ST. JOSEPH – Visiting Brandywine used a punishing ground game to hand Lake Michigan Catholic its first loss of the season Friday.

Courtlan Gordon, Marty Ward and Trevor Jones each played a key role in the Bobcats’ dominating 39-14 victory over the Lakers.

The win moved Brandywine 5-2 within a game of qualifying for the post season for the first time in a decade.

Gordon, who rushed for 1185 yards on 25 carries, had four touchdowns in the game and now has 17 on the season. Gordon scored on runs of five, two, 10 and 11 yards.

Ward added 129 yards on 17 carries.

After Lake Michigan (6-1) took a 7-6 lead in the opening quarter on a Jack Hardman 11-yard run, the Bobcats rolled off 33 straight points to open up a 39-7 advantage. Gordon’s 2-yard run in the second quarter gave Brandywine a 12-7 lead that it would never relinquish.

The Bobcats scored 27 second half points to put the game out of reach.

Jones scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns on runs of one and 13 yards.

Brandywine finished with 363 yards of total offense, of which 341 came on the ground. Lake Michigan was held to 238 total yards, with Ward getting credit for 10 stops.

“Marty Ward had a heck of a game on both sides of the ball,” Brandywine coach Mike Nate said. “It was a good win for us.”

 

Brandywine 6 6 14 13 – 39

Lake Michigan 7 0 0 7 – 14

B – Courtlan Gordon 5 run (run failed)

LMC – Jack Hardman 11 run (Austin Froberg kick)

B – Gordon 2 run (pass failed)

B – Gordon 10 run (Gordon run)

B – Gordon 11 run (run failed)

B – Trevor Jones 1 run (kick failed)

B – Jones 13 run (Michael Newark kick)

LMC – Hardman 2 run (Froberg kick)