Marlette Falls in First Round

The Marlette Red Raiders drew the proverbial short straw last week when they had to face off against the Greater Thumb East Runners up the Harbor Beach Pirates for the first round of the playoffs. The Pirates opened the game with an eighty-two-yard touchdown run and controlled the pace of the game through all four quarters, running the score up to 28-0. The Red Raiders fought valiantly, and things could have been different if just a couple of plays had gone their way. The Raiders can hold their heads high after the loss knowing what a talented team the Pirates are. Harbor Beach’s sole loss on the season was to the 10-0 Ubly Bearcats, a monster in their own right. The Red Raiders fielded a solid team this year and could have potentially gone deep into the playoffs if not for the thoroughly stacked Greater Thumb East Conference. The Raiders finished the season 7-3 and though Marlette is losing some notable seniors in Quintin Sartin and Aaron Bower, their young core with players like Trey Lester will give them a good chance at success again next season.