It was a battle of third-place teams in the KLAA as the Fordson Tractors traveled to Northville to take on the Mustangs. Could the Tractors outrace the Mustangs, or would the Mustangs’ speed be too much? In the end, the Mustangs’ high power edged out the Tractors by a final of 27-14.
Fordson Tractors
John Deer Bandar
Khalil Bandar is one heck of a player when you combine his speed and power. The senior running back is a phenomenal athlete and it showed in the game against Northville. Bandar was able to break off big runs, but he could also grind out smaller runs as he would attack the middle of the Mustang defense to wear them down. Bandar has been a workhorse for the Tractors and has a bright future on the gridiron.
Northville Mustangs
Defense Wins Championships
The defense of the Northville Mustangs was on point in this game, from Drew Rankin to Hassan El-Zayat to the final play of the game by Macklin Hart. The defense of the Mustangs was all over the field, making plays. Hart had a 32-yard pick 6 to cap off the game and a special night for the Junior. Hart was a member of the State Championship-winning Northville baseball team, a team that was honored at halftime and to end the game with a pick 6, Hart said was special.
Cooper for the Win
Junior Quarterback Cooper Derkach had an up-and-down game, but he made it count when it came down to crunch time. Derkach completed eight of his seventeen passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns; while that’s all good, he did throw two interceptions in the game that he needed the help of his defense to make sure they didn’t bite him or the team in the butt. While he had an awesome game passing the ball, he also ran the ball nine times for 76 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown run was the longest of the night, and he took it 33 yards to the endzone.