Traverse City Record-Eagle

Sports

November 21, 2012

Powers QB top player in Division 5-6

Kalkaska's Hill earns first-team honors as DB

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EAST LANSING (AP) — Flint Powers Catholic can second-guess just about everything as for why its 9-0 regular season record didn't translate into a Division 5 state championship the way the 5-4 record from the Chargers a year ago did.

Just about everything except for senior quarterback Garrett Pougnet.

"I said earlier in the year that we would go as far as Garrett took us, and I think I was maybe trying to be a little too prophetic when I said that," Powers coach Bob Buckel said. "Garrett was outstanding all year. He was great for us on both sides of the ball, and we wouldn't have accomplished near what we did if not for him."

Pougnet completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,856 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 556 yards and another 10 scores to help lead Powers to the Saginaw Valley League South Division title and an 11-1 season. He highlights The Associated Press Division 5-6 All-State team as the Player of the Year.

"It's a great honor for him and really a testament to what we want to see from our program, because Garrett worked as hard as anybody," Buckel said. "He's just so competitive, and as a coach, when your best player is also your hardest worker, that just makes everything so much easier."

Buckel was named Coach of the Year for the Division 5-6 All-State team and has helped bring back the tradition of Powers Catholic football during his two seasons at the school.

"Powers has a rich football history, and we're just happy as a program to be able to have brought it back to where it had been," Buckel said. "The credit goes to the players, though. Especially the seniors. I told our kids when I got here that they were going to need to take ownership of the program, and they've done that."

Joining Pougnet on the Division 5-6 All-State team at the quarterback position is Ithaca junior Travis Smith. At running back, Reed Larson of Kingsford, Derrick Nash of Carrollton, Nick VanDuser of Lake Fenton and Caleb Reinhart of Montrose were selected.

Teo Redding of Warren Michigan Collegiate, Travis Bolin of Watervliet and Jack Swain of Lansing Catholic were named to the team as wide receivers, and Geovante Weston from Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central made the team as a specialist.

Solidifying a deep group of linemen were Zach Murphy of Muskegon Oakridge, Oden Gentry of Detroit Consortium, Curtis Doyle of Alma, Aaron Matthias of Hemlock, Jesse Micho of Frankenmuth, Donny Kyre of Olivet, Austin Hundley of Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard and Powers Catholic's Derek Trecha.

At the defensive positions, Jacob Marsh of Montague, Clark Kangas of Calumet, James Brown of Detroit Consortium and Mitch Greenacre of Clare made the team as linebackers. Devon Harris of Menominee, Jordan Hessbrook of Ithaca and Zach Hill from Kalkaska were named as All-State defensive backs.

Marcus Prigge from Stockbridge was named as punter, and Dan Burns of Sanford-Meridian was named as the team's kicker.

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