CASSOPOLIS — For the second straight week, the Cassopolis football team struggled offensively.

Friday night at William F. Scott Field, it cost the Rangers dearly.

Cassopolis scored the game’s opening touchdown, a nine-yard run by Brandon Anderson, but the extra point kick was blocked by visiting Saugatuck, which would score late and pull out a 7-6 upset of the Ranges to win the Division 7 regional championship.

As the two teams slugged it out mainly in the middle of the field, the Indians finally scored with 2:42 remaining in the contest on a 41-yard pass from Jackson Shriver to Cooper Myers.

Brad Dunn’s extra point kick was good and the Vikings found themselves heading to the Division 7 semifinals against Madison Heights Madison at Lansing Catholic High School at 1 p.m. Saturday.

It was a disappointing end to what has been a great two-year run for the Rangers, who reached the state semifinals in 2016.

Cassopolis finishes the 2017 season 10-2 and has won 21 out of 25 games the past two seasons.

Scoring points had not been a problem for the Rangers this year as they outscored their opponents 456 to 92.

However, in the district championship game, despite scoring 31 points, Cassopolis managed just 145 yards in total offense against Reading.

Against Saugatuck, the Rangers had 253 yards of total offense, including 216 on the ground, but were unable to put the ball in the end zone over the final three quarters.

Their best chance came when Anderson broke loose for 60 yards before being hauled down by Dunn at the Indians’ 30-yard line.

Cassopolis could not punch the ball into the end zone and settled for a 22-yard Anderson field goal attempt, which was blocked.

Saugatuck would take over and march 88 yards in nine plays to score the winning touchdown.

“That was disappointing that our field goal and our extra point got blocked,” Cassopolis coach Dan Purlee said. “That is just not getting the job done up front. We got handled up front. We couldn’t win the line of scrimmage and when you cannot win the line of scrimmage it is going to be a tough night.”

Cassopolis lost one of its top players for the entire second half when Tyrese Hunt-Thompson suffered an apparent concussion and was not allowed to reenter the contest. 

“When you lose a kid like that it is a devastating blow,” Purlee said. “We were scrambling on the sidelines and ended up losing our back up to him. We are thin. We have been fortunate to have been healthy the last three years and that is why we have been as successful as we have been.”

Purlee said he was proud of his team and especially his seniors, who have played in 37 games over the last three years.

“Our seniors are part of something that has never happened here,” Purlee said. “It has been a heckuva run. Like I said after the game, I kept it positive. I expressed to them all the success they have had. That is our emphasis right now.

“We have some good seniors, but we only have six. We have some key guys coming back. We have to get bigger up front somehow.”

Playing their final game for the Rangers were Xander Smith, Anderson, KyJuan Lanier, Trevor Bruens, Caleb Steensma, Danny Young and Thibualt Widart.