Jefferson Security Bank representatives cheer on the Rams football team, as they prepared to drive to their national semifinal game on Friday morning. Courtesy photo

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — For a few minutes in the first quarter, the snow flew from a squall throwing the inclement weather at the Shepherd vs. Ferris State national semifinal playoff game in the NCAA Division II ranks.

It quickly stopped as suddenly as it had begun. But the touchdowns and points continually brought by the homestanding Bulldogs didn’t stop once they had started.

The unbeaten Bulldogs (13-0) were tied with the Super Region One champion Rams (13-2) before counting the game’s last 48 points in winning, 55-7, and moving on to McKinney, Texas and this weekend’s national championship game against once-beaten Valdosta State (Georgia), a semifinal winner over Colorado School of Mines.

Led by quick-silver quarterback Jared Bernhardt, Ferris State literally rolled up 453 rushing yards and controlled the tempo once it established a 14-7 lead in the first quarter. Bernhardt had all five first-half TDs as the ground-hungry Bulldogs took a 35-7 lead by halftime. When the lengthy game finished at nearly 7 p.m., he had rushed 21 times for 201 yards and a 9.6 yards-per-carry average. Bernhardt, who transferred to Ferris after a much-decorated four-year lacrosse career at Maryland, routinely made would-be Shepherd tacklers miss him as his will-o-the-wisp moves took him past them.

Shepherd had some chance to at least stay close, but two instances cost it dearly. Trailing, 14-7, the Rams’ punter, Jacob Barrick fumbled a low but catchable snap, tried in vain to corral the loose ball but hit it with his foot and saw the Bulldogs recover it inside the Shepherd 20. Bernhardt scored for the third time on the next play, giving the opportunistic Bulldogs a 21-7 lead on the last play of the opening quarter. Still down by 14, the Rams reached the Ferris nine with a first down as Ryan Beach made a diving/sliding catch on the snowy field for a 30-yard gain.

Rambo waves at the Rams football team sendoff to the semifinal playoff game on Friday morning. Courtesy photo

A Shepherd score there and the Ferris problems would have been increased greatly. Instead, however, an incomplete pass aimed at Josh Gontarek, who notched Shepherd’s only TD of the game on a one-yard reception, went incomplete, a three-yard run ensued and then quarterback Tyson Bagent was sacked for a 10-yard loss and the fourth down try resulted in a loss of eight on what was ruled a fumble.

The 21-7 deficit ballooned to 35-7 with Bernhardt acrobatically dancing his way to two more scores before halftime.

The only three TDs of the last half were added to the Ferris side, finally making it 55-7. The two Ferris quarterbacks who guided it to a 41-20 quarterfinal win over Northwest Missouri State — Mylik Mitchell and Evan Cummins — were mostly responsible for the second-half Bulldog scoring.

Shepherd had rung up a school record 13 wins before seeing the undefeated Bulldogs.

Gontarek, who leapt his way into future Shepherd lore in a last-seconds playoff win over Notre Dame College, had eight receptions for 114 yards. Leading defenders all season — Ponce Deleon and Chrys Lane — had 14 and 11 tackles respectively. Kendall Duckworth also had 11 stops.

Rams supporters and their children meet J.C. the Ram at the football team's national semifinal game sendoff on Friday morning. Courtesy photo

This Shepherd team had reached the national semifinals for the fourth time in school history. It had marveled the Division II ranks with back-to-back playoff wins with last seconds passing scores.

Then came a snow squall, the first night game of the season that had a 3:32 p.m. start time, a 25 mph wind accompanying the 33-degree temperature and the fiercest pass rush quarterback Tyson Bagent (22-for-46 with one interception and three sacks) saw in the 15-game season.

Rams supporters bid the football team well, during the team's sendoff to their national semifinal game against Ferris State on Friday morning. Courtesy photo

Rams supporters cheer on the football team, during the team's NCAA Division II national semifinal game sendoff at the Midway next to Ram Stadium and the Student Center on Friday morning. Courtesy photo