TEMPERANCE, MI (WTVB) – The 2018 regular season for Branch County high school football is in the books. Quincy and Union City have qualified for the state playoffs. They will find out tomorrow during the MHSAA Selection Show who and where they will play in the opening round next weekend. Meanwhile, Coldwater ended their season with a loss on Friday night while Bronson got their first win.
Temperance Bedford jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead and they went on to defeat the Coldwater Cardinals 40-22 in the 2018 season finale for the Cardinals as they will miss the post season for the first time since 2012. Matt Gipple rushed for 131 yards and scored a pair of second half touchdowns. Gage McGuire hooked up with Breydan Cook on a 20 yard touchdown pass. Dylan Targgart led the Cardinal defense with six tackles. Austin Malabanan rushed for 187 yards and 3 touchdowns on four carries for the Kicking Mules. Coldwater closed its season at 3-6. Our McDonald’s Players of the Game were the seniors that played their final game in a Cardinal uniform: Michael Kubel, Gage McGuire, Griffen Olmstead, Mo Salem, Ben Kinsey, Austin Roby, Connor Hanna, Collin Nill, Dillon Minton, Max Gruner, Kaleb Fox, and Carsen Stanner.
Quincy qualified for the state playoffs for the second straight year with a 15-7 victory over Napoleon in their Big 8-Cascades Conference crossover game. The Orioles advanced to the post season with a 6-3 record. Quincy trailed 7-0 entering the fourth quarter. They took the lead on a one yard touchdown by Evan Henning and a two point conversion by Chandler Locke. Brandon Harrison’s five yard touchdown closed out the scoring. Sebastian Gillette rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries while Evan Coon was in on 11 tackles.
Union City also advanced to the state playoffs for a second straight season as they defeated Addison 34-28 in their Big 8-Cascades Conference crossover game at Alumni Field. Union City’s Larson Kever passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two other scores as the Chargers improved to 6-3 with their fourth straight win. Kever rushed for 167 yards and was nine of 12 in the air for 106 yards. Gavin Hooker also rushed for a TD while Riley Rivard and Hooker had touchdown receptions. Kever also led the defense as he was in on nine tackles.
Bronson got their first win of the season as they defeated East Jackson on the Vikings home field in their Big 8-Cascades Conference crossover game.
In other area games,
Jonesville 32, Vandercook Lake 8
Concord 37, Hanover-Horton 16
Manchester 30, Homer 6
Michigan Center 25, Springport 16
Harper Creek 11, Lakeview 8 (OT)
Hastings 32, Charlotte 16
Haslett 48, Marshall 7
Jackson Northwest 40, Leslie 34
Olivet 48, Pennfield 8
Parma Western 41, Adrian 8
Cassopolis 21, Centreville 0
Delton-Kellogg 28, Constantine 21
Hillsdale 30, Dundee 13
Mendon 34, Marcellus 0
Montrose 19, Pittsford 8
Athens 46, Potterville 8
Edwardsburg 56, Sturgis 0
Three Rivers 37, Vicksburg 7
White Pigeon 68, Bangor 6
In eight-person football:
Bellevue 40, Tekonsha 8
Burr Oak 51, Big Rapids Crossroads Academy 0
Lake Forest Academy (Ill.) 41, Camden-Frontier 14
Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian 22, Colon 14
Waldron 30, Litchfield 14
