Saginaw - Expectations this season were to make the playoffs for the Lancers.  After all, over the past few seasons, they have built one of the area's strongest programs, including a run to the state finals in '04.  It wasn't going to be easy however.  This year, you wouldn't see the familiar jerseys of Rider, Way, Violette, Burch, King and all over the other key figures that engineered those terrific seasons of the past three years.  In to fill the void are the youngsters of Peterson, Yatch, Copus, O'Boyle, Robinson and the rest of this year's Lancers.  After five games into the '06 campaign, expectations were not on target with how things were playing out on the field.  Bullock Creek was getting their bumps and bruises on the field and in the standings.  Something clicked after that 14-6 tough lost to Ovid in week 5.  The Lancers reeled off four consecutive wins after that point, including Friday night's playoff clinching win against Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 38-20.

MLS opened up the playbook early, coming out with a fairly balanced offense.  Yards were tough to come by early on by either team.  The Creek finally got things going with their first, first down of the game with nearly 3/4s of the opening quarter gone.  Shortly thereafter, Creek RB Kyle O'Boyle busted free right up the gut for 51 yards and the game's first score.  O'Boyle also took in the two, literally untouched, making it 8-0.

Things went from bad to worse for MLS as they were picked off on their next offensive possession by QB/DB Matt Peterson.  Peterson took it to the house 37 yards and put BC up 14-0.  The 2 Pt. run was stuffed.  It took the Creek 19 seconds to go up by two scores.  After stopping the Cardinals on their next possession, the Lancers went back to work again.  On second and 1 from their own 40, RB Andrew Copus busted a big run for 30 yards down to the MLS 30.  The drive was eventually bogged down and the Cardinals forced a turnover on downs.  The momentum was short lived.  Bullock Creek, with a punishing run game, moved right down the field on their next possession, capped off by another O'Boyle TD for 15 yards. 

Things got a little wacky in the last two minutes of the opening half.  Just as it looked as Bullock Creek was moving towards another score, threatening to go up by 4 scores, the MLS defense created a turnover as recovered a fumble with just over two minutes to go.  With twelve seconds to go and what seemed to be a drive that was going to stall with time running out, the Cards used their final timeout of the half.  It paid huge dividends as QB Joe Lindloff hit TE Jim Trimmer for a 39 yard score to seize a little momentum.  Lindloff then went to the other corner of the endzone on the two point try to TE Mark Voss, making it 22-8.  Just when it seemed as if MLS would go into the half on a brighter note, CB/RB Garrett Yatch took the ensuing kickoff 88 yards all the way to paydirt and a back-breaking 30-8 halftime lead after Copus 2 Pt. run. 

The game may have been won in the first half but the Cards didn't see it that way.  MLS scored on a 83 yard touchdown run by RB Scott Cooper and a 27 yard TD run by Lindloff on the keeper, late in the fourth.  Bullock Creek's only and final score came in the third quarter on Peterson's third score of the day, this time in a conventional way, on offense, with a 1 yard TD plunge.

With the loss MLS will be on the outside hoping to get in with a high playoff point total relative to other teams vying for at-large bids.  The pairings will be announced on Fox Sports Detroit at 6:30.

Bullock Creek on the other hand, guaranteed themselves a return trip to the post-season.  They couldn't be hitting their peak at better time either.  This young team, sprinkled with some experienced seniors from the past two years are a dangerous team.  They will probably be more feared than what most teams that squeak into the playoffs would be.  They are not without vulnerabilities however.  They are extremely thin in numbers and cannot afford to get into a shootout with any team.  Their style of play can be their best asset or their worst enemy.  Regardless, the post-season wipes everyone's slate clean.  Records go out the window and ranking mean very little.  It will be exciting to see how all of our area teams manage in one of largest classes of area teams to go to the '256'(51 Teams).