Cassopolis’ Austin Los (right) tries to haul in a pass against Bangor’s Andres Cardosa-Diaz during the first quarter Friday night. The Rangers defeated the Vikings 55-14. (Vigilant/Argus photo/SCOTT NOVAK)

By SCOTT NOVAK

Vigilant/Argus

The debut of new Cassopolis football coach Bernard Thomas was quite spectacular Friday night.

Tommy First caught a pair of touchdown passes, while Marcus Ruff, Nathan Hartline and Jaylin Lawson all scored scored a pair of rushing touchdowns in the Rangers’ 55-14 dismantling of visiting Bangor.

Expectations are high at Cassopolis for the hometown product Thomas and a team that has qualified for the playoffs each of the past four seasons.

And at least on Friday night, those expectations were met.

The Rangers scored early and often against the Vikings, who didn’t seem to have an answer for Cassopolis’ size or speed.

With 20 first quarter points on the scoreboard in the opening 12 minutes, the Rangers pinned their ears back and got after Bangor for the final three quarters, never letting them up for a breath of air.

“I am so proud of these guys,” Thomas, who coached Dowagiac to the 1990 state championship, said following the game. “I have been nervous all day. I mean this is a special situation for me to be back here at home and coaching the hometown team. We talked about coming out and playing to another level and shifting into high gear and just getting that killer instinct. When you have got teams down you’ve go to keep them down. These guys came out and they responded.”

Ruff got the scoring started with a bruising 39-yard run, which was followed by a Blaise Suseland kick.

Cassopolis put the ball up 15 times in the opening 30 minutes of play, something that may have surprised a few people.

First-year quarterback Dwayne Morgan connected on nine of those passes, including an 8-yard scoring strike to First that upped the Rangers’ advantage to 13-0 after a muffed snap cost Cassopolis the extra point.

“I came out and I guess I wanted to send a message that we would throw the ball,” Thomas said. “I felt if we could back them up (defensively) a little bit then it would open up our running game.”

But the Rangers made up for it less than two minutes later and as they capped a 20-point opening quarter with a 24-yard run by Lawson.

Bangor used a 71-yard reception from Ja’Bari Brazelton to set up its first half touchdown.

Moments later, Brazelton caught a 4-yard pass from Nik Abbott to cut the lead to 20-7.

Cassopolis responded quickly and any momentum that the Vikings may have been building disappeared when Hartline scored on a 55-yard run around the end to make it 27-7 after another Suseland extra point.

The Rangers defense gave up a few big plays, but picked off Abbott three times in the second quarter and consistently stuffed the run.

Grabbing interceptions were Lawson, Tyrone Christopher, Derek Tucker and Evan Brown.

Austin Pitchford picked up a fumble.

Cassopolis tacked on a pair of touchdowns before the half as Hartline scored again, this time from 7-yards out and First hauled in his second touchdown of the night on a 4-yard pass after the Vikings turned the ball over in the closing seconds of the first half.

Ruff’s 15-yard touchdown toss from Morgan to open the second half gave the Rangers a running clock for most of the period as the score reached 48-7.

Bangor killed the running clock briefly with a 2-yard run by Andrew Johnson with 26.8 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Cassopolis capped the scoring with 6:48 to play in the contest on a 2-yard run by Lawson.

Ruff finished the night with 100 yards on just nine carries. Hartline finished with 93 yards on nine carries. First had four receptions for 72 yards.

The Rangers finished the night with 252 yards rushing and 139 yards passing.

Cassopolis held the Vikings’ running game to a negative 20 yards, but it did allow 226 yards through the air.

The Rangers host former Lakeland Conference foe River Valley tonight.

Bangor 0 7 0 7 – 14

Cassopolis 20 21 7 7 – 55

C – Marcus Ruff 39 run (Blaise Suseland kick)

C – Tommy First 8 pass from Dwayne Morgan (pass failed)

C – Jaylin Lawson 25 run (Suseland kick)

B – Ja’Bari Brazelton 4 pass from Nik Abbott (Andres Cardosa-Diaz kick)

C – Nathan Hartline 55 run (Suseland kick)

C – Hartline 7 run (Suseland kick)

C – First 4 pass from Morgan (Suseland kick)

C – Ruff 15 pass from Morgan (Suseland kick)

B – Andrew Johnson 2 run (Cardosa-Diaz kick)

C – Lawson 2 run (Suseland kick)