DETROIT, MI (WTVB) – The Reading Rangers won their second straight Michigan High School Athletic Association Division Eight football state championship Friday at Ford Field as they defeated the Beal City Aggies 33-6.
The Rangers used a devastating running attack to break a close game open in the second half. Reading had a 315-157 edge in total yards which included 260 yards on the ground.
Reading opened the scoring as Porter Mauk threw a 18 yard touchdown pass with 3:21 left in the first quarter. The two point conversion gave Reading an 8-0 lead.
Beal City scored their only touchdown early in the second quarter to cut the Ranger lead to 8-6. Mauk’s second TD pass of the game to Hunter Midtgard from 40 yards out with 29 seconds left in the first half gave Reading a 14-6 lead at the break.
The Rangers tacked on two more scores in the third quarter as Elijah Strine scored from nine yards out and Midtgard scampered 28 yards for his second TD of the game.
Matthew Stewart scored from 12 yards out to close the scoring.
Strine finished with 73 yards rushing while Midtgard had 67 yards and Roger Hill carried the ball for 63 yards.
Reading won 13 straight games after losing their season opener to Pewamo-Westphalia.
