In battle of first-place teams, Kalamazoo Central topples Battle Creek Central

BATTLE CREEK - Battle Creek Central seemingly had a championship in its grasp. But, Kalamazoo Central snatched it away with a big second half to take over first place alone in the division.

Kalamazoo Central defeated Battle Creek Central 31-12 in a battle of first-place teams in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division in high school football action at C.W. Post Field on Friday, Oct. 10.

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Here are 3 takeaways from the game.

Division Championship

Battle Creek Central opened the game with a 12-0 lead. However, Kalamazoo Central scored 31 unanswered points the rest of the way to remain undefeated in the SMAC East Division and in first place. The Maroon Giants go to 3-0 in the division and clinches a share of the East title with one division game left on its schedule and a game ahead of the rest of the field. Battle Creek Central falls to 3-1 in the East Division and is done with division play for the season.

"That was the goal, win this game. Now we have our destiny in our own hands in the division. We showed a lot of character being down 12-0 and coming back to win," Kalamazoo Central coach Mike Stanger said.

Turning turnovers into points

When Battle Creek Central was given extra opportunities, the Bearcats took advantage.

Both of BCC’s touchdowns in the first half came after Kalamazoo Central turnovers.

Battle Creek Central's Randall Gray came up with an interception at midfield with 9:33 left in the first quarter. From there, the Bearcats drove 46 yards to set up a 32-yard touchdown pass from Lee Campbell Jr. to Greg Williams to make it 6-0.

Early in the second quarter, BCC forced a fumble, recovered by DeAngelo Richey at the 47. The Bearcats’ Mubarrack Jubril later scored on a16-yard scamper for a 12-0 lead with 6:43 left in the half.

However, Kalamazoo Central then took advantage of turnovers by the Bearcats to take control. The Maroon Giants had three interceptions in the second half and added a blocked punt for a touchdown by David Williams as Kalamazoo Central rallied to win.

"Things were going really well and we just lost our rhythm somewhere in the second quarter," Battle Creek Central coach Lorin Granger said. "And at the end of the day, they were the better team tonight."

Valuable Experience

Coming into the season, Battle Creek Central had only one win total over the previous two seasons. A young Bearcats team seemingly has turned things around this year as it entered Friday in first place in the division and is now 4-3 this year with a starting lineup that has mostly underclassmen at every position.

In a loss, BCC feels like something was gained in its rivalry battle with Kalamazoo Central, who came into the season as defending champs in the SMAC East Division.

"They have 27 seniors on their team, we have a handful," Granger said. "Just to be on this stage and playing for something this time of the year, with the stakes as high as it was, will give us valuable experience for the future."

Bill Broderick can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Kalamazoo Central at Battle Creek Central high school football result