By TOM NYHUIS
Niles Daily Star

BRONSON – Failure to cash in on opportunities given them the Buchanan varsity football team dropped a non-league football contest Thursday evening at Bronson.

The host Vikings (2-0) scored all 26 of their points in the first half and then held off the Bucks (0-2) in the second half for the 26-14 win.

Buchanan’s touchdowns came as they crossed into the end zone on their first possession of each half.

Bronson opened the game with a 17 play 85-yard drive eating up eight and a half minutes in the process capped off by a 4-yard run by the games leading rusher Mario Hernandez. Hernandez carried the ball for 140 of the Vikings 225 rushing yards.

Buchanan responded to the score with a drive of their own taking the ball 61-yards in 11 plays finished off by a nifty end around run by Spencer Anglero fighting off the defenders the final five yards of the 7-yard run to hit pay-dirt and knotting the game at seven after Ryan Catalano’s first of two point after kicks. Buchanan running back Cordel Johnson picked up 30 of his team high 116 rushing yards in the drive.

It didn’t take long for Bronson to regain the lead. Two plays into the Vikings second drive of the night Bronson quarterback Josh Czajkowski connected with Tony Myers for a 68-yard scoring pass and a 13-7 lead.

A quick four and out by the Bucks once again led to another Viking score. Again it was Czajkowski hitting his receiver Mickey Allaman for a 20-yard pass to finish an eight play 63-yard drive and a 19-7 advantage.

After another stalled drive the Bucks punted the ball away pinning the Vikings deep. Four plays later Bronson connected on another big pass play with Czajkowski hooking up with Myers once again for a play that covered 69-yards to take a 26-7 lead with 24 second to play in the first half.

Coach Joe Austin’s club came out fired up in the second half to score their second touchdown of the game with a quick five play, 52-yard drive. Bryan Kuntz hit Marquis Tyler in the end zone for a 10-yard strike and close the margin to 26-14.

This pumped up the defense as they finally came up with a stop of the Vikings offense to force a four and out. Nick Troxel sacked Czajkowski for an 11-yard loss. Buchanan couldn’t convert on their next dive punting the ball back to the Vikings.

Again the Vikings were putting together another good drive until Hernandez coughed up the ball and Kuntz was able to scoop up the ball and return it to the Bucks 30.

A 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Bucks sideline pushed the ball back to the 45 along with an illegal procedure penalty the great opportunity quickly dissolved.

In the Vikings next drive Hernandez again turned the ball over on a fumble with David Sokolowski covering up the ball at the Bucks 47 yard line as the third quarter came to a close. Buchanan could only move the ball 4-yards before giving the ball back to the Vikings. “We had our chances and we played a good second half and we let them get to many points early on, some cheap scores,” Austin said. “We played a much better second half.”

Buchanan’s final scoring opportunity of the night came after Johnson broke free for a 53-yard run up the middle of the Viking defense. Johnson was dragged down at the five to give the Bucks a first and goal at the five. Two consecutive penalties pushed the ball back to the 25-yard line and the handed the ball back to the Viking for the final two minutes of the game.

“We lost a lot of yardage and that killed us,” Austin said. “We had some kids step it up and we pretty much shut them down in the second half. They put up 41 last week and they have some fast backs. That opening drive was 17 plays and not to many high school teams are going to have 17 play drives and not mak3 any errors and they showed that they are a good team.”

Bronson finished the night with 399 total yards of offense while Buchanan picked up 232, 129 on the ground, and Kuntz hitting 9-of-19 for 103 yards passing. Tyler Ganus had three catches for 38 yards for Buchanan.

Buchanan will travel to Bridgman (1-1) next Friday as they open Lakeland Conference against the Bees at 7 p.m.

Buchanan  0 7 7 0 – 14
Bronson 7 19 0 0 – 26
BR- Mario Hernandez 4 run (Mickey Allaman kick)
BU- Spencer Anglero 7 run (Ryan Catalano kick)
BR- Josh Czajkowski to Allaman 68 pass (kick failed)
BR- Czajkowski to Tony Myers 20 pass (run failed)
BR- Czajkowski to Myers 69 pass (Allaman kick)
BU- Bryan Kuntz to Marquis Tyler 10 pass (Catalano kick)