By Staff
DETROIT – For the 10th time in 11 tries, the Mendon football team returned to southwestern lower Michigan with a state championship.
The Hornets (14-0) scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and come away with a 20-0 win over Traverse City St. Francis in the Division 7 title game.
Kyle Maurer rushed for 117 yards on 24 carries for the Hornets, who defeated Cassopolis in the district title game on its way to Ford Field in Detroit.
Mendon opened the scoring in the second quarter when C.J. Nightingale returned an interception 43-yards to give the Hornets a 7-0 lead after Phil Campbell kicked the extra point.
The game remained 7-0 until the fourth quarter when Maurer scored on a 1-yard run and quarterback Brian Baker scored on a 12-yard run.
Mendon finished with 227 yards of total offense, including 162 yards on the ground.
St. Francis (12-2) had 189 yards in total offense. Traverse City had just 13 yards passing, but rushed for 211 yards.
In other games on Saturday, Macomb Dakota won the Division 1 final with a 41-21 victory over Livonia Stevenson; in Division 3, East Grand Rapids edged Orchard Lake St. Mary's in the longest game in state finals history, 46-39 in five overtimes; and Menominee and its single wing formation defeated Jackson Lumen Christi 21-7.
Lumen Christi knocked Buchanan out of the playoffs in the Division 5 district finals.
On Friday, Detroit Martin Luther King defeated Midland 47-21 to win the Division 2 state title; Marine City defeated Detroit Country Day to win the Division 4 championship, 21-7; Saginaw Nouvel edged Blissfield in the Division 6 final, 12-7; and Crystal Falls Forest Park nipped Fulton-Middleton 22-14 for the Division 8 championship.
Division 7 Championship Game
Mendon 0 7 0 13 – 20
Traverse City S.F. 0 0 0 0 – 0
M – C.J. Nightingale 43 interception return (Phil Campbell kick),
M – Kyle Maurer 1 run (kick blocked)
M – Brian Baker 12 run (Campbell kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Mendon-Kyle Maurer 24-117; C.J. Nightingale 6-35; Brian Baker 4-8; Gabe Frisbie 1-3; Jordan Higgins 1-minus 1. Traverse City S.F.-Dan Brick 17-97; Andrew Rushlow 17-81; Jacob Schell 6-9; Grant Robb 2-3; Jack Gallagher 1-minus 1; Corey Williams 1-minus 3; S. Ambrosius 2-minus 4; TEAM 1-minus 6
Passing: Mendon-Brian Baker 4-11-0-65. Traverse City S.F.-S. Ambrosius 1-9-2-13; Corey Williams 0-3-0-0; Dan Brick 0-0-0-0
Receiving: Mendon-Phil Campbell 3-64; C.J. Nightingale 1-1 Traverse City S.F.-S. Wheelock 1-13
Interceptions: Mendon-C.J. Nightingale 1-43; Phil Campbell 1-0.Traverse City S.F.-None
Fumbles: Mendon-Brian Baker 3-2. Traverse City S.F.-Corey Williams 1-0; TEAM 1-1; Jacob Schell 1-1; S. Ambrosius 1-1