By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Finding a way to stop Coloma's Nick Mannino was no easy task for the Buchanan Bucks Friday night at Coloma as the Comets remain unbeaten this season improving to 6-0, 4-0 in the Lakeland with a 43-20 win over the now 4-2 Bucks.
Mannino rushed for 197 of the Comets 292 total yards in the game on 27 carries. When the Comets weren't running the ball, it was up in the air from quarterback Alex Garrod. Garrod was nearly perfect going 9-for-9 for 91 yards through the air.
The only blemish was an interception in the third quarter by Tim Mosier. The Bucks were unable to capitalize on the Comet's only miscue of the evening. Coloma was holding onto a 30-20 lead at that time.
Buchanan took an early 7-0 lead in the game with its opening drive of eight plays covering 59 yards after the opening kick off as Marquis Hall punched it in from the one. Coloma responded with a quick 4-play drive moving the ball 45-yards capped off with a 22 yard pass to Jake Bach from Garrod. Garrod ran in the point after and it was an 8-7 Comet lead.
Coloma made it a 16-7 advantage on another touchdown pass from Garrod to Joe Stonebraker. Buchanan remained in the game and trailed 16-14 after a 16 yard run around the right side into the endzone.
Josh Borr kicked his second of three PAT's of the night. Hall was limited to 65 yards rushing as the Bucks finished the night with 172 all purpose yards. Taylor Oake hit 5-of-10 for 76 yards with an interception in the game.
Buchanan's defense made its first stop of the night as Auston Ferris and Evan Cauffman sacked Garrod for a 7-yard loss forcing the Comets to punt the ball away.
Buchanan's next drive looked to be stopped, but an illegal participation penalty by the Comets gave the Bucks a new set of downs and made the Comets pay for their error.
Buchanan moved the ball down to the 1-yard line where Hall pushed it across giving the Bucks a 20-16 lead. Buchanan's defense was unable to stop Mannino in their final drive of the half with Mannino carrying the ball in 10 plays later for the 5-yard score and a 24-20 lead at the half.
"We were feeling pretty good about ourselves," Buchanan Joe Austin said following the setback. "They are a high potent scoring machine and we thought we were in pretty good. They came out and drove the field on us and we couldn't come up with the stop. Let's give credit to Coloma, they are a very physical team out there and their running backs just wouldn't go down. We were driving but then we just kind of ran out of gas. The better team won tonight."
The win seals a playoff spot for the Comets while the Bucks need to pick up at least two more wins in their final three games of the season to ensure a playoff bid.
Buchanan will host Edwardsburg next week for the Bucks homecoming game at Memorial field.
Buchanan 14 6 0 0 – 20
Coloma 16 8 6 13 – 43
B- Marquis Hall 1 run (Josh Borr kick)
C- Alex Garrod 22 pass to Jake Bach ( Garrod run)
C- Garrod 6 pass to Joe Stonebraker (Matt Kiser run)
B- Clinton Orr 16 run (Borr kick)
B- Hall 1 run (Borr kick)
C- Nick Mannino 5 run (Mannino run)
C- Garrod 4 run (pass failed)
C- Andrew Saltzman 1 run (run failed)
C- Garrod 5 run (Huston Harrison kick)