. The Oakridge football team won a nail-biter over North Muskegon 32-27 on Friday in a West Michigan Conference matchup.
Corey Vanderputte was the hero of the game for the Eagles, rushing for 265 yards and four touchdowns while adding 51 receiving yards.
His biggest play came on defense, however, when he picked off a pass late in the game, with North Muskegon driving deep into Oakridge territory, to preserve the win for the Eagles.
Vanderputte kicked off the scoring with a touchdown run to give the Eagles an early 6-0 lead.
North Muskegon responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass from James Young to Drew Barlos, giving the Norse a 7-6 lead.
Later in the first, Vanderputte had a 10 yard score on the ground to put Oakridge up 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.
[1]North Muskegon took the lead back on their first drive of the second quarter on a one-yard Denny Belmonte touchdown run.
Just a minute later, Brenden Raymond broke free for a 44 yard touchdown run to take the lead back for Oakridge.
After another quick drive, Young hit Carson Moats for a 26-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 19-19.
Before halftime, Vanderputte got his third touchdown of the half to put Oakridge up 26-19 at the intermission.
Both teams were held in check until the final minute of the third quarter when Young connected with Matt Colbert for an 81-yard touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion gave the Norse a 27-26 lead after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, Vanderputte struck one last time with his fourth touchdown of the game, scoring on a 36-yard scamper. His dramatic interception followed, sealing up the victory.
Oakridge quarterback Matt Danicek threw for 124 yards while Brody Jennings led the defense with eight tackles. Riley Bean finished with four tackles and a sack.
For the Norse, Young threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Belmonte rushed for 54 yards and totaled 16 tackles on defense. Ben Meyers had 13 tackles while both Sam Galio and Champ Young contributed 10 tackles apiece.
The win puts Oakridge at 5-1 on the year and 3-1 in conference play. North Muskegon falls to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play.