CLARE, MI – It was a dig-deep kind of play.

And Grand Rapids West Catholic found what it was looking for.

Unleashing an inner spark for the game’s most pivotal play – and each play that followed – West Catholic finished strong for a grueling 34-24 victory over Ogemaw Heights in the Division 5 state semifinal.

“It felt like we found our heart, and that made all the difference,” West Catholic senior Connor Olszewski said. “We were all saying ‘We can’t go out like this’ and we finally got it going.”

The victory propels one of the state’s great high school football powers back to Ford Field for the D5 state championship game. Seeking their eighth state title in program history, the Falcons take on Pontiac Notre Dame at 4 p.m. Sunday at the home of the Detroit Lions.

It took a gutsy finis

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