The Frankenmuth Eagles Football team opened MHSAA Playoff action with a 55 – 12 win over the Bridgeport Bearcats. The Eagles opened scoring late in the 1st quarter on a Davin Reif 1-yard run and Ryan Brenner added the first of his seven PAT’s. On the ensuing kickoff, Frankenmuth executed an onside kick and two plays later Daniel Barger sprinted 52 yards and the Eagles led 14 – 0 entering the 2nd quarter.
On the first play of the 2nd quarter, Ben Reinert intercepted a Bearcat pass and at the 10:03 mark of the quarter, Reif hit Drew Titsworth on a 25-yard scoring pass and a 21 – 0 lead. Bridgeport fought back and scored on a 14 play – 64 yard drive that took 7:17 time of possession capped by a 20 yard TD pass from AJ Pipkens to Omarion Wilkins. The PAT was missed and the Eagle lead was 21 – 6.
On the ensuing Bearcat kickoff, it only only took two Cole Lindow runs of 20 and 38 yards and a TD at the 2:25 mark of the 2nd quarter. The next Bridgeport drive was stopped when Konnor Roche intercepted a pass. The Eagle defense forced a Bridgeport punt on the first drive of the 2nd half and on the ensuing Eagle possession, they went 73 yards in 5 plays ending with a Cole Jankowski 29 yard run, upping the Eagle lead to 35 – 6. Late in the 3rd quarter, Reif added his second TD of the game on a 3 yard run. Frankenmuth added two 4th quarter scores on a pair of 3 yard runs by Hunter Leddy and Jake Andrews.
The Bearcats ended the scoring with a 80 yard TD pass from Pipkens to Ameir Pickett with under a minute left in the game. Frankenmuth put together 418 yards of offense with 319 yards coming in the rushing department. Lindow led the rushing attack with 141 yards on 17 carries. Reif was 4 of 10 passing for 99 yards. The defense led by Jankowski’s eight tackles limited the Bearcats to zero yards rushing and 157 yards of total offense.. Next Friday, the Eagles will play a familiar playoff foe in Almont which defeated Ovid-Elsie 34 – 0.