St. Joseph closed its regular season at Dickinson Stadium against undefeated Portage Central, where the visiting Mustangs proved why they are one of Michigan’s top-ranked Division 2 teams. The Bears fell 40-8 in their regular season finale, as Portage Central’s ground game established control early, taking a 16-0 first-quarter lead and never looking back. St. Joe’s defense battled throughout the night, led by Nate Schmitt with 11 tackles and Joe Zarotney adding eight, but the Mustangs’ rushing attack — highlighted by three touchdowns from Cam Noe — kept the Bears on their heels.

The Bears’ offense struggled to find rhythm against a dominant Portage Central front that limited them to 157 rushing yards and just one completed pass on nine attempts. Running back Ish Dixon led the St. Joseph effort with 75 yards on 17 carries, while Ethan Mellott and Brayden Malone added key runs to sustain drives in the second half. A first-half interception and several stalled drives deep in their own territory allowed Portage Central to build a 24-0 halftime advantage that St. Joe could not overcome.

Despite the scoreline, the Bears showed resilience in the fourth quarter, piecing together a determined 12-play, 63-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Ethan Mellott. Senior Jace Hopkins added the two-point conversion to put St. Joe on the board and cap an otherwise difficult night on a positive note. The Bears’ ability to sustain a late scoring drive against the top-ranked Mustangs reflected their fight and leadership, even with the game out of reach.

With the loss, St. Joseph finishes the regular season at 5-4, an impressive turnaround after a challenging midseason stretch. The Bears will now wait for the MHSAA playoff pairings, which will be announced Sunday evening, to learn their postseason destination and opponent.  The Bears playoff game will be heard on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM.