Logan Hengesbach wants to see the replay.
Not that he disputes the touchdown, he just couldn’t remember how he was able to get his hands on the ball.
With Pewamo-Westphalia leading, 7-0, in the third quarter of the Division 7 final, Hengesbach streaked down the right sideline, looked back to see the ball coming off the throwing arm of Jimmy Lehman, then jumped as high as he could. Somehow the pass went through the hands of the Detroit Loyola defender and into Hengesbach’s grasp for a 37-yard touchdown — his second of the game — and a 14-0 lead.
►Related: Pewamo-Westphalia takes Division 7 title over Detroit Loyola
“It’s all a blur to me, I don’t really know,” Hengesback said about whether or not he took the ball away from the defender. “I want to look at the video I guess. All I remember is I caught it. I actually thought I was down. I didn’t think I scored, but then I looked over at the ref and he put his hands up.”
Two Loyola series later, Hengesbach used his leaping skills to go just as high and steal an interception at the 3-yard line to stop a possible Loyola comeback.
The 6-foot-2 Hengesbach said he is looking forward to basketball season starting on Monday, where he hopes to grab many rebounds — but none are likely to be as memorable as his gridiron heroics at Ford Field.
■Masters of disguise: Pewamo-Westphalia’s platooning quarterback system is hard enough for opposing defenses to defend, but similar jersey numbers add to the Pirates’ strategy. Senior starter Ryan Smith wears No. 3 and junior Lehman wears No. 8.
“I think even the announcer screwed up our names a lot,” Lehman said of the P.A. broadcaster at Ford Field. “I don’t know if it effects the other teams because of our size difference (Lehman is 6-foot-4), but if our numbers confuse the other teams, all the better.
“I wanted number 9, but they only had 8 so I took it.”
■Record day: Liam Putz kicked off a record day in the Division 5 final when the Grand Rapids West Catholic kicker nailed a low line-drive field goal from 47 yards, besting the prior longest field goal of Traverse City’s Josh Wuerful by 1 yard (it was later topped by Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Ben Fee, who kicked a 49 yarder in the Division 4 title game).
►Related: GR West Catholic blows by Menominee in Division 5 title game
West Catholic also became just the fourth team to win its fourth-consecutive state title.
A 91-yard touchdown reception by West Catholic’s Brett Meyers became the fourth-longest completed pass in state finals’ history. It beat the longest run from scrimmage, which is 90 yards.
Menominee set a record as well on a second field goal attempt by West Catholic. The 42-yard try early in the third quarter was blocked by the Maroons’ Sam Larson, then returned 76 yards by Hunter Haas. It was the first-ever blocked kick returned for a TD in state finals history.
■Home sweet home? West Catholic didn’t need home-field advantage during its playoff run. The Falcons won their first three games — including victories over No. 1-ranked Portland and No. 3-ranked Lansing Catholic — on the road, plus neutral game sites in the semifinals and finals at Ford Field.
Photo gallery: Div. 6: Grand Rapids West Catholic 43, Menominee 7
Pewamo-Westphalia’s Logan Hengesbach makes one of his two touchdown receptions in the Division 7 state final Saturday at Ford Field.