Schmidt and the Royals Run over Erie Mason

The Blissfield Royals went back to basics Friday night and came away with a 45-6 Homecoming night victory over Erie Mason.

“We just simplified the playbook and and focused on doing a few things really well. We started a little slow. But we finished very strong,” said Blissfield head coach Ron Estes.

Blissfield rushed the ball 41 times for 286 yards and attempted just four passes. The defense, led by Mitch Winkelman’s 11.5 tackles, limited Erie Mason to 155 yards.

 With the win, Blissfield finished its LCAA schedule in 3^rd place with a 3-2 record. Blissfield is 5-2 and needs one victory to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

“It was an important win but we’re not done yet. Coach Estes told us we’re basically in the playoffs now. We’re playing every game like it’s our last,” said Eric Schmidt, who quarterbacked the Royals to the playoffs in the sophomore and junior years and is aiming for another.

Blissfield has made the playoffs every years since 2007.

“If we finish strong, we might even be able to get a home game out of it,” said Estes.

Dalton Goetz rushed 11 times for 84 yards. QB Eric Schmidt rushed six times for 58 yards and three touchdowns. Schmidt also threw a touchdown pass to Noah Schultz. Dalton VasBinder rushed in a for a nine-yard score. Garrick May scored a touchdown on a 39-yard interception return.

Despite the dominating result, there were uneasy moments early in the game.

The Screaming Eagles opened with possession and the Royals pushed them backwards, courtesy of an Eric Diesing tackle for a four-yard loss. After short punt and then a good by Blake Haupricht, the Royals began at the Erie Mason 38. Runs by Goetz and Haupricht gave Blissfield a first down at the 22. And offside penalty hampered the drive. On 3^rd-and-5, Haupricht was stopped for a two-yard loss and then a fourth-down pass to Schultz was incomplete.

Mason took over at its 19. Mason engineered a scoring drive that belied its 0-7 record. QB Ducy Burwell converted a 3^rd-and-7 with a pass to Max Zbikowskyi. A face masking penalty moved Mason out to the 47. Burwell showed speed and strength, converting a 2^nd-and-10 and a 3^rd-and-11 for first downs. Mason also converted two short fourth down plays during the 81-yard drive, which concluded with a pass to Corey Lay. Mason’s extra-point kick failed and they led 6-0 with 9:58 to play in the half.

The Royals were unfazed. A short kickoff return gave Blissfield the ball at the 35. Runs by the quick Haupricht and bulldozing Lee Keinath pushed the Royals into Mason territory. Two plays later, the athletic Goetz danced and bashed through the Mason line for a 14-yard pickup for a first down at the 23. On first down, Schmidt rolled to his left and looked for a receiver. Seeing nobody open, he tucked the ball in rumbled 23 yards for touchdown. Blissfield took an 8-6 lead with 7:47 to play in the half when Schmidt scored on a keeper.

Mason began its next drive at its own 35. On second down, Burwell gained 15-yards on a keeper. Another 15 yards were tacked on for a late hit, and suddenly, Mason was at the Blissfield 32. But the Royals defense put a stop to things right then and there. On first down, Dylan Thompson’s tackled limited Burwell to a two yard gain. An illegal procedure penalty dropped the Eagles back five yards. On second down a complete pass to Corey Lay picked up 11 yards, but Winkelman’s tackled kept the Eagles two-yards shy of the first. The defensive line stopped Lay for no gain on 3^rd-and-2. A fourth down pass was broken up by Jordan Bateson and the Royals took over at their own 24 with 3:50 to play.

Blissfield had no trouble moving on the ground. The Royals rode Haupricht and Goetz to the Blissfield 44. With 1:45 left, Goetz fought his way through the crowd and found room for a 16-yard pick up. Schmidt followed with a six-yard keeper. Haupricht then gained 16 yards on the next three runs, setting up a 3^rd-and-1 from the six. Schmidt kept the ball and ate up five yards, setting up a first-and-goal. Schmidt kept it again and followed his line into the end zone for a 14-6 lead with 23.7 seconds left in the half. Goetz converted the two-point play with a rush for 16-6 lead.

 “Scoring before halftime was big,” said Estes.

 But Blissfield’s drive to open the third may have been bigger.

After a kickoff return by May, the Royals opened from their 34. Goetz and Keinath moved the Royals to midfield with six-yard gains. Schmidt then picked up nine yards on a keeper and was hit late, which tacked on 15 more yards. An offside penalty on Mason gave Blissfield a 1^st-and-5 from the 25. VasBinder plowed ahead 10 yards for a first down at the 15. On the next play, Schmidt faked the hand off to Goetz. Most of the defense followed Goetz to the left and Schmidt ran untouched into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game. Goetz’s rush on the two-point play made it 24-6 less than two minutes into the half.

Any hopes for a comeback were dashed when Garrick May leaped into the air and picked off a pass before returning it 45 yards for a touchdown. Riley Creps’ kick sailed through the uprights for a 31-6 lead.

 Blissfield’s defense dominated on Mason’s next possession, and it was highlighted by a 10-yard sack by Taylor Kuhn.

The Royals began the next drive at their 40. Goetz rushed the ball twice for a first. Then VasBinder and Goetz gained another first down on the ground. On 3^rd-and-5 from the 25, Goetz took the handoff, rushed to his right and then handed off to Lucas Stange, who reversed the play for a 20-yard gain. A couple penalties slowed the Blissfield attack. But on 3^rd-and-G, Schmidt rolled out and found Noah Schultz for an 11-yard TD pass. Creps’ kick made it 38-6 with 11:52 to play in the fourth.

Mason’s next drive came to a sudden halt when Jonathon McEwan intercepted a pass and returned it 55 yards to the Mason 23. Keinath’s 11-yard rush on 3^rd-and-7 kept the drive moving. On the next play, VasBinder rushed in from nine yards out. Creps’ third extra point kick of the game made it 45-6 with 7:09 to play.