By By STEVE MORRISON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The weather and Brandywine's defense stopped the Bridgman Bees cold at Brandywine High School on Friday night as the seniors closed out their careers at home with a 41-12 win that evened the Bobcats season at 4-4.
Caleb Frazier scored three touchdowns in the rout, while racking up 143 rushing yards on 11 carries.
The rushing of Frazier, Joshoil Benjamin and Brett Gilpin was too much for the Bees to handle.
"Our running game is our bread and butter," declared a pleased Terry Borr, Brandywine's head coach.
Brandywine took the opening kickoff and sustained a 15-play drive, highlighted by an 18-yard gainer by Gilpin on a third down, delayed handoff from quarterback Joel Perry; a 22-yard first down blast by Benjamin, and a 5-yard explosion from Benjamin to cap it off.
After Greg Beaver connected with the conversion, Brandywine never looked back. Frazier tallied a second touchdown to close out the first quarter, putting up the home team 14-0 after the kick.
Bridgman quarterback Nick Sweet was the only offensive threat of the night, with his feet and his arm. However he didn't start out too well. He completed his first throw for no gain to running back Tim Foster. His next aerial went right through the hands of intended receiver Caleb Bacon into the waiting hands of Bobcat defensive back Danny Williams for an interception to end the first quarter.
Brandywine took just two plays into the next period to post a second touchdown on the board. After Daniel Eaglebarger recovered a careless lateral, Frazier swept around end for a 42-yard trip to the green pasture of success. Frazier, when allowed to get outside was a wunderkind that the Bridgman defense couldn't figure out.
Sweet had returned the kickoff 37-yards. Bridgman finally got its initial first down of the game when Sweet hooked up with Vince Giancana for 15-yards on a fourth down play.
After four more plays netted nothing, Brandywine took over on downs. Some changes in the offensive approach got the Cats in a little trouble. Seven plays into that drive, Benjamin rambled for 25 yards and it looked like a runaway score. Two plays later the outlook changed when Perry fumbled while going for the kill with just under two minutes remaining in the half.
Sweet turned it loose in the air. Completing all five passes during a 10-play assault he put the Bees on the marquis with an 11-yard strike to Bacon for a touchdown,with just 34 ticks remaining in the half.
The 2-point conversion run by Nick Wheeler was stopped short.
Brandywine touched the ball three times during the third quarter, but the Bobcats got the most mileage that they could possibly hope for.
At 6:41, Warren Watson picked off a Sweet pass and jetted 65-yards for a score.
The first play of Bridgman's next possession Frazier stole Sweet's errant toss and returned the ball 35-yards to the Bee's 2-yard line, where Perry took it in for an easy score.
The Bees took 18 plays, but they finally landed on the board again at 11:17 of the final segment when Scott Palenske, who had been little used until the second half plunged through from 1-yard out to make it 35-12 Brandywine.
Playing ball control, the Bobcats finished off the scoring with Frazier's 14 yard run with 8:41 left.
The 2-point conversion failed and the 41-12 advantage held by Brandywine stood until game's end.
"Before the game we talked with the kids about honoring their parents and playing for them, because they may not always be there," Borr commented. "The 'kids' sure must have made the parent's hearts warm on such a frigid night."
Bridgman 0 6 0 6 – 12
Brandywine 14 7 14 6 – 41
BW – Joshoil Benjamin 5 run (Greg Beaver kick)
BW – Caleb Frazier 27 run (Beaver kick)
BW – Frazier 42 run ; (Beaver kick)
BD – Bacon 11 pass from Sweet (two-point conversion failed)
BW – Warren Watson 75 interception return (Beaver kick)
BW – Perry 1 run;(Beaver kick)
BD – Scott Palenske 1 run (two-point conversion failed)
BW – Frazier 14 run (2-point conversion failed)