Buchanan took its first step toward winning a state title with a heart-pounding 34-31 victory over visiting Hillsdale in the opening game of the Division 5 playoffs.

Buchanan (10-0) won the coin toss and wanted its offense on the field to open the game.

After a great opening drive took the Bucks into Hillsdale (6-4) territory, the Hornets were able to force and recover a fumble, quieting the home crowd and stealing the momentum.

Buchanan coach Reid McBeth’s team did not panic.

The Bucks’ defense was able to force Hillsdale off the field and get the offense the ball back. A big run by senior Jacob Graham set them up at the 10-yard line and a 9-yard pass from Darren Shearer to Dalton Riddle put the Bucks up 7-0 early in the first.

Hillsdale would answer back late in the first quarter when running back Donovan Jones took a 13-yard sweep into the end zone to tie the game at 7-7 with 33 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, Graham would come up huge again, this time punching in a 1-yard run to take back the lead.

It would not last long, though as Hornets’ running back Jake Lemerand rushed for a pair of touchdowns (24 and 85 yards) on consecutive Hillsdale possessions, giving the Hornets their first lead of the night.

A crucial moment in the contest came when quarterback Jarrett Thomas found Bryce Vineyard for a 4-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21-21 with only eight seconds left in the first half.

“We had to go down there and we had to get one in the end zone, for sure. Our guys made the play,” Coach McBeth said.

Each team added a touchdown in the third quarter.

For the Bucks it was Vineyard catching another touchdown pass, this time from Shearer. Hillsdale tied the game at 28 on a 13-yard Martin Petersen reception with seven second left in the third.

On the opening possession of the fourth quarter, Shearer found Vineyard again, this time deep over the middle for 66 yards, setting up Graham’s second touchdown of the night — an 11-yard tuck-and-tumble up the middle.

The extra point was no good, putting Buchanan up 34-28.

Hillsdale was able to drive down to the Buchanan 11 to set up Joe Phillips with a 28-yard field goal, cutting the Buchanan lead to three.

With the pressure of the clock ticking closer and closer to zero, Hillsdale scrambled to put together a season-saving drive, but the Buchanan defense was having no part of it.

They shut down the Hornets running attack when it mattered most and clinched the victory with a stop on fourth-and-13, with only 55 seconds remaining.

“We were expecting a battle,” McBeth said. “Thank goodness we have an offense that can put points on the board pretty quick. Sometimes I felt like, maybe we were scoring too quick, we were leaving our defense out on the field for an awful long time, but they stepped up and made the stops when we needed to.”

Looking at the stats, it would be very easy to assume that Hillsdale won the game.

The Hornets finished with 422 yards of total offense while the Bucks gained 353. Buchanan coughed up two turnovers, Hillsdale was turnover free.

In the end if was heart and big plays that gave the Bucks their first playoff win under McBeth (in only his second season at the helm).

Shearer finished with 214 passing yards and two touchdowns. Vineyard caught seven passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns and Graham had 128 total yards and two touchdowns.

The district championship game will be at 7 p.m. Friday night in Buchanan. The Bucks will square off against Berrien Springs in a rematch of the Oct. 16 meeting.

Buchanan won that game 21-19.

 

BUCHANAN 34, HILLSDALE 31

At Buchanan

Hillsdale         7          14       7          3 – 31

Buchanan       7          14       7          6 – 34

BU – Dalton Riddle 9 pass from Darren Shearer (Kyle Leazenby kick)

H – DJ Jones 13 run (Joe Phillipp kick)

BU – Jarrett Thomas 1 run Kyle Leazenby kick)

H – Jake Lemerand 24 run (Joe Phillipp kick)

H – Jake Lemerand 85 run (Joe Phillipp kick)

BU – Bryce Vineyard 4 pass from Jarrett Thomas (Kyle Leazenby kick)

BU – Bryce Vineyard 11 pass from Darren Shearer (Kyle Leazenby kick)

H – Colin Munsell 13 pass from Martin Petersen (Joe Phillipp kick)

BU – Jacob Graham 10 run (kick failed)

H – Joe Phillipp 28 field goal

Varsity records: Hilledale 6-4, Buchanan 10-0