This Saturday the Albion Britons took on the Adrian Bulldogs at the Sprankel-Sprandel Stadium. The halftime program featured the Homecoming Royalty Court, the British Eighth, and the Alumni Band. The Bulldogs gave the Britons a run for their money this Saturday, but the Brits put up a good fight.
Albion took a 7-0 lead on a touchdown run by Colin Parks, Detroit senior, and the Brits took a 14-12 lead to halftime.
For the most part, Adrian slowed Albion’s offense with the Bulldogs at about 608 yards per game. “Adrian is at the top of the conference in rushing for defense,” said Craig Rundle, Albion head football coach.
After the second half the teams exchanged leads. Adrian’s Emmanuel Stewart finished with 226 rushing yards and a 42-yard touchdown. Adrian seized a 19-14 lead. Albion responded with a touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Dominic Bona, Pinckney senior, to Jon Alandt, Northville junior.
Albion missed the opportunity to build the margin to eight points in the third quarter. Running plays with Parks, Mike Czarnecki Trenton junior, and Bona failed or fell incomplete as they settled with a 19-yard field goal from Andrew Fabry, Grosse Pointe first-year kicker, making the score 24-19 in the late third quarter.
Anthony Waite, White Lake junior, played an impressive game covering an Adrian receiver, and this helped Albion’s defense tremendously. Due to the execution of single and zone coverage, along with other defenses in the backfield, Albion was able to pick up on the defense to overpower Adrian’s front runners.
“Our defense stepped up when we needed them most” said Parks. “And we continue to reach our goal of being 1-0 at the end of every week.”
Adrian’s Stephen Milarch lead the Bulldogs on a nine-play drive scoring on a 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Waite broke up the two-point conversion to preserve a 25-24 lead on Albion.
Adrian was in the red zone at the 14-yard line with 30 seconds left when David Van Ittersum, Eastpoint senior, tackled Adrian’s ball carrier causing Adrian to fumble the ball, and Dallis Reynolds, Buchanan junior, pounced on the fumble.
Albion went on to score the go-ahead touchdown with 3:27 left as Czarneki capped a five-play drive on an 8-yard run. Bona and Mikal McKoy, Muskegon senior, worked for a 36-yard gain as Czarnecki scored on the next play which gave Albion the lead.
Bona, Czarneki and Kyle Slotnick, Pinckney senior, were critical in the fourth quarter and the game winning drive. Bona had an effective game completing 22 of 34 passing attempts for 229 yards. McKoy pulled in five passes for 63 yards while Slotnick caught four passes for a total of 64 yards.
The Britons stepped up and put the Bulldogs back in their place. Albion is 6-0 for the first time since 1996, and they’re letting the rest of Division III football know Brits don’t quit and we’re ready for more.
Photo by Rachel Barry
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