By Bruce MacLeod, Macomb Daily Sports Writer

The good folks at Selfridge Air National Guard Base put on a mighty fine air show last weekend. The Stevenson High football team might have done them one better, Thursday night.

Spotting host Cousino a touchdown on the game's first possession, the Stevenson Titans scored TDs on their first five possessions — four through the air — to take a 42-6 Macomb Area Conference crossover victory.

"Our confidence level is there and passing is our game," said Stevenson coach Rick Bye. "We're not going to get away from our game. That's because we've got a four-year starter at quarterback and we've got some really, really good receivers."

The Cousino Patriots were the ones with confidence after the game's first possession. After taking the opening kickoff— one of four that were touchbacks off the foot of Stevenson's David Brown — Cousino put together a 20-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Brian Blackburn. Only once did Blackburn need to pass on the drive as the Patriots killed all but 44 seconds of the first quarter.

Cousino's Tony Bassett finished the game with 40 yards on 11 rushes. Blackburn added 31 yards on 10 carries and was 4-for- 8 passing for 62 yards.

"Our game plan was to keep their offense on the bench," said Cousino coach Mike Powell. "What we did in the first quarter was exactly what we wanted to do the rest of the game. We couldn't sustain what we did."

Once the Titans took the ball, they took over the game.

Finally taking the field with 44 seconds on the first-quarter clock, Stevenson's starters remained in the game for five offensive possessions — covering a little more than one quarter of playing time (16:17) — leaving with their team leading 42-6 just 3:33 into the second half.

"That's just football; you've got to take your shots, come back and make plays," said Bye. "Everybody's going to keep the ball away from us and keep our offense off the field. I think what happens is as soon as we get on the field with the offense and take that punch in the mouth and come back and score ... that's enough right there to take the air out of a lot of teams' sails. They worked that whole quarter to score and we scored quickly."

The Titans went 84 yards on their first possession, needing just six plays, four of which were passes, to tie the game at 6-6, 1:42 into the second quarter.

Fracassa found Marcus Beaurem over the middle and then Mershman on crossing routes before lofting a deep strike to Beaurem for a 41-yard touchdown.

That was the blueprint for the rest of the first half.

While most high school football teams feel conservative running, Mershman said that the Titans feel in a safety zone when they're passing.

When the Patriots got the ball for their second possession, they faced a fourth-and-three on their own 45-yard line halfway through the second quarter. Cousino went for it and was stopped without gaining any ground.

"In the first quarter, we were tentative and making mistakes," said Bye. "We responded well and played well after that."

Bye pointed to the defensive play of Brown, Charlie Walker, Mo Saleh, Carl Davis and Jonathan Sulek. Kevin Stencel recovered a fumble.

Next came a four-play 45-yard drive by Stevenson that ended with a 20-yard TD pass from Fracassa to Mershman. On the Patriots' next play from scrimmage, Mershman intercepted a pass.

Stevenson followed with a 52-yard drive capped by a 21-yard scoring pass to Justice Wright. Then came a 63-yard drive ending with an across-the-grain 15-yard pass from Fracassa to Mershman for a score. Brown's PAT made the score 28-6 at halftime.

After their four-first down drive to start the game, Cousino didn't get another first down until the fourth quarter.

Stevenson, meanwhile, took the second-half kickoff and scored on a 43-yard run by Wright on a draw.

"He's an amazing running back," said Mershman. "There will be a one-inch hole and he'll get through it somehow. He's slick. He's got the best moves I've seen. When he hit that one hole, he put his jets on."

Mershman capped the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown catch from Fracassa with 8:27 left in the third quarter.

At that point, Fracassa had completed 17-of-19 passes for 294 yards and five touchdowns. D.J. Mershman caught eight for 155 yards and three scores. Marcus Beaurem had five catches for 80 yards. Justice Wright rushed for 58 yards on five carries.

"To have five great athletes like they do out there running patterns or running the ball ... that's unusual to have that many skilled kids on one team," said Powell.

When the game was over, the Stevenson Titans gathered and celebrated, singing "We are the Titans" just as the team in the movie "Remember The Titans" did.

If the Titans do this all season, they'll be well remembered.