A fast start on offense had Battle Creek cruising early against the defending state champions.
Then the champions simply played and finished like a team expected to defend its title, though the Braves made sure to try and leave their marks in the 47-14 final on Friday.
Bishop Neumann had held through its first two weeks, and though Battle Creek was not seen by the opposition as too much of a challenge, the Braves made sure to deliver an early blow. The Braves got a stop on the first series of the game, and with 90 yards to cover on its first drive, the offense took over.
Battle Creek put itself on Kruse control, the junior tailback Hunter Kruse powering the Braves through set of downs after set of downs. He capitalized on the final play of the drive, taking an option pitch from Tyan Thompson and breaking free on a third-and-short to score the first points of the game.
The final play of the quarter
