TEMPERANCE — An all-out effort play by determined running back Christian Brown for Bedford late in a back-and-forth clash with Saline ended up instead to be a punch to the gut for a Mules team that suffered a tough 24-21 setback on Friday night.
With his team down by three with 3:34 left in regulation, Brown made a leaping attempt to hurdle a group of defenders after a lengthy run that would have given his team a first down at the Saline 20. Instead Brown was called for illegal hurdling and the Mules were assessed a 15-yard penalty. Bedford could not recover as the ball was moved back to the 37 and the Mules fell to 4-2.
“It was a game-changer,” Bedford coach Mike Vicars said of the pivotal play. “It's definitely a rule. It's one that you rarely see called in high school football. That might have been our only penalty of the night. That's how it goes sometimes.”
Saline (5-1) won its 31st consecutive game in the Southeastern Conference Red Division and notched its sixth straight win in the series.
Brown finished with a game-high 141 rushing yards, including touchdown runs of 1 and 3 yards.
“It's heartbreaking,” Brown said of the penalty late in the game. “I was at the sidelines and they were going for my legs and I was trying to take a safety precaution, jump over them to get out of bounds. I went straight out of bounds and to see the flag go down was heartbreaking — just have to learn from it.”
The Mules amassed 294 yards, all on the ground.
“We played a very good game,” Vicars said. “That's why it's hard to swallow for the kids. It was two really good teams in the end.”
Bedford took its first lead in the game 21-17 when Brown scored on a three-yard run with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
But Saline, which finished with 265 total yards, put together a 12-play drive capped off by a 5-yard QB keeper for a touchdown by Larry Robinson. The Hornets seized a 24-21 lead and then sealed it with back-to-back interceptions from Noah Nelson.
Vicars, who is in his first year at Bedford after stops at several schools in northwest Ohio, told his team post-game that he would have a hard time sleeping after the loss. But he also told them they had until a 9 a.m. practice on Saturday to morn the loss.
“I'm so proud of them,” Vicars said. “We've come so far. It's been a tough adjustment to a new coach and the different expectations. But they've continued to battle and you can see how they've continued to evolve.”
Saline, which is led by former longtime Whitmer coach Joe Palka, came into the game ranked No. 10 in the Division 1 state poll. Robinson tossed two TD passes and finished with 143 passing yards.
Bedford's running back trio of Brown, Luke Carver, and Caden Foster churned out tough yards throughout the contest with several long runs mixed into the attack.
“I can't put into words how proud I am of my team,” Brown said. “We put it up against a good team with talent.”
The Mules offensive line paved the way upfront for a rushing game that scored three rushing TDs.
“Everybody stepped up to the event,” Brown said. “It was the best game I've seen the line play. We're going to take that into playoffs. It's crazy how far our defense has come since the beginning of the season. It shows us we know we can compete.”
Carver finished with 113 yards on 12 carries and scored on a 20-yard run. Foster had 33 rushing yards on six carries. Brown came into the game with 1,000 rushing yards on 111 carries and 16 touchdowns.
“They did a great job,” Vicars said. “We came in pretty banged up. But our offensive line was healthy and Christian was healthy. So we knew that was going to give us a shot. Luke Carver had his best night. That offensive line was special.”
On the first drive of the game, Bedford marched methodically down the field on the ground. The Mules churned out 53 yards on 11 carries before failing to convert on fourth down.
Saline then countered with a long drive and capped it off with a seven-yard TD pass from Robinson to Kolton Malinczak.
Down 7-0 after one quarter, Bedford put together a 14-play drive that covered 70 yards and took 6:10 off the clock to tie it.
Saline countered with a quick strike with a 63-yard run, setting up a go ahead TD.
However, the Mules answered with an equally quick six-play drive as Carver scored on a 20-yard scamper through a huge hole up the middle to tie the game at 14 with 1:10 left in the third quarter.
Carver had runs of 23, 13, 18, and 20 yards in the second quarter.
The game was tied at 14 at the half as Bedford attempted just one pass.
Saline took a 17-14 lead on a 42 yard field goal by Brendan Cropsey early in the third quarter.
Bedford again responded with a 14-play, 58-yard drive that ate up 8:30 on the clock. The Mules went up 21-17 with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
But Saline converted on a fourth and 3 play from the Bedford 23 with eight minutes left and then took the lead one play later.
The Hornets had a chance to salt it away with 2:19 left but Bedford forced a three and out as Chase Cinglie knocked a pass away to force a punt with 1:12 remaining. But with no timeouts at midfield the Mules were forced to throw and could not advance down field.
Sophomore Brendan Hammer started at quarterback for Bedford in place of injured starter Brady Henderson.
“We were awfully banged up. We didn't have our quarterback. We knew that would affect us. I thought Brendan Hammer did an excellent job tonight,” Vicars said.
Both teams dropped their season openers and had won four in a row. Bedford plays Ann Arbor Pioneer next Friday.
“We have to start putting cash in the bank through our work ethic so we can cash a check next Friday night,” Vicars said.
First Published October 5, 2019, 2:19 a.m.
