By By TOM NYHUIS / Vigilant/Argus
EDWARDSBURG – It was a tale of two halves Friday night in a classic high school football game at Edwardsburg. Buchanan, 4-2, scored 22 points in the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter for a 22-21 Lakeland Conference victory.
The Bucks spoiled the Eddies homecoming with the big comeback. Edwardsburg capitalized on two Buchanan turnovers, a pair of pass interceptions by Chuck Berry, in the first half which the Eddies turned into 14 points. The first coming on a 17-yard run by Kyle Poe at the 4:00 mark of the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
Buchanan drove the ball to the 3-yard line, on a fourth and three, quarterback Taylor Oake fumbled the ball but was able to recover the loose ball at the four. The Eddies took over at the four and marched the ball down the field 96 yards, capped off by a 5-yard score by Matt Peters, and the Eddies were up 14-0 late in the second quarter.
Berry's second pick of the night gave the ball to the Eddies at their own 17 and Monty Ort finished off the two-play drive with a 14-yard run and Edwardsburg looked to be in control of the game leading 21-0 at the half.
"We had to do something because we sure laid a big egg in the first," Buchanan coach Joe Austin said of the comeback. "We were totally out played by a good football team. I have nothing but respect for that whole outfit over there. It's a devastating defeat for them but it was a heck of a win for the Bucks."
Fast forward to the fourth quarter with just under 11 minutes remaining and the Eddies still holding on to the 21-point advantage. With the ball inside their own 1-yard line, the Bucks made a defensive stand holding the Eddies out of the end zone. Buchanan took over just outside of the goal line. On the second play of the drive, Marquis Hall broke free for an 83-yard rumble down to the 15. Edwardsburg picked up a personal foul penalty, putting the ball at the seven. Brensen Stroman got the Bucks on the board powering the ball up the gut for a 7-yard score and the score was 21-6 with 10:01 to play.
The Buck defense stood tall and stopped the Eddies at the Bucks 35. The Bucks took the ball into the end zone five plays later on a 3-yard run by Hall with 5:13 to go in the game with the Bucks trailing 21-12.
Once again it was the Bucks defensive line coming up with another big stop. This time a blocked punt by A. J. Long and Matt Dykema that went out the back of the end zone for a safety gave the Bucks two more points and they now were down only by seven, 21-14 with 4:07 to play.
Buchanan took the kick-off from the Eddies after the safety and a 31-yard pass from Oake to Jon Mondschein left the Bucks trailing 21-21 with 2:45 left on the clock. The Bucks decision to go for two paid off as Dykema ran the ball in to the two points and the Bucks 22-21 exciting comeback.
Buchanan 0 0 0 22 – 22
Edwardsburg 6 15 0 0 – 21
E – Kyle Poe 17 yd run (pass failed)
E – Matt Peters 5 yd run (Chuck Berry run)
E – Monty Ort 14 yd run (Monty Ort kick)
B – Brensen Stroman 7 yd run (kick failed)
B – Marquis Hall 3 yd run (run failed)
B – Safety, Matt Dykema and Bill Lange blocked punt out of end zone
B – Jon Mondschein 31 yd pass from Taylor Oake (Dykema run)