SPRINGPORT — For the Bronson Vikings, the trip to Springport is a long one, no matter which season it happens in. That is why on Friday night, things felt especially dire in perhaps the biggest football game of the season for the resurgent Vikings. So far from home, not alot had went right for Bronson as they entered the fourth quarter trailing Springport 14-8.
A number of turnovers, two deep inside scoring territory, left an empty feeling in the stomachs of the Vikings as they looked up at the scoreboard wondering what they had to do to finish off the comeback.
The answer? Just do what they have done all year, play with heart, grit, and never quit. The Bronson Vikings scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stage a dramatic comeback win over the Springport Spartans, taking the 28-14 victory to wrap up sole possession of second place in the Big 8 conference this season.
Bronson looked to catch the big break first as it was the playmaking of Kam Brackett doing the talking, with the senior intercepting a Springport pass that he returned to the Bronson 48-yard line.
Three minutes later disaster struck however as a Bronson fumble at the 11-yard line gave possession back to the Spartans. Springport took advantage, scoring on the drive with a rushing touchdown from Kolton Woyame, giving Springport the 6-0 lead after one quarter.
Bronson answered on their next drive, going the length of the field before finding the end zone on a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Ben Stevens. Jace Hoard ran in the 2-point conversion, giving Bronson the 8-6 lead with nine minutes left in the half.
Bronson looked to take advantage of another turnover as Brackett intercepted his second pass of the game, bringing the ball back to the Bronson 47-yard line. Disaster again, however, as Springport recovered another Viking fumble, this time taking the ball at the 28-yard line with three minutes left in the half.
Springport ended up finding the end zone just before the half on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Gibson Overweg to Tucker Wignton, giving the Spartans the 14-8 lead heading into the half.
The teams traded turnovers to start the second half, as a Bronson pass was intercepted by Springport only to see Brackett grab his third interception of the game, giving the Vikings the ball back at the 40-yard line with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.
The third quarter ended with Bronson trailing Springport 14-8; however, the Vikings were driving.
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It did not take long for the Vikings to tie things up as a quarterback sneak by Spencer Losinski knotted the game up at 14-14 with just a minute gone in the final quarter.
That kicked off a 20-point fourth quarter for Bronson, a quarter aided by a recovered onside kick for the Vikings on the ensuing kickoff, giving the Vikings the ball right back. Bronson slowly moved the ball down the field before it was Brackett finding Stevens through the air for an 8-yard touchdown pass. Aidan Whittaker ran in the 2-point conversion, and just like that the Vikings moved to the lead at 22-14 with just over five minutes left on the clock.
Springport could not get anything going on offense their next trip down and turned the ball over on downs, giving the Vikings a huge chance to put the game away. Bronson did not let the chance slip away as it was Whittaker scoring from 8-yards out, giving the Vikings the healthy 28-14 lead with just over a minute left in the game.
That is where the game would end as a huge fourth quarter from the Vikings propelled them to their sixth win as Bronson improved to 6-2 on the season with the 28-14 win.
The Bronson rushing offense was led by Jace Hoard with 24 carries for 116 yards while Aidan Whittaker added nine carries for 65 yards and one score.
Ben Stevens had an all-around night with four carries, one rushing touchdown and two catches for 35 yards and a score.
Spencer Losinski chipped in with three carries for four yards and one score while adding 7 of 11 passing for 63 yards, with Stevie Wilson adding one catch for 18 yards while Dawson Soergel chipped in with one catch for 16 yards.
Perhaps the player of the game yet again was senior Kam Bracket,t who not only had three interceptions on the defensive side of the ball but also added 3 of 5 passing for 42 yards with one touchdown. He even chipped in three catches for 44 yards.
With the loss Springport falls to 6-2 overall on the season and will end up in third place in the Big 8 conference. Bronson meanwhile improves to 6-2 overall on the season and finishes with runner-up honors in the Big 8 championship race. The win clinches a playoff berth for Bronson the team’s first, not counting the 2020 season when every team went, since the 2013 season.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Big fourth quarter propels Bronson into playoffs with win over Springport
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