By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS - In a classic high school football game Buchanan (1-2, 1-0 Lakeland) came from behind to take a 35-34 Lakeland Conference win over Cassopolis (1-2, 0-1 Lakeland) on the Rangers' home field.
It looked as if it was going to be a Cassopolis rout as the Rangers scored in their first three possessions to take an early 19-0 lead.
The Buck defense could not contain Cass quarterback Paul Curtis, who ran all of the Rangers first three scores in on runs of 50-, 87-, and one-yards but the Rangers could only convert on one point after touchdown.
With heads hanging low on the Buck sideline Matt Dykema got Buchanan on the board with a 10-yard run and Jase Andrews added the PAT and it was the start of a huge Buchanan comeback.
Shane Collins brought the Bucks even closer with a 14-yard run after the Buck defense was able to stop the Ranger at midfield. The missed PAT left the Bucks trailing 13-19.
The Ranger came back and marched down the field in 10 plays that covered 66 yards to up the score to 27-13 on another one yard run by Curtis with 5:58 to play in the third quarter.
A pass from Curtis to Andre Broussard for the point after once again looked to have set the Bucks back. Buchanan moved the ball down field but turned the ball over on down at their own 21-yard line.
This time the Bucks defense stood up and held the Rangers and took over after the Cass punt at the Rangers 30-yard line.
Five plays later the Bucks were in the endzone on a 19-yard rushing touchdown by Collins with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter and once again the Bucks were down by seven, 27-20 after another Andrews kick for the point-after.
The Rangers weren't finished as they drove the ball 63 yards in three plays and a 42-yard run and touchdown by A.J. Ballard gave the Rangers a 34-20 lead.
The play of the game came on the ensuing kick off as Dykema took the ball and returned it to the three yard line for an 85-yard return.
Two plays later Dan Toth punched it in from the one-yard line and also added the PAT run to close the Bucks to within six, 34-28.
Neither team was able to push the ball on their next possessions. Buchanan turned the ball over on downs at their 17 with 5:55 to play. Cass moved the ball to the 35 but a five-yard penalty pushed the ball back to the 30. On the next play Cass fumbled the ball for the only turnover of the game as Kyle Polmounter pounced on the ball at the 37 yard line for the Bucks.
On the game winning drive Dykeman got the Bucks down to the 16 and a five-yard penalty pushed the ball to the 11.
Five plays later Dykeman punched in the tying touchdown from the one-yard line with 1:58 to play. With the game tied at 34 senior kicker Jase Andrews kicked the winning PAT. The kick hit the left upright and bounced through for the 35-34 win.
Buchanan outrushed the Rangers 373 to 363 on the ground. Curtis threw for 35 yards on 3-of-10 passing. Eric Cole was 1-for-6 for 13 yards.
Buchanan will travel Brandywine next week at 7:30 and Cass will host Bridgman 7 p.m.