BY ROB WITZEL
Commercial-News
BISMARCK —
The ability to overcome adversity is an important trait to have in any successful football team.
The Bismarck-Henning Blue Devils showed their ability to adapt Friday night by turning around a tough start in their 41-6 win over the Milford/Cissna Park Bearcats.
Two plays into the game, MCP defensive back Darin Baker intercepted a Danny Feezor throw and took the ball into the endzone but the ball was brought back to the Bismarck 35 after a block in the back call against Milford.
Quarterback Beau Anderson then threw a 33-yard pass to Aric Cooke, getting the Bearcats just short of the first points of the game. Two plays later, junior running back Eric Brueggert ran the ball up the middle to give Milford a 6-0 lead.
On the first play of Bismarck’s following drive, running back Matt Lecleir fumbled as the Blue Devils allowed their second turnover in just three offensive plays. The Blue Devil defense fought hard as MCP was driven back to a fourth and 25 and forced to punt.
But bad fortune struck the Blue Devils again as the punt returner muffed the catch and the Bearcats took the ball back.
“For the first time this season, our guys came off the bus ready to play,” said Milford head coach Clint Schwartz “We’ve struggled the last few games in the first half, but tonight we did our jobs and played with a lot of heart.”
As the quarter changed, so did the luck as the Blue Devils began showing off its offensive capabilities.
“Our kids slowly started to get it going on their own,” said Bismarck-Henning head coach Mark Dodd. “Feezor was rattled early, but he played through it.”
“We had to make a lot of adjustments,” said LeCleir. “We got things fixed fast.”
The Blue Devils ran the ball eight consecutive times in their first scoring drive. The drive was topped off with a five-yard run by offensive lineman turned fullback Morgan Supergan. With an Ian Park extra point, the Blue Devils took the lead with 7 minutes, 34 seconds in the second quarter and never looked back.
“The first score was really big for us,” said Supergan. “It really got our offense rolling, dusted off a few cobwebs.”
The Blue Devils added to their lead on the next drive. The drive was highlighted by a 40-yard pass from Feezor to junior Adam Baker and finished off by another powerful run up the middle by Supergan . Milford was called for encroachment on the extra point, which led to Mark Dodd’s decision to go for two.
Supergan was called on yet again and delivered as he drove the ball up the middle, giving the Blue Devils a 15-6 lead going into the half.
MCP showed signs of a comeback early in the second half. The Bearcats recorded 30 yards on their opening drive before it was cut short by a fumble that was recovered by Bismarck’s Ross Darby.
MCP’s defense stopped Bismarck’s rushing attack three consecutive times and was looking to get the ball back after a Blue Devil punt. But Mark Dodd dove deep into the Blue Devil playbook and called for a fake punt pass from LeCleir to Zack Martin. On the next play, Tyler Pasley ran the ball for 38 yards widening the margin.
The defense stood strong throughout the second half, not allowing another Milford score. Meanwhile, the offense kept chugging away.
Bismarck scored three more offensive touchdowns. The first occurred late in the 3rd quarter as Pasley scored on a 3-yard run. Matt LeCleir ran 16 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and with 36 seconds left in the contest, freshman Dustyn Ingram ran the ball 41 yards to end the scoring.
Next week, the Blue Devils (2-1, 1-0 in the Vermilion Valley Conference) will take on Westville and Milford (1-2, 0-1) will play Salt Fork.
