BRIDGMAN — A lightning delay of 45 minutes was not friendly to the Cassopolis football team Friday night.

The Rangers led 14-3 when lightning halted their Lakeland Conference contest against host Bridgman.

The Bees regrouped during the delay and scored 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 22-21 victory.

Travis Edwardsburg scored on a 40-yard run and Matt Locke added the extra point to give the Rangers a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter.

Bridgman cut the lead to 7-3 on a Cooper Majsiejenko 24-yard field goal in the second quarter and that was the way it would stand until just before lightning was sighted with less than a minute to play in the third quarter.

The Rangers had increased their lead to 14-3 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Edwards.

After the Bees misfired on a field goal attempt coming out of the break, Cassopolis scored what appeared to be game-winning touchdown when Marquise Curtis got loose for 70 yards to put the Rangers up 21-3 with a little over eight minutes remaining in the contest.

It was all Bridgman from that point on.

Michael Jones hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Dan Koziel to cut the lead to 21-10 before Tyler Gnodtke scored on a 22-yard pass from Koziel to make it 21-16 following the failed 2-point conversion pass.

The third time was the charm for Bridgman with the onside kick as the Bees recovered the ball with just over a minute remaining in the contest.

Koziel threw his third touchdown pass of the quarter, this one to Mojsiejenko to the game-winner.

Bridgman was aided in the final drive by a pass interference and a too many men on the field penalty by Cassopolis, which falls to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the Lakeland.

The Rangers outgained the Bees 338-319 in total offense after having rushed for 314 yards led by Edwards and Curtis, both of whom ran for 103.

Bridgman’s Koziel threw for 260 yards and a trio of scores.  Mojsiejenko had 10 receptions for 145 yards.

 

Cassopolis 7 0 7 7 – 21

Bridgman 0 3 0 19 – 22

C – Travis Edwards 40 run (Matt Locke kick)

B – Cooper Mojsiejenko 24 field goal

C – Edwards 5 run (Locke kick)

C – Marquise Curtis 70 run (Locke kick)

B – Michael Jones 15 pass from Dan Koziel (Mojsiejenko kick)

B – Tyler Gnodtke 22 pass from Koziel (pass failed)

B – Mojsiejenko 15 pass from Koziel (pass failed)