INDIAN RIVER — The Gaylord St. Mary freight train keeps rolling along.
Behind another highly efficient offensive performance and an elite defensive showing, the Snowbirds rolled to a perfect 9-0 regular season by thumping Inland Lakes 54-6 in a Week 9 showdown at Shanley Field in Indian River.
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Here's some takeaways from Friday's regular season finale.
Greenier, Snowbirds dominate
Moments before Friday's contest began, you could hear Snowbirds — whether it was players or coaches — yelling some words they've likely lived by all season.
"Show no mercy," shouted those Snowbirds.
It's safe to say the Snowbirds (9-0) didn't show much mercy against the Bulldogs (5-4), pummeling them with a superb rushing performance that featured a game-high five touchdown runs from 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior Logan Greenier and another two from junior quarterback Nathan O'Connell.
Prior to their victory formation that ran out the clock, the Snowbirds scored on every single offensive possession they had. While they didn't see the ball much in the first quarter, they capped off a lengthy drive by striking first with a short TD run from O'Connell, followed by a successful two-point conversion that made it 8-0 with 10:59 left in the second quarter. St. Mary made the most of its other two first-half possessions, which resulted in a short TD run from Greenier that capped off a 63-yard drive. Greenier finished off an excellent first half by powering himself into the end zone for a second time, helping the Snowbirds push their lead to 22-0 by halftime.
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The Greenier show continued in the third as he scored TD runs of 35 and 50 yards and later added a fourth-quarter score to seal an exceptional offensive performance.
While GSM's skill players did their part, so did their offensive lineman, consisting of Charlie Cameron, Adam Wahl and others who opened up big holes for O'Connell and Greenier all night.
Adding a late interception for GSM was Eli Switalski.
Bulldogs struggle to generate points
Like the Pickford game two weeks ago, Inland Lakes came in with a game plan of ball control and running the ball effectively. While the Bulldogs showed promise with their rushing attack in the opening half, they couldn't capitalize on their first couple of possessions against a St. Mary defense that stood tall throughout the night.
Trailing 30-0 in the third quarter, the Bulldogs finally got on the board when senior quarterback Landon Fenstermaker broke loose for a 41-yard TD scamper. However, those were the only points scored by the Bulldogs against the defense of the Snowbirds, which surrendered a combined 14 points during the regular season.
GSM gets monkey off its back, looks like title favorite
Since 2021, the Snowbirds had dropped five consecutive contests against the Bulldogs, with each of those matchups determining the Ski Valley 8-Player Conference.
For St. Mary, it was about exorcising those demons and going into the playoffs with an edge.
Not only did the Snowbirds get the Inland Lakes monkey off their back, they did so in emphatic fashion by dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
For the Snowbirds, it was their first victory over Inland Lakes since the 2018 season.
By outscoring powerhouses Pickford and Inland Lakes by a combined margin of 96-6 over the past two weeks, the Snowbirds showed that they just might be the clear favorite in the MHSAA 8-Player Division 2 state title race.
Playoffs for both?
With a 9-0 regular season achieved, St. Mary will surely be a No. 1 seed and host a first-round playoff game.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if the Bulldogs make the postseason. Despite falling to St. Mary, Pickford, St. Ignace and Rudyard, Inland Lakes still has a solid shot to make it, especially after beating Rogers City in Week 8.
Both teams will find out their playoff fates when pairings are announced by the MHSAA at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Greenier, Gaylord St. Mary cruise to Week 9 victory at Inland Lakes