Saline Overcomes Slow Start to Rout Bedford

The Saline football team overcome a week of frustration and a slow start to rout rival Bedford 48-3 in the 2024 Homecoming game Friday night.

The Hornets found out this week that they will be forced to forfeit their first three games due to a residency conflict with one of their players. The Hornets were a perfect 5-0 on the season, but the forfeits dropped Saline’s record to 2-3 heading into the Homecoming matchup Friday night. Saline schools are protesting the forfeits with the MHSAA with hopes that the ruling will be overruled.

Bad field position caused a slow start against Bedford.

The Mules took the opening kick and drove into Saline territory, but Nolan Klein came up with a huge interception at the two-yard line to stop the drive.

Saline could not move the ball and barely got out of the endzone on third down and was forced to punt to give Bedford the ball at the 40-yard line.

The Saline defense came up big and drove the Mules back and forced a punt, which saw James Rush get a big return into Bedford territory.

Saline capitalized and took the lead when Tommy Carr hit Cole Kruezer with a 21-yard TD pass for a 6-0 lead.

The Hornets defense kept Bedford in check, but the offense continued to struggle before striking just before halftime when Carr hit Lincoln Keyes with a 16-yard scoring pass with one second left in the half for a 12-0 halftime lead.

The second half all Hornets as the Saline offense got rolling.

Rush got things going with a two-yard TD run and ran in the two-point conversion for a 20-0 Saline lead.

A short time later Rush scored his second of the half from five yards out and the lead grew to 27-0 midway through the third.

Bedford would get on the board with a 53-yard field goal, but Saline answered when Carr connected with Keyes for a second time for a 29-yard TD pass and a 34-3 lead after three.

Saline continued to pour it on in the fourth with Rush’s third TD run of the game and a 71-yard TD run by Nolan Klein.

The Hornets had a balanced offensive attack in the win with 199 yards rushing and 289 through the air.

Carr was 21-35 passing for 280 yards and three scores.

Keyes caught eight passes for 145 yards and two scores, while Austin Abbate caught five for 61 yards.

Kreuzer caught the one scoring pass for 21 yards, Jaiden Leonard two for 27 and Matthew Backran one for seven.

Rush finished with 9s yards and three scores and caught three passes for 12 yards, while Klein had 70 rushing and a score.

Saline evened its record at 3-3 with the pending protest of the forfeits being sought out.

The Hornets host Lincoln Friday night at 7:00.