By Scott DeWeerd, '15

ALBION, Mich. - It was a cold October night at Sprankle-Sprandel stadium but the Albion College football team was blazing hot. The Britons blistered Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Kalamazoo College 75-22 Saturday night in the team's highest scoring output since 2005. 

Running back Mike Czarnecki set the tone early on, ripping off a 53-yard touchdown run on just the third play of the game. The Hornets would respond with nine straight points striking some fear into the Albion faithful. But trailing 9-7, star quarterback Dominic Bona would commandeer the game, leading the Britons on five consecutive touchdown drives and all but crushing the spirit of the opposing team. 

"Bona looks real sharp, and he continues to make good decisions with the ball," said Head Coach Craig Rundle. "He fits the ball into tight areas and makes great throws. And he's going to keep improving." 

Bona looked poised to set an MIAA passing record at the half, but the Britons took the foot off the pedal and the quarterback was out of the game by the end of the third quarter. Bona finished 21-of-35 for 339 yards passing and five touchdowns. 

Czarnecki finished with a career high 208 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries, including a thrilling 89-yard run early in the fourth quarter. 

"Kalamazoo has been good, especially on defense," Rundle commented. "But our guys really stepped up and executed well."

Rundle was concerned with his team's ability to put together a full game on both sides of the ball, but he was proud of their performance on Saturday night.

"We wanted everyone to be at their best at the same time," he said. "There are a lot of things we still need to work on but everyone played well today." 

Colin Parks racked up 83 yards and a touchdown on eight carries while freshman Shane King added 54 yards on eight carries and his first career touchdown. 

Zach Brigham had another huge game for the Britons pulling in eight catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Slotnick hauled in three touchdown catches, while Tyler White, Jon Alandt, and Cody Crawford found the end-zone for one touchdown apiece. 

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive back Chris Jakubik had a big night for Albion coming up with 14 tackles. Anthony Waite and linebacker James Hartley added 11 tackles each. Dillon Ervin and a stout defensive line held the Hornets to just 3.8 yards per carry while amassing six sacks, eight tackles for loss, and a handful of quarterback hurries. 

"There are still a lot of things we need to get better at," Rundle noted when asked about how his team might build on such an impressive win. "We'll continue to improve." 

The Britons will be seeking their ninth straight MIAA victory dating back to last season when they head to Adrian College next Saturday. The Bulldogs are 4-1 after beating Alma College 31-0 in Saturday evening's homecoming event. What promises to be an exciting game kicks off next Saturday at 5 p.m.