(Kalamazoo) – A dominating defense almost wasn’t good enough, but the St. Joseph offense got going when it needed to as the Bears used a 10 point fourth quarter rally to defeat Kalamazoo Central 13-6.

St. Joe started out the game with a 13 play, 68 yard drive that took 6:34 off the clock but stalled at inside the 5 yard line, but St. Joe kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

St. Joe would force a punt on the following Central drive and the punt was blocked, setting up the Bears inside the 20 again, but, in what would be a reoccurring theme for the night, penalties would force another field goal attempt, which was partially blocked and was no good.

Neither team would score the rest of the first quarter. But the Bears had a 3-0 lead.

In the second quarter, St. Joe would turn the ball over and two plays later Kalamazoo Central’s Anton McMillan got loose for a 72 yard touchdown run, the point after was blocked, and the home team took a 6-3 lead.

St. Joe would get the ball back late in the second quarter and attempted a long field goal, but Sean Akins 51 yard attempt was wide left.

Kalamazoo Central would get the second half kickoff and appeared to have taken a 12-3 lead, but the would be touchdown was nullified by a penalty.

After a scoreless and penalty filled third quarter, St. Joe’s defense got the comeback started when Kalamazoo Central took over after a Bear turnover at the Giants 17 yard line. Two straight sacks, the second by Carter Hall in the endzone resulting in a Bear safety to cut the lead to 6-5. 

Three minutes later, St. Joe would start the go-ahead drive after a punt and return to the Central 30 yard line. The first play was another Bear infraction sending the ball back 5 yards, but Sammy McCoy ran to the right and found the endzone for a 11-6 lead.  The Bears went for two as QB Griffin Beaudette tossed a short pass to TE Corey Malone for the 2 point conversion and St. Joe had the 13-6 lead.

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