Cassopolis' DaShaun Curtis gets past a Mendon defender Saturday afternoon in the Divison 7 playoffs. The Hornets defeated the Rangers, 49-0. (Daily Star photo/SCOTT NOVAK)

By SCOTT NOVAK
Niles Daily Star

MENDON – When host Mendon was done handing his Cassopolis football team a 49-0 setback in the opening round of the Division 7 football playoffs on Saturday, the Rangers’ Andy Hubbard was asked how good the Hornets were.

“Better than advertised,” responded Hubbard, who also saw his team defeated by Mendon in 2007 in a district final.

Mendon (10-0) took control of the game early on and using a first quarter wind to its advantage, built up a 14-0 advantage on the Rangers.

The lead reached 28-0 at halftime and 42-0 heading into the final quarter with a running clock.

“I thought, for the most part, our kids played hard and didn’t hang their heads,” Hubbard said. “They’re just a better football team than us.”

And added dimension to the Hornets’ offense was a passing game, which accounted for the first two touchdowns and bailed Mendon out of a couple of third and longs later in the game to keep Cassopolis (6-4) from building any type of momentum.

CJ Nightingale, who was a running back the last time these two schools met, threw a 24-yard scoring strike to Tim Slaughter to open the scoring.

Nightingale then found Dylan Andrews for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 after Logan Ahrens hit the second of his seven extra point kicks.

In the second quarter, after having to go into the wind, Mendon went to the ground game and was just as effective.

Cody Bingaman and Jordan Higgins scored on runs of 1- and 5-yards to give the Hornets a commanding lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

There was more of the same from the Hornets in the second half as they opened up with the wind and rain in their faces.

Tanner Cook scored on a 24-yard run and Higgins tallied for the second time on a run of 16-yards as the lead reached 42 and the rest of the contest was played with a running clock.

Mendon scored once in the fourth quarter as reserve running back Nic Huff found the end zone from 18-yards out.

In the end, the Hornets had 280 yards on the ground and another 112 yards threw the air as Nightingale was 5-of-5.

Defensively, Mendon limited the Rangers to just 150 yards in total offense.

The Hornets picked up their eighth shutout of the season and have now outscored their opponents 449-21.

Cassopolis’ all-time leading rusher DaShaun Curtis, who was held to 25 yards by Mendon back in 2007, rushed for 98 yards on 22 carries. Curtis finishes his four-year varsity career with 5,450 yards and 82 touchdowns.

Curtis’ rushing total is ninth best in the state of Michigan, while his touchdown tally is 13 best.

Cassopolis 0 0 0 – 0
Mendon 14 14 14 7 – 49
M – Tim Slaughter 24 pass from CJ Nightingale (Logan Ahrens kick)
M – Dylan Andrews 31 pass from Nightingale (Ahrens kick)
M – Cody Bingaman 1 run (Ahrens kick)
M – Jordan Higgins 5 run (Ahrens kick)
M – Tanner Cook 24 run (Ahrens kick)
M – Higgins 16 run (Ahrens kick)
M – Nic Huff 18 run (Ahrens kick)