Although the Brandon varsity football team fell just short of qualifying for the state playoffs, it was still a landmark season for the Blackhawks.
In their last game of the season Oct. 21, the host Blackhawks defeated Flint Metro League rival Clio 48-20, finishing their season with a 5-4 overall record. Brandon also clinched fourth place in the Flint Metro with a 4-3 league record.
Linden won the Flint Metro this year with a 7-0 league record, while Lapeer West finished second (6-1) and Oxford third (5-2).
The Blackhawks? record this season is its best since the 2000 campaign, when Brandon went 9-2. It is also Brandon’s first winning season since that year.
‘I’m just so happy for the kids,? Brandon coach Ron Gill said. ‘They’ve worked so hard going back to the summer. I’m proud of them and I love them.?
Although Gill said the team was naturally disappointed to miss out on a playoff berth, he thinks this year is the start of better things to come.
‘As I told the seniors, they left the mark on the program,? he said. ‘I believe this will be the last time we miss the playoffs. The tribute goes to the seniors for making the season what it was.?
In addition to the team accomplishment, Brandon quarterback Sean Montgomery set a school milestone when he became the first quarterback in school history to pass for 1,000 yards in a season.
Montgomery passed for 126 yards and a touchdown against the Mustangs, and added 97 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
The Blackhawks started the game on a positive note when Josh Ellett recovered an onside kick during the opening kickoff.
However, Clio’s Troy Maskelis intercepted a pass by Montgomery, and then caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Adam Drabek with 9:12 left in the first. The Mustangs held a 6-0 lead after the point-after attempt failed.
That would be the last time Clio held a lead in the game. On Brandon’s next drive, running back Darryl Goodrich ran for a 12-yard touchdown with 6:31 left in the first, giving the Blackhawks a 7-6 lead after Jacob Hardy’s successful point-after attempt.
About two minutes later, the Blackhawks would strike again, as Montgomery connected with senior wide receiver Nick Toreli for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 4:13 left in the first. The touchdown put Brandon up 14-6 as the first quarter came to a close.
Montgomery would use his rushing abilities to extend Brandon’s lead, scoring a 39-yard touchdown on a quarterback keeper with 7:50 left in the second to put Brandon up 21-6.
Later in the second, Brandon junior Andrew Hyde intercepted a Drabek pass (Hyde’s second interception of the game) to set up an 11-yard touchdown run by Goodrich, putting the Blackhawks up 38-6 with 2:11 left in the first half.
The Blackhawks got the ball back once more before halftime, and made the most of it. Toreli took the handoff on a reverse and threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to senior Robert Speedy with 46 seconds left in the half, giving the Blackhawks a 35-6 halftime lead.
‘It was something we put in a couple weeks ago,? Gill said of the play. ‘We’ve been practicing it for three weeks. It was the right situation.?
Brandon picked up where they left off in the second half, as Montgomery ran 65 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the game with just 19 seconds expired in the third quarter, putting the Blackhawks up 42-6.
The Mustangs scored their second touchdown of the game with 3:22 left in the third, as Maskelis caught his second touchdown of the game, a 23-yard pass from Drabek, to trim the Brandon lead to 42-12.
Brandon senior Garrett Sans scored the Blackhawks? final touchdown of the game on a five-yard run with 1:11 left in the third to put Brandon up 48-12.
Clio’s Justin Jacob wrapped up the game’s scoring with a two-yard touchdown run with 8:57 left in the fourth quarter. However, it was not enough to overtake the Blackhawks.
Gill said as far as preparations for next season are concerned, the Blackhawks will emphasize weightlifting. He said many of the Blackhawks are in a physical education class (which involves weightlifting), and the weight room will be open after school for the team to use.
In addition, Gill said the team will be involved in spring passing leagues and doing the extra things that helped make this year’s team a success.
In that regard, nine Blackhawks were selected to the Flint Metro all-league team, four on offense and five on defense.
The offensive selections were: Toreli (second team wide receiver), center Matt Porter (second team), offensive lineman Owen Shoemaker (second team) and Montgomery (honorable mention quarterback).
The defensive picks were: Goodrich (second team defensive end), defensive lineman Marcus Pesavento (second team), linebacker Matt Collier (second team), defensive lineman David Dew (honorable mention) and defensive back Ryan Smith (honorable mention).