Three first-half pick-sixes spark Shelby football to homecoming win over Hesperia

Echo community correspondent Amanda Dodge contributed to this story.

Shelby's offense did not get out to a hot start in Friday's intracounty homecoming football matchup Friday, but that was just fine for the Tiger defense.

The defense stepped up to do its part early on, recording three interception returns for a touchdown in the first half against the Panthers, staking Shelby to a 22-0 lead and sparking the Tigers to a 50-7 victory.

"Three pick-sixes, I've never experienced it," Shelby coach Phil Fortier said. "I've never seen it. A great effort by our defense. We really emphasized overcommunicating this week. Our scheme is one that has some nuance to it, so we've messed up quite a bit with our coverage in the back end. We had one breakdown tonight, and that led to a touchdown, but other than that, we were really good in coverage tonight."

The first of the three defensive scores might have been the biggest. Hesperia's Zach Loughridge picked off a pass on Shelby's first drive to set the Panthers (1-4, 0-2 West Michigan Conference Rivers) up in Tiger territory, and the visitors worked their way to the 20-yard line before Jaylin Henderson provided the spark his team needed with an 85-yard pick-six.

"They were moving the ball on us," Fortier said of the drive leading up to Henderson's pick. "Jaylin broke on that ball and made a great play and then took it to the house. That just changed our energy, and there was so much confidence out there with us."

That didn't immediately spark Shelby (3-2, 2-2 WMC Rivers) offensively - its next drive was a three-and-out - but when Hesperia took the ball to the Tiger 32, Isaac Garcia delivered this time, grabbing a pass and going 70 yards to pay dirt. Trevor Weiss nabbed a 60-yard pick-six just two plays later.

Hesperia got off the mat after that turn of events and responded with a touchdown drive - Tucker Bolles hit Ben Westendorf for a 52-yard score - but the Tiger offense, which to that point hadn't gotten a first down, finally came alive with a scoring drive of their own. Garcia hit Henderson for a 35-yard pass, and a few plays later it was that combo connecting again for a three-yard score.

Shelby's usual two-quarterback system was really just one Friday, with Garcia recording all but one of the team's pass attempts - he threw for 77 yards - but Henderson made up for that by getting involved everywhere else, Fortier said.

"Jay's returning kicks. Jay's catching passes. Jay is intercepting and doing it all, and doing a great job of blocking on the edge," Fortier said. "Jaylin Henderson, you just love having athletes that can perform like that."

Shelby's defense largely stonewalled Hesperia the rest of the way after that first touchdown drive, thanks in no small part to the play of Ethan Viterna, who rang up 10 tackles. Hesperia had only 74 yards rushing. The Tigers put the game away with three more touchdown drives in succession following their first one.

"They couldn't run the ball against us," Fortier said. "We were stout. We made a change at linebacker, and that seemed to work out really well. Ethan Viterna had a huge game.

"It was exactly what we want homecoming to be for our fans and our alumni...We were disciplined, we were determined, we were unselfish, and we gave great effort."

Brody Fessenden posted 97 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns.

The Panthers were without Dominic Rivera, which contributed to Shelby's defensive success as well. Still, Eli Edens had a nice game in his own right, with 100 total offensive yards. He also led the defense in tackles, with eight. Ryan Fuentes added seven. Bolles threw for 121 yards.

For Panthers' coach Tyler Fehler, seeing that Shelby has ascended to a competitive level after previously being a young, struggling bunch gives his team something to aspire to. Holton dropping to the eight-man game in football after three straight years of serving as a win on Hesperia's schedule made the climb even steeper, but Fehler believes his players have what it takes to make it. A challenging homecoming battle against Ravenna looms next.

"They are where we want to be in a few years, to be honest with you," Fehler said of Shelby. "We've got to go to work and take whatever it is like a man, and come out. Because the program's growing. We're doing what we can do, and the future is bright.

"The film is never as good as you thought, and it's never as bad as you thought. I don't think we're terribly far off. really. When you're young, you're not as big, you're not as fast, you're not as strong. I need to be a better coach in areas just to minimize the advantage other teams have."