The Coopersville Broncos began their quest for a fifth straight postseason trip against the Otsego Bulldogs on Thursday night. Though the old “six wins and you’re in” mantra has disappeared, the debut was certainly a step in the right direction for this bunch. They throttled Otsego on both sides of the ball, cruising to a 41-0 victory.
It was a slow start for Coopersville, as they found the end zone just once in the first quarter. Beau Harris and Sam McDonald paired up for a 5-yard touchdown toss, giving the Broncos a 7-0 lead. Things picked up quickly in the second quarter, as Sam McDonald returned to the end zone, this time on a 7-yard carry. Bobby Lemieux added to the lead with his 3-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos a 21-0 halftime advantage.
The third quarter saw Coopersville explode offensively, nearly doubling their lead. Harris returned to his aerial attack, pairing up with Brooks Hadden for a 24-yard touchdown strike. Later in the frame, Lemieux bowled his way across the goal line on a 1-yard dive. Finally, Lemieux completed his touchdown hat trick with a 4-yard carry.
Ahead 41-0, and with the running clock in effect, neither team put points on the board over the final eleven minutes. This was the first shutout Coopersville has posted since they stunned Cedar Springs in a 28-0 playoff shutout back in October 2022. Next week, Coopersville will look to move to 2-0 for the third straight season. Standing in their path is longtime conference foe West Catholic, who kicks their season off on Friday.
