North Central Jets win state championship
UPDATE 10:07 PM Friday, November 20, 2015 (EST) — By a score of 58-33, the North Central Jets knocked off Battle Creek St. Phillip to capture the 2015 8-man high school football championship. Congrats to the Jets!
POWERS — Last season, the Jets finished 3–5 and missed out on the Division 8 playoffs.
This season, in their first year of 8–man football, they are 12–0 and in the state championship game. What a difference a year makes.
The Jets are coming off a convincing victory over last year’s 8–man runner–up Cedarville and coach Kevin Belfy says the team’s eyes are still on the prize.
“After we beat them, we said “Guys that’s just another step”. And obviously per state rules, we traded films with Battle Creek St. Philip and they’re 12–0 for a reason. They’re a very good team so much like the rest of the year, it didn’t take any effort for us to tell the kids look, we got to practice and the time is now,” Bellefeuil said.
Battle Creek St. Philip is making their first finals appearance as well, but they’ve got more experience playing in 8–man and they are consistently one of the better squads in the state.
“They run the ball very well. They have a very good running back. They throw it to him out of the backfield and they have a couple of other kids that catch the ball for them. The quarterback is an accurate passer. They have a nice offensive line. They do a lot of things well. There’s a reason they’re 12–0,” said Bellefeuil.
The 8–man championship game took place at Greenville High School at 7 o’clock.