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After the season-opening over Walled Lake Western, Saline senior Gage Hammond said “playmakers make plays.”
In Saline’s 28-25 win over Bedford Friday, Hammond showed once again that’s he’s one of the best playmakers in the SEC.
Hammond caught a 64-yard touchdown, rushed 90 yards for another touchdown, kicked a field goal, and set up another touchdown with a long return as Saline improved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC.
Saline head coach Joe Palka said some teams might have folded on the road against a tough Bedford team after losing a 7-6 heartbreaker to Pioneer last week.
“Our kids just keep believing and we just keep getting better week after week. We know we have great opponents, Bedford’s a great football team. It was a big win for our football program, frankly,” Palka said.
The Hornets opened by doing what all road teams want to do – they marched down the field and scored on a 65-yard drive. A keeper by QB Tyler Palka (10 for 14, 110 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) moved the Hornets deep into Bedford territory. Kevin Gross (12 carries, 48 yards, 2 TD) ran it in for a 6-0 lead. The extra point kick failed.
The Hornets started the second quarter as well as they started the first. With the Mules on the march, Saline recovered a fumble at their 28-yard line on the first play of the second quarter. A couple plays later, Palka found Hammond streaking up the middle of the field.
“Wide open down the middle, Tyler sees it every time,” Hammond said. “It does good things for us.”
Bedford climbed right back in the game with an 80-yard drive. Mule QB Brad Boss swept to his left, broke several tackles, bounced back to the middle and sprinted for a 40-yard touchdown run. The two-point attempt failed and Saline led 12-6.
Saline appeared poised to expand their lead when Hammond returned the kickoff 63 yards to the Bedford 27, but the Hornets couldn’t move the ball and a 43-yard field goal attempt was short.
The next Bedford drive went 79 yards before Saline slammed the door shut. With 1:15 to play in the half, Saline’s defense stopped Bedford on 4th-and-1 from the 2. Saline took over at their two yard line but gave the ball right back on a fumble. Boss connected with Trent Santiago in the end zone for a 20-yard TD and Holden Tincher’s extra point gave Bedford the 13-12 lead.
Like they did in the first and second quarters, the Hornets started strong in the third.
On the first series, John Smutny (seven tackles) sacked Boss for a loss. Bedford line up to punt but Boss took off running and he was dropped in the backfield for a loss. Saline took over at the 24 and moved 14 yards on a flat pass to Gross. On the next play, Gross ran it 10 yards for a touchdown. Hammond’s kick gave Saline a 19-13 lead.
Hammond’s kickoff sailed into the end zone and Bedford began from its 20. On 2nd-and-7 from the 21, Boss pitched to Weston Swick. Caleb Ashby (10 tackles, one fumble recovery) dropped him for a four-yard loss. Two plays later, Bedford punted. A short kick plus a penalty on the Mules gave Saline the ball at the Bedford 20. Saline moved the ball down to the Bedford seven but a holding penalty pushed the Hornets back. Saline settled for three points on a 37-yard field goal by Hammond. The Hornets led 22-13 and had the momentum with six minutes to play in the quarter.
Saline’s defense dominated the third quarter. On the next series, Ashby dropped a Mule for a five yard loss on first down and Bedford punted the ball away on 4th-and-8. Bedford gained just five yards on the first three possessions of the third quarter.
“Defensively, we created negative yardage plays and when you create negative yardage plays it gives you a chance to get off the field. If you don’t win on first down, you get in trouble. We were winning on first down,” Palka said.
Bedford began moving the ball again late in the third quarter. The drive continued into the fourth quarter and on 4th-and-3 from the Saline 23, Boss broke several tackles and ran up the sideline for the touchdown. Saline led 22-19 with 9:16 to play.
On the next kickoff, Hammond picked up a bouncing kick, navigated through a pack of mules, bounced it out to the sideline and then outraced everyone to the end zone for a touchdown.
“I did it (returned a kick) last year and I knew I could do it again. Our team knew we could do it. We had the scheme, we had the film. The hole was there. The blocking was great all night,” Hammond said.
The two-point conversion failed.
The Mules answered with an 84-yard return from Cory Scheuer before he was stopped at the Hornet nine. Boss rushed in for his third touchdown of the game. A two-point attempt failed and Saline led 28-25 with 8:43 to play.
Bedford pressed with five minutes, pushing the ball to the Saline 30. On second and five, Casey Schukow (five tackles, one fumble recovery) stopped Boss for no gain. On third down, Nick Sekerak (10 tackles) stopped a Mule in the backfield for a loss. On fourth down, Brandon Gordon (eight tackles, one interception).
Saline got the ball back and ran down the clock for the victory.
Saline visits Monroe Friday. The next home game is Oct. 5, when the Hornets host Huron for Homecoming.
More News from Saline
- BASEBALL: Reeves, Klein Lead Help Hornets Close Out Sweep of Pioneer. Noah Reeves pitched five shutout innings and Nolan Klein drove in four runs as Saline beat Pioneer 13-0 in a mercy-rule-shortened game at Pioneer Thursday.
- SOFTBALL: Dorr Helps Saline Ace Pickney Saline senior Karli Dorr crunched four hits, drove in four runs and earned the victory with a complete game against Pinckney on Wednesday.
