CHEBOYGAN – A lot happened in Week 3.
One team had an incredible comeback, another got its first win, and a top dog kept rolling.
With Week 3 in the books, let’s talk about it and see what’s ahead for Cheboygan-area football teams in Week 4.
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CHEBOYGAN (2-1)
Last Week: Early in the third quarter, hope looked lost for the Chiefs, who trailed 23-0 to Elk Rapids.
But something crazy happened as Cheboygan found its running game, saw its defense step up, and turned it around quickly. As a result, the Chiefs delivered one of the greatest come-from-behind wins in program history by scoring 30 unanswered points and beating the Elks.
What a night it was for a Cheboygan team that’s starting to show mental toughness under head coach Bill Nesbitt.
Offensive skill players like Sean Postula, Nolan Schley, Evan Benson and Luke Hoskins all played their roles, while a Cheboygan defense led by Luke Munger, Chauncey Lovelly, Eli Chase and Jeremiah Huntley rose to the occasion.
It was a momentum-boosting night for the Chiefs, who are off to their best start in 11 years.
Week 4: Cheboygan’s next challenge is Kalkaska – and a first half like last Friday absolutely can’t happen.
As thrilling as last week’s comeback was, the first half was dreadful for the Chiefs, who turned the ball over four times and struggled defensively.
Like Elk Rapids, the Blazers won’t be a gimme for Cheboygan. The Chiefs need to come out much stronger and aggressive on the road to move to 3-1.
INLAND LAKES (3-0)
Last Week: Two weeks off? No problem for the Bulldogs, who unleashed on Central Lake with a 62-6 road victory.
Aidan Fenstermaker and Andre Bradford were their normal play-making selves, but Inland Lakes also saw its defense shut down the Trojans. Even after not playing in Week 2, the Bulldogs showed just how powerful they are in the Ski Valley, and that it’s going to take some performance from one of their rivals to pull an upset.
Week 4: This is the big one as far as regular season games go. The Bulldogs welcome in fellow 8-player powerhouse Bridgman (1-2), who’s already faced some of the toughest competition in the state.
This will be a great chance to see if Inland Lakes perhaps looks like a state title-caliber team again near the midway point of the season. Either way, this is as great of a matchup as we’ll see all season.
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Pellston (1-2)
Last Week: Talk about a tough defeat to swallow, the Hornets endured it last week when they blew a 26-8 lead and lost at unbeaten Bellaire, 30-26.
The Hornets received another sensational performance from senior Brach Taylor, but they couldn’t hold on to beat the Eagles, who appear to be for real. A tough one to take for an improving Pellston team.
Week 4: It’s Homecoming Week in Pellston as the Hornets face Central Lake in a Ski Valley battle.
The Hornets have struggled against the Trojans in recent years, but with Central Lake having issues, this could be an excellent chance for Pellston to move to .500.
ONAWAY
Last Week: The Cardinals earned victory No. 1 by going to Engadine and delivering a solid performance, led by quarterback Brady Gapczynski, who nearly rushed for 200 yards.
Onaway was strong on both sides of the ball, which resulted in the program recording its first win in the Micah Bailey coaching era. Let’s see if they’ll continue to build off it.
Week 4: No game. Forest Area doesn’t have a team.
Cheboygan-area football Week 4 games
Cheboygan (2-1) at Kalkaska (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Central Lake (0-3) at Pellston (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Bridgman (1-2) at Inland Lakes (3-0), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf atjgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter@sportsCDT
