When it comes to high school football in Michigan, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone with a resume that comes close to resembling that of Mendon head coach, John Schwartz.

Under his 26-years at the helm, the Hornets have gone an almost absurd 300-45 (.869), while winning 10 state championships during that same time period.

Needless to say, it’s difficult to feel confident about your team’s chances going up against a program with a history that reads like the Hornets’ does.

Enter the Brandywine Bobcats.

With a slew of four-year varsity players, good athleticism and the budding confidence of a program that has been ascending to heights previously unknown, Brandywine seemed poised to make some noise in its first ever meeting with its new BCS Athletic Conference rival.

Things looked fantastic for the men in maroon-and-gold, when on the fifth-play from the line-of-scrimmage, Bobcat quarterback Andrew Duckett capped off a 52-yard opening drive with a 27-yard touchdown run.

After Mendon answered quickly on its first possession, driving the ball 63-yards and punching one in with an Elijah Klepper 6-yard touchdown run, the shootout looked to be on.

Unfortunately for Brandywine, Schwartz and company didn’t earn their elite status by playing into their opponents’ strengths.

“Tonight’s game became more about possession than anything,” Schwartz said. “Fifteen (Duckett) was a terror. One of the best we’ve seen, but we decided to just pound the ball and they couldn’t stop us.”

The stats certainly backed that statement up, as Mendon outgained the Bobcats 405-187 on the ground, scoring four touchdowns in the process. Klepper led all rushers, racking up 223 yards and three touchdowns for the Hornets.

The Bobcats made a late push to try and get back in the game. After a Marty Ward Jr. score brought it to within eight, Brandywine had a chance to potentially even things up in their final drive of the evening.

However, after a Duckett pass on 4th-and-20 fell harmlessly to the ground, the Hornets had relatively no problem moving the ball on the ground, as they did all game, to kill the clock.

“We couldn’t stop them, they’re good and they ran their plays well,” Bobcat coach Mike Nate said. “They outplayed us. We don’t like losing, obviously, but I said this was a measuring stick for us, and as long as we learn from it, I like where we’re going.”

The Bobcats will return to action next Friday night when they host their bitter rivals, the Cassopolis Rangers, at 7 p.m.

 

Mendon                      6          14       7          0 — 27

Brandywine               7           6       0          6 — 19

B – Andrew Duckett 27 run (Zachary Schmidt kick)

M – Elijah Klepper 6 run (kick failed)

M – Klepper 9 run (Trey Cook kick)

M – Klepper 7 run (Cook kick)

B – Duckett 23 pass to Matthew Kline (kick blocked)

M – Jordan Medich 1 run (Cook kick)

B – Marty Ward Jr. 15 run (conversion failed)