Caledonia football defeats Romeo in Michigan top-25 showdown
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After weeks of suffering with no high school sports, Michigan high school football is officially back as No. 5 Caledonia defeated No. 18 Romeo 35-28 in the Battle at the Big House on Friday.
The Scots, led by quarterback Brody Betser, defeated the Bulldogs, 35-28 in what was a high scoring day for quarterback Brody Betser and Caledonia’s offense.
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Here are three takeaways from the game:
Brody Betser looks like the real deal
A major concern for this very talented Caledonia team entering this season was the replacement of former quarterback and Mr. Football finalist, Mason McKenzie. The Scots got their answer, and Brody Bester is here.
Betser finished the day with four touchdowns through the air, all of which were caught by senior wideout Maddox Greenfield, including a game-winning touchdown with 58 seconds left to play.
Betser also displayed his running ability as he made some huge plays with his legs.
When asked about the pressure of filling the shoes of McKenzie and stepping into a leadership role, Bester said: “It’s definitely a big thing. A lot of people doubted me and my running ability. Today I feel like I showed that I can run a little bit as well.”
Brock Townsend is back for vengeance
One of the leaders from the state runner up team last season was running back and defensive back Brock Townsend, who is back for his senior season with some unfinished business.
Townsend starts both ways for the Scots, and he definitely made his presence felt on both sides of the ball against Romeo. He opened Caledonia’s offensive attack with a rushing touchdown on its very first drive.
Townsend also had several tackles on the day as well as a pass breakup late in the game to prevent a Romeo touchdown that would have put them on top.
“[Townsend] did a great job today and played super hard, which tells you a lot about Brock,” Pennington said. “He’s a great kid, I love him."
Kaden Burroughs is big time for Romeo
Romeo’s starting quarterback, Kaden Burroughs, displayed his toughness, grit and ability to never give up against Caledonia.
Burroughs finished the day with three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
Trailing by three scores in the second half, Burroughs found DJ Phillips for a touchdown to cut the lead to 28-14. Shortly after, Burroughs ran in a quarterback sneak to bring Romeo within six points.
After a big stop by the Bulldog defense, Burroughs would trot back on offense and find Joey Dabaldo deep for another Romeo touchdown that tied the game at 28 all with a little over a minute to play.
Caledonia would then get the ball back and score their first touchdown of the second half which ended up being the game sealer as the Scots would walk out of the Big House victorious.
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