Royals Eliminated by Red Raiders

Blissfield’s football season came to an end at Ecorse Saturday in a 22-20 playoff loss.

A late comeback attempt was denied with a fumble at the Ecorse five-yard line with 30 seconds to play.

The young Royals battled ferociously against the athletic Red Raiders. On the opening kickoff, the Royals Luke Stange forced a fumble that was recovered by Jordan Bateson. Blissfield started at the Ecorse 28. After an offsides penalty against Ecorse, QB Eric Schmidt rolled out for an 18-yard gain. Two plays later, Dalton Goetz rushed in from two yards out for a 6-0 lead. Goetz rushed in on the two-point play to make it 8-0.

Ecorse looked dangerous on their next drive. On 3^rd-and-5 from the Blissfield 39, Denel Carithers, who gave the Royals’ defense fits all game long, busted loose for a huge run. It looked like he was off to the races when Eric Schmidt punched the ball loose. Taylor Kuhn recovered the ball before it went out of bounds and Blissfield took over at their own two. After Goetz rushed them out of harms’ way, the Royals punted. Schmidt’s punt was a great one, and with a few bounces was over 70-yards. Ecorse started at its 14. Mitch Winkelman stopped Carithers behind scrimmage and then Schultz caught him from behind. After an incomplete pass, Ecorse punted into the wind. Blissfield took over at the Ecorse 32. A few plays later, Schmidt’s 3^rd-and-9 pass intended for Garrick May was intercepted in the endzone.

Ecorse moved the ball into Blissfield territory by the start of the second quarter. After another big gain by Carithers, the Blissfield defense held its ground. After a holding penalty to Ecorse, the Red Raiders found themselves punting from the 47. Blissfield took over at their own 44.

The Royals drive was going nowhere thanks to a holding penalty. On 4^th-and-4, the Royals sent the punt unit out. But Schmidt didn’t punt. Instead, he rolled out as if he was going to throw, buying him a little space. Then he tucked the ball in and fought his way to the Ecorse 42. Runs by Goetz moved the to the 25. Lee Keinath rushed for a 10-yard gain to the Ecorse 15. Two more runs by Goetz were stuffed. On third and long, Schmidt tucked the ball and powered toward the end zone, carrying a couple Ecorse Red Raiders the final three yards to the end zone. Goetz was stopped just before crossing the plain on the two-point play and the Royals led 14-0 with 3:37 to play in the half.

Ecorse pulled itself from the brink by putting together a great drive. On 4^th-and-8 from the Blissfield 38, a pass from Kyle Dinkens to Deshawn Beal was nearly picked off by Schmidt, but the pass was complete and Ecorse had a first down at the 17. A couple runs by Carithers moved Ecorse to the four, and then Dinkens rushed for a four-yard score with 33-seconds left. Jeffery Wils rushed in to score on the two-point play.

Blissfield led 14-8 at halftime and received to open the second half. On 1^st-and-10, Schmidt handed off to Knorr , who looked like he was running a sweep. But Knorr tossed a long pass to Jordan Bateson, who was all alone behind the defense. Bateson couldn’t hold on, however. Blissfield plugged down the field on the strength of runs by Goetz, Keinath and Knorr. A 4^th-and-10 pass to Devin Moore was dropped and Ecorse took over.

Ecorse made the Royals pay for missing the opportunities. Carithers moved Ecorse into Blissfield territory with a 14-yard run. Then Giovonne Martin had a couple big runs to move to the Blissfield 18. A couple runs by Carithers set up a first and goal at the Blissfield four. Carithers scored to tie the game at 14 with 5:23 to play in the third. The Royals stopped Ecorse’s two-point attempt.

The Royals began their next drive without Schmidt, who was feeling the effects of a head injury and never returned. Blissfield moved from the 42 to mid-field after a couple runs by Goetz. Keinath earned a new set of downs with a run to the Ecorse 40. On second-and-seven, QB Devin Moore handed to Knorr, who rolled out and tossed a pass out to Garrick May, who spun around, caught the ball and raced into the end-zone for a 20-14 lead.

Ecorse stopped Keinath on his rush for two-points.

The Red Raiders wasted no time.  On first-and-10 from Ecorse 36, Carithers took the hand off. He danced through the scrum and then bounced to the outside, rushing all the way for touchdown to tie the score at 20. Giovonne Martin scored on the conversion to make it 22-20 with 2:28 to play in the quarter.

The Royals next drive went nowhere. Blissfield appeared to be losing steam.  On 4^th-and-11 from the Royals’ 26, Moore put up a great kick. The Ecorse returner muffed the punt and Taylor Kuhn  recovered the ball at the Ecorse 31. Goetz rushed the ball twice to give Blissfield a first at the 19. But Ecorse stopped the Royals there. Keinath was dropped in the backfield and Goetz rushed for seven yards, setting up 3^rd-and-8. Moore’s pass to the end zone for Knorr was batted down. Jon McEwan was stopped short of the first down marker on fourth down.

Ecorse took over with 10:28 to play deep in its own territory. The Red Raiders moved slowly but surely up the first, eventually getting a 1^st-and-goal from the 10. Ecorse appeared to put the Royals away with a keeper by Dinkins, but the Red Raiders were penalized for “aiding the runner,” and Ecorse was moved back to the six. Knorr tripped up Carithers for a five-yard loss on third down, and then a bad snap cost the Ecorse eight more yards on fourth down.

Blissfield took over at its 19 with 4;40 to play. The Royals slowly moved up the field on runs by Goetz and Knorr. Knorr converted a big 4^th-and-3 play with a five yard rush, but the clock showed only 2:40 to play when he was pushed out of bounds at the Blissfield 31. Runs by Knorr and Goetz gave Blissfield another first at their own 43. With under a minute to play, Blissfield went to the air. Moore threw a pass to Jordan Bateson, who made a great catch despite being well covered, giving Blissfield a first at the Ecorse 37. On the next play, Moore threw a great pass to Knorr, who caught the ball and ran down to the Ecorse 12. Blissfield called timeout with 38 seconds left. On first-and-10, Moore handed off to Goetz, who gained seven yards. But as he was being brought down by four Red Raiders, somebody knocked the ball from the firm grasp of the senior captain, and Ecorse recovered at their own five.