Dowagiac falls to Comstock

Published 10:56 am Monday, September 25, 2006

By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
KALAMAZOO – In a word, Friday night's showdown between Dowagiac and host Comstock was strange.
More than two hours worth of lightning delays, rain and wind only added to the drama of the battle for first place in the Wolverine Conference.
When all was said and done, at approximately 11:20 p.m., the Colts grabbed a 34-20 victory.
The loss was the first of the season for the Chieftains, who take their 4-1 record to Plainwell this Friday night.
Comstock, which was picked to finish eighth in the league by the coaches, improved to 5-0.
The Chieftains turned the ball over five times in the contest – three fumbles and two interceptions.
The Colts took advantage of all of those mistakes. The final Chieftain miscue, a blocked punt, allowed Brandon Richstad to seal the victory with a 6-yard touchdown run.
Dowagiac got on the board first when Jamie Simpson scored on a 37-yard run.
Comstock tied the score at 7-7 with a 44-yard pass from Tyler Burke to Nate White.
Comstock then took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter when Burke hit Patton with a 35-yard scoring strike.
Dowagiac tied the score at 14-14 when Jake Shelton capped off a Chieftain drive with a 2-yard run.
Tony Black was good on both extra points kicks to complete the first half scoring for Dowagiac.
The Colts grabbed the halftime lead when Chris Perin caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Burke.
As halftime began, lighting moved into the area. The teams were already headed to the locker room and the fans headed for their cars in the parking lot.
After nearly an hour and a half delay, the teams came back out on the field and played almost two minutes before lighting was seen in the area again.
Dowagiac was driving down the field when the game was halted for a second time, with the Chieftains at the Comstock 16-yard line.
The officials on the field announced that the game was suspended.
They told the coaches the game would resume on Saturday afternoon. The coaches then told the fans in the stands, many of which headed home.
But the athletic directors informed the officials and the coaches that the game would be continued, if possible, on Friday night.
After the mandatory 30-minute delay, the game resumed, with only a handful of fans in either stands.
Dowagiac finished its drive with a Mike Laylin 8-yard touchdown run. The extra point kick, however, was blocked, leaving Comstock ahead by a point, 21-20.
On the first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, Rickstad went untouched through the middle of the Dowagiac defense for a 70-yard touchdown. The extra point was good and Comstock had upped its advantage to 28-20.
"Our defensive game plan was to not give up big plays and we gave up three of them," Dowagiac coach Mike Stanger said. "We also wanted to eliminate turnovers, and we had five of them. The big plays and the turnovers absolutely killed us."
Stanger noted that his team did not play that badly.
"When we held onto the football they couldn't stop us," Stanger added. "The good news is that all of the mistakes we made are correctable errors. We contolled the line of scrimmage. Our offensive line pounded bumps on them and our backs punished them."
The Chieftains moved the ball well against Comstock when it could hold on to the football. Dowagiac finished with 310 yards rushing, led by Shelton's 139 yards on 21 carries. Simpson finished with 89 yards on 12 rushes, while Laylin had 75 yards on three attempts.
The Chieftains had just 18 yards through the air as Nick File was 2-of-9 with two interceptions.
Comstock ran for 168 yards and threw for another 165 yards.
Rickstad finished with 175 yards on 27 carries. Burke was 9-of-22 with two interceptions and three touchdowns.
Stanger said that last year when Dowagiac lost three straight games after winning its first three contests, the Chieftains were unable to compete with Marshall and Lakeshore.
He didn't have that feeling after falling to the Colts.
"We were physically outmatched by those two teams last year," he said. "We just couldn't move the ball against them. Friday night, we moved the ball on them. We stopped ourselves with the turnovers. We may get a chance to see them again in the playoffs."
There were some scary moments for the Chieftains during the halftime delay.
Reserve lineman John Goodman, who is out with a broken foot, had trouble breathing in the locker room.
Goodman was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo where it was discovered he had blood clots in his lungs and legs.
Goodman remains in intensive care receiving treatment.
Dowagiac 7 7 6 0 – 20
Comstock 7 14 7 6 – 34
D – Jamie Simpson 37 yd run (Tony Black kick)
C – Nate White 44 yd pass from Tyler Burke (kick good)
C – Bobbie Patton 35 yd pass from Burke (kick good)
D – Jake Shelton 2 yd run (Black kick)
C – Chris Perin 12 yd pass from Burke (kick good)
D – Mike Laylin 8 yd run (kick blocked)
C – Brandon Rickstad 70 yd run (kick good)
C – Rickstad 6 yd run (kick blocked)