Portage edges Michigan City

Updated: October 1, 2011 4:26PM

MICHIGAN CITY — Coach Mike Karpinski is still looking for consistency in the rebuilding of the Michigan City program.

Friday night, Portage defeated MC 12-7 in a game that at times looked like the Wolves might have been building momentum against the Indians.

Early in the game, Michigan City was able to make a goalline stand that stopped the Indians on fourth-and-1.

And mistakes and an inability to move the football left the Wolves defending a short field in their own territory.

Coach Jeremy Flowers’ Indians were forced to start the game with what was essentially a third-string quarterback, Rashaan Coleman, in a form of the wildcat offense.

Coleman, working with little practice time in taking reps at the position, was good enough to keep the Portage offense together.

He found wide receiver Cody Maldonado for the Indians’ first score on a 7-yard connection, but the extra point was blocked, leaving Portage up 6-0.

MC quarterback Joel Hirsch, who was often high and long on his passes, put the Wolves up 7-6 with a well-handled pitch to Rashem Bell for a seven-yard touchdown sweep with 3:05 left in the first half.

It was a night of lost opportunity for the Wolves. They finally found a consistent ground-gainer in the second half in senior Anthony Catchings. Although he had carried the football once in the first half, he was grinding out the yardage effectively in the thid and fourth quarter.

But in the third, the Wolves pushed deep into Indians territory, only to mismanage the offense, and a solid drive died with an interception.

Then in the fourth quarter, the Wolves were again on the march, when the Indians defense stripped the football from Hirsch, and recovered it, returning it to the Wolves 3-yard line.

Seconds later, Coleman scored on fourth and goal, and Portage was up 12-7.

In the two Indians scoring drives, one went three plays for 7 yards, the other one play for 3 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Catchings, trying to create a play while in trouble ended up with a 21-yard loss, making it almost impossible for Michigan City to drive for the winning TD.

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