When the Tigers needed a stop in the first half, they got it.
The Gillett High School football team (2-0) needed a fourth-down stop inside the 10-yard line, a fumble recovery and an interception just to keep the host Marion/Tigerton Thundercatz (0-2) off the scoreboard in the second quarter during Gillett’s 34-6 nonconference victory Friday night.
“We started out sluggish, then we got that first touchdown, then we hit a another gear and started going,” Gillett head coach Rick Kamps said.
Gillett quarterback Alex Zeitler threw three touchdown passes in the first half to lead the Tigers to victory.
Mitch Umentum opened up the scoring on the opening drive with a 14-yard touchdown carry to the left side.
Then, Zeitler took over the offense. His first touchdown pass, a 75-yarder to Leeland Kahler, increased the Tigers’ lead to 14-0.
The Thundercatz turnovers throughout the second quarter resulted in a momentum swing for the Tigers.
Brett Milhans turned a screen pass into a third-and-long conversion, with the next play resulting in a 45-yard touchdown throw to Kahler with three minutes remaining, and an 8-yard pass to Umentum extended the lead to 28-0 with just 21 seconds remaining in the first half.
“Everyone knows we are old-school, Power I offense, but we can spread it out and Alex can put the ball on the money when we have to,” Kamps said.
Milhans ran for 105 yards on the night, while Kahler added 80 on the ground and 133 receiving.
Zeitler was the difference once Marion’s defense figured out how to stop the run. He completed eight of his 16 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
The Marion defense, led by Chris Buss, picked up during the second half and got many stops, including a turnover on downs in the red zone early in the fourth quarter.
Kahler led the Tigers’ defense, intercepting two passes.
“I thought we got the ball moving, but we hurt ourselves with penalties and turnovers,” Thundercatz head coach Mark Fredy said. “In the first half, we left some points on the field.”
Offensively for the Thundercatz, Hayden Harris racked up 113 rushing yards out of the team’s total of 235, which included his 42-yard scamper in the third quarter for Marion’s only score of the game.
Gillett, which was in control for the majority of the game, was happy with the result.
“We got some bumps and bruises, but for the most part, we are healthy,” Kamps said. “With us starting conference play next week with a crossover game, that’s huge.”
GILLETT 34, MARION/TIGERTON 6
Score by quarter
Gillett 14 14 0 6
Marion/Tigerton 0 0 6 0
Scoring Summary
First quarter
G: Umentum 15-yard run (PAT missed) 7-0 (9:00). G: Leeland Kahler 75-yard reception (conversion good) 14-0 (3:17).
Second quarter
G: Kahler 45-yard touchdown reception (conversion good) 22-0 (3:05). G: Umentum 8-yard reception (conversion missed) 28-0 (0:21)
Third quarter
M/T: Harris 42-yard run (conversion missed) 28-6 (0:44).
Fourth quarter
G: Kahler 3-yard run (conversion missed) 34-6 (8:43).
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