BGM ends Hill?s first season on Cardinal sideline

BROOKLYN ? BGM?s 40-7 win vs. Cardinal on Sept. 25 couldn?t have been a much better preview for Wednesday night?s sub-state game in Brooklyn.

In the first meeting, BGM opened up a 40-0 halftime lead before setting the second-half cruise control. Wednesday, Mike Long ran for 196 yards and three first half scores to lead the Bears to a 41-0 halftime advantage, and ultimately, a 41-7 victory to bounce the Comets from the postseason. BGM moves on to play WACO Monday.

?We competed really well and were able to win the second half again,? said Comet head coach Darren Hill, who wraps up his first year on the Cardinal sideline. ?We had a good talk at halftime about where we?re at and what we?ve done this year. I wouldn?t let them hang their heads.?

The loss ends one of the most successful season in Cardinal history with a 5-5 record and the first-ever appearance in the postseason. Even with Hill taking taking the whistle less than two weeks before the season started, the Comets burst out of the gates with wins in their first four games before finishing the regular season with a 5-4 record ? Cardinal?s first winning record since 1996.

?I?m very, very pleased with the way things turned out this year,? Hill said. ?With the amount of preaparation before the season ? or lack thereof ? I?m proud of the way the kids battled. Above and beyond what I expected.

?It takes time to build a program, and it?s not going to happen overnight.?

Denzel VanSant, Chase Kilmer and Cameron Farmer also scored touchdowns for BGM Wednesday and Hill points to the Bears as a team Cardinal can try to emulate.

?It?s the BGM head coach?s fourth year, which means the seniors have been with him since they were freshmen,? he said. ?They?ve had some time in the program and are starting to see the rewards. We talked about that and we?re going to have to get bigger, stronger and just learn what it takes to win football games.?

The Comets will say goodbye to seven seniors ? most notably Jake Scherer and Austin O?Brien, who starred on both sides of the ball this season ? but will welcome back a talented core including quarterback Brandon Warren.

?With where we were at the beginning of the year, I couldn?t be happier with how they played, the outcome and the community support,? Hill added.