the two-point conversion, Whiteford faced its largest deficit of the season.  

The Bobcats weren’t down for long.  

On its first possession, the Bobcats drove 73 yards on 10 plays, ending on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Shea Ruddy to Hunter DeBarr. Jake Iott’s conversion tied the game with 7:06 left in the first quarter.  

The drive was not without its hiccups. The Bobcats faced a fourth-and-10 near midfield when Ruddy connected with DeBarr on a pass over the middle to extend the drive. 

“That was one of the biggest plays of the game,” Ruddy said. “We had to have that one.” 

Thieken said it was a key play as well. 

“I was a little nervous myself,” he said. “If we don’t convert that, it’s their ball, up 8-0, and they have the ball at midfield. That was a big play.” 

After taking the lead, the Bobcats forced a punt. Ruddy’s 31-yard touchdown run with 3:20 left in the first quarter put the Bobcats on top for good.  

In the second quarter, the Bobcats got a pair of rushing touchdowns from Iott, a 43-yard touchdown run by Ruddy and another scoring pass from Ruddy to DeBarr. The Bobcats scored three times in the final 2:39 of the second quarter to go into the halftime ahead 48-16.  

Ruddy scored two more times in the second half to force a running clock. He finished with 140 yards rushing, a season high. It’s the first time this season he’s been over 100 yards on the ground. 

“Some of them were called, but a couple I just saw something and took off,” Ruddy said. “I think the coaches look at me as another running back once we get to the playoffs. They call my number more.” 

Ruddy had his hand at calling a play, too. 

“Before the one touchdown, I saw something their defense was doing, so I told the coaches and we just drew it up,” he said.  

Iott had a big game for the Bobcats as well. In addition to his two touchdowns, he had five successful two-point conversions, giving him 40 for his career, setting a school record. He finished with 68 yards rushing and was in on 12 tackles.  

DeBarr had 84 yards rushing and 38 yards in receiving. Nine different Bobcats carried the ball, combining for 463 yards on 53 attempts. Most of the second half was played with a running clock. 

The Bobcats will face Riverview Gabriel Richard next week in the Division 8, Region 3, District 2 final. Richard beat Melvindale Academy for Business Tech 62-14 Friday. The No. 1 ranked Bobcats (10-0) will host. 

“We are 1-0,” Thieken said. “I don’t really know anything about them. We’ll get the film this weekend and take a look. We are taking everything one game at a time.” 

Whiteford 64, Addison 22 

ADDISON 8 8 0 6 – 22 

WHITEFORD 16 32 8 8 – 64 

SCORING SUMMARY 

First Quarter 

A – Keelan Mullin 75 run (Spencer Brown run), 11:41 

W – Hunter DeBarr 5 pass from Shea Ruddy (Jake Iott run), 7:06 

W – S. Ruddy 31 run (Iott run), 3:20 

Second Quarter 

W – Iott 4 run (Iott run), 6:48 

A – Spencer Brown 29 pass from Dylan Sawdey (Sawdey run), 3:46 

W – DeBarr 10 pass from S. Ruddy (Ryin Ruddy pass from S. Ruddy), 2:39 

W – S. Ruddy 43 run (Iott run), 2:21 

W – Iott 9 run (Iott run), :36 

Third Quarter 

W – S. Ruddy 15 run (Seamus Waterford pass from S. Ruddy), 11:48 

Fourth Quarter 

W – S. Ruddy 37 run (Stepan Masserant run), 11:48 

A – Josh Ray 43 run (run failed), 3:38 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

Rushing – Addison: Mullin 9-103, Creech 8-55, Ray 2-46, Brown 10-21, Whiittemore 6-20, Clark 1-4, Potts 2-3, Potes 1-0, Sawdey 2-(minus)-6. Totals 41-246. Whiteford: S. Ruddy 7-140, DeBarr 11-84, Iott 10-68, B. Knaggs 7-54, Trejo 5-52, D. Knaggs 7-32, Alexander 3-30, 1-5, Schroyer 1-2, Hillard 2-1. Totals 53-463. 

Passing – Addison: Sawdey 1-2-1-0 29. Whiteford: S. Ruddy 4-7-2-0 56. 

Receiving – Addison: Brown 1-29. Whiteford: DeBarr 3-38, R. Ruddy 1-18.