By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
BENTON HARBOR – Senior Ben Brandstatter capped off a brillant career for the Niles Vikings Friday night.
Brandstatter ran for 228 yards on 22 carries and scored five touchdowns as the Vikings concluded the 2007 campaign with a 49-0 Big 16 West Division victory over Benton Harbor.
Brandstatter averaged a whopping 10.3 yards per carry Friday night.
He scored on runs of 1- and 2-yards in the opening quarter as Niles (4-5) took a 14-0 lead in the cold, wet and windy conditions at Filstrup Field.
Brandstatter scored on runs of 23- and 80-yards in the second quarter as the Vikings increased their advantage to 28-0 by halftime.
While the Vikings' offense was in high gear, the defense was keeping the Tigers in check and providing Niles with great field position, often on the Benton Harbor side of the 50-yard line.
The Niles defense had five negative yardage plays against the Tigers in the opening quarter alone and forced a fumble.
In the second quarter, the Vikings forced the Tigers into four more negative yardage plays.
Niles came out and drove down the field to take a 35-0 lead when Brandstatter capped his night with an 18-yard touchdown run, which put the game under the mercy rule.
With a running clock, the Vikings were able to score two more touchdowns as Trevor Ernsberg found paydirt from a yard out and Asaad Alis completed the scoring with a 1-yard run.
Ernsberger's run came after Benton Harbor fumbled a kickoff and the Vikings recovered at the Tigers' 5-yard line.
In the third quarter Niles' Adarian Hayes intercepted a pass, while in the final quarter, Brandstatter picked off a pass.
The Vikings finished the night with 295 yards rushing. Niles probably would have racked up many more yards, but played on a short field most of the evening.
Defensively, Niles limited Benton Harbor to just 30 yards in total offense.
Niles 14 14 21 0 – 49
Benton Harbor 0 0 0 0 – 0
N – Ben Brandstatter 1 run (Colin Freas kick)
N – Brandstatter 2 run (Freas kick)
N – Brandstatter 23 run (Freas kick)
N – Brandstatter 80 run (Freas kick)
N – Brandstatter 18 run (Freas kick)
N – Trevor Ernsberger 1 run (Freas kick)
N – Asaad Ali 1 run (Freas kick)