Mavs tamed by Grand Blanc in division opener

After an embarrassing loss on the road a week earlier, Huron Valley Milford looked to rebound with a victory at home in its division opener against last year’s division co-champions.

But Grand Blanc had other ideas and handed the Mavericks a 35-13 defeat on Friday, Sept. 14, dropping Milford to a 1-2 record with its second straight loss.

Milford (1-2, 0-1 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West Division) was coming off a 45-0 loss at Plymouth in Week 2, while the Bobcats came into last Friday’s game winless after non-league losses to Flint Carman-Ainsworth and Livonia Churchill, leaving some to wonder if they were on the verge of falling off their perch in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association (KLAA) West Division.

Things looked promising for the Mavericks early when Zachary Huff pulled off an impressive leaping interception of Grand Blanc quarterback Bart Williams on the opening drive of the game, giving Milford the ball at its own 30-yard line.

However, Milford would go four-and-out on its first drive before Daniel Wallace fumbled the ball away on the first play of its second drive, which the Bobcats’ Isaiah Collins recovered at the Milford 44.

Five plays later, Williams found a streaking Brandon Scott down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown connection and a 7-0 Bobcats’ lead.

But Wallace would redeem himself on Milford’s next drive as he caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Alex Larson to help tie the game at 7 in the first quarter.

The second quarter was scoreless before Grand Blanc (1-2, 1-0) took over possession at its own 7-yard line with 3:30 left.

Seven plays later, Williams threw his second touchdown on an 8-yard touchdown pass to Malik Fisher with 37 seconds left to cap a 93-yard drive and put Grand Blanc up 14-7 at halftime.

The Bobcats would strike again in the third quarter as Williams threw his third touchdown on a 15-yard pass to T.J. Nichols for a 21-7 advantage.

Larson responded on Milford’s next drive with his second touchdown on a 40-yard pass to Brandon Williams, but the Mavs botched the extra point attempt and trailed by 8.

Collins then took over for the Bobcats in the fourth quarter as he first rushed for a 15-yard touchdown to put them up 28-13.

Milford then had a 67-yard touchdown pass from Lawson to Daniel Wallace negated due to a block in the back penalty and the Mavs would turn the ball over on downs that same drive.

On the ensuing drive, Grand Blanc would march 50 yards down the field and Collins scored his second touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run to put the game away.

Larson finished with 104 yards rushing on 17 carries for the Mavericks.

Williams completed 17-of-26 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns for the Bobcats while Scott had seven receptions for 108 yards.

Milford will continue its run through the KLAA West gauntlet on Friday, Sept. 14 when it travels to face 3-0 Hartland.