Brandon’s varsity football team stood their ground and knocked off the defending league champions Sept. 9.
Ryan Smith’s 48-yard interception return in the fourth quarter set up a 20-yard touchdown run by Andrew Hyde with 8:25 left in the quarter as the visiting Blackhawks defeated Lapeer East 27-20 in their Flint Metro League opener
Brandon improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
The Blackhawks secured the victory when they stopped the Eagles on fourth-and-goal from the Brandon 4-yard-line with 2:14 left.
Darryl Goodrich keyed a potent Brandon rushing attack with 131 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns scored. As a team, the Blackhawks rushed for 293 yards on 52 carries.
Brandon coach Ron Gill said the Blackhawks? offensive line deserved a lot of the credit for the team’s success on the ground.
‘It all goes to the men up front,? he said. ‘They controlled the line of scrimmage, and when you do that, ultimately you control the outcome of the game.
Goodrich scored the Blackhawks? first touchdown of the game on a one-yard run in the first quarter.
After Lapeer East tied the game at seven toward the end of the first quarter, Josh Ellett put Brandon back ahead 14-7 with a seven-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Ellett contributed 56 yards on 12 carries for the Blackhawks. Brandon also received ground contributions from Josh Polasek (two carries, 38 yards); Hyde (four carries, 32 yards); Sean Montgomery (six carries, 24 yards); and Zach LaFlamme (four carries, 12 yards).
The Eagles scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 20-14 lead, but the Blackhawks tied the game later in the third as Goodrich scored his second touchdown of the game on a nine-yard touchdown run.
The score remained tied at 20 until Smith’s interception set up Hyde’s winning touchdown.
Gill said the win was a tribute to the Blackhawks? perseverance.
‘We got down in a hurry in the second half,? he said. ‘It showed a lot of character on their part to come back.?
Gill also said the win will help the Blackhawks down the road because ‘sometimes things don’t always go your way. They can draw back upon that experience, and keep working hard each and every play.?
Montgomery completed 6-of-8 passes for 59 yards for the Blackhawks, while Craig Mahaffy led Brandon in receiving with three catches for 41 yards.
Hyde led the Blackhawks defense with 11 tackles, with Smith adding nine, Matt Collier eight and Ellett seven. Smith also had two interceptions, while Andy Anzures had one interception.
Collier, Ellett, and David Dew all had quarterback sacks for the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks had a stiff test upcoming on Sept. 16, as they hosted Linden in Flint Metro action. The Eagles were 3-0 overall and 1-0 in league play as of press time, having defeated Lapeer West 34-12 on Sept. 9.
Brandon’s next game is Sept. 23, when they travel to Oxford for a Flint Metro league matchup. The Wildcats are currently 1-2 overall and 1-0 in league play after a 47-14 win against Holly Sept. 9.
Last season, the Wildcats went 6-4 overall and 4-2 in league play, good for a second-place tie. Oxford qualified for the state playoffs, but lost to Davison 27-7 in first-round action.
Oxford has defeated Brandon all three years the Blackhawks have been in the Flint Metro. The Wildcats won 24-14 in 2004; 31-14 in 2003; and 27-21 in 2002.