By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | C&G Newspapers | Published September 23, 2024
STERLING HEIGHTS — Macomb Dakota senior Jacob Bajis had made his mark on the defensive side of the ball all night on Sept. 20. Bajis led the Cougars with five solo tackles as Dakota (4-0) sealed a 24-9 win against Macomb Area Conference Red rival Sterling Heights Stevenson (3-1) at Stevenson High School.
And when the Titans attempted an onside kick with just under three minutes left to play, Bajis, a hybrid linebacker/defensive back, showed off his breakaway speed as he corralled the ball and jetted down the left side of the field for a 50-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
“I’m a linebacker and I don’t get to play offense a lot, so once I got that ball I knew I had to make a play,” Bajis said.
Dakota coach Greg Baur said it wasn’t exactly the game plan he had in mind for his recovery team, but said he couldn’t argue the results.
“I was hoping he was going to catch it and fall on it, but then I saw him running down the sideline,” Baur said. “I didn’t think he had enough to get there. He surprised me a little bit there.”
Bajis’ score sealed the victory for Dakota, beating a Stevenson team the Cougars last suffered a loss to in 2021.
The story of the season for Dakota so far has been the impressive play of senior running back/linebacker Brady Hamby, and he continued to show why he’s one of the most physically dominant backs in the state.
Rushing for 150 yards on 16 carries and a score, Hamby got Dakota on the board first with a 5-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes left in the second quarter.
A 28-yard rush by Hamby in the middle of the third quarter would set up a 32-yard touchdown connection from senior quarterback Jadon Ford to sophomore wideout Elijah Goins to give Dakota a 14-3 lead.
Every time Hamby’s number was called to convert on a big run, he got the job done, which is why Baur said he feels he’s one of the top players around.
“He’s our horse,” Baur said. “He’ll do whatever it takes to win and he’ll play every snap if we ask him to. Hopefully we don’t have to ask him to, but he’s one of those guys that, I think, is a player of the year candidate in Michigan. Some other guys have these five-star offers, but if you want to win a football game, Brady Hamby is the guy you want on your team.”
Defensively, the Cougars’ front seven didn’t allow Stevenson junior quarterback Andrew Knight Jr. to have a second of comfort, collecting 4.5 sacks courtesy of senior Di’Mari Malone (1), senior Tyler Torey (1), senior Logan Criteser (1.5), senior Dylan Beitelshees (.5), and Aidan Lindsay (0.5).
Malone also forced a fumble as he exploded off the right side and went untouched towards Knight as Lindsay jumped on the recovery.
Anytime you’re facing a dual-threat like Knight, there’s an extra emphasis on strategizing defensively, but Baur said he trusts his veteran group to get the job done.
“You got to contain Knight; he’s electric,” Baur said. “Our D-line is our strength and we kind of rely on that. Our front seven is our strength, and we feel like we can stop the run against most people. Trying to contain him is a chore, but we did the best we could.”
The Stevenson offense had its opportunities throughout the night, but the leg of junior kicker Pawel Surowiec would be the only points the Titans offense would see as he buried field goals of 21, 43, and 48 yards.
Down 17-6 with five minutes left in the fourth, Knight scrambled down the left sideline for a would-be 43-yard touchdown run, but a Titans’ holding penalty would force Stevenson to settle for three.
When the Dakota defense needed to anchor down, they made it happen while the Stevenson offense simply struggled to get into the end zone.
Dakota junior kicker Austin Aranowski had a 43-yard field goal of his own in the win.
Dakota, now tied with Utica Eisenhower for first in the MAC Red at 2-0, will next host Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (1-3) while Stevenson will look to rebound in a home matchup against Utica Eisenhower (4-0).
Call Staff Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090.