Bruins and Panther Football Face Off for First Time in a Decade

September 1, 2018

The Bruins Football team hit the road Friday night traveling to Gold Beach for a match up that hasn’t happened in years.

On a perfect night for football, the Bruins and Panthers matched up for the first time in over a decade. The Bruins new Head Coach Shaun Bavaro and Panther Head Coach Kevin Swift brought two excited teams to the field full of expectations and ready for action.

Sophomore quarterback #4 Andrew Burger throwing downfield.

Both teams aggressively tested the others defense, playing most of the 1st period between the 20 yard lines. The Bruins were hampered by “too many” penalties said Bruins Coach Bavaro, setting them back at key times and after some big plays.

It wouldn’t be until the beginning of the 2nd period that the Bruins sustained a long drive, eating clock and driving the ball down to the 15 yard line with a powerful and evasive run game. Senior Captain running back Brig Schofield would finish the drive off with a 17 yard power run into the endzone putting the Bruins on the board early in the 2nd period.

Senior running back #2 Brig Schofield powering his way into the end zone.

The Bruin defense would take over the rest of the 1st half, not allowing the Panthers to put any offense together or sustain an attack. The teams would go to the locker rooms at the half with the Bruins ahead 7-0.

The Second half was much of the same as an inspired Bruin team defense slipped blocks and beat the Panthers to the holes refusing to allow the Panthers to get a running game established. This allowed the swarming Bruin defense to focus on their rush disrupting the Panther passing game.

The swarming Bruin defense kept the Panthers out of the end zone until the final seconds.

The Bruins rushing game would get into the endzone once again just before the 4th period putting Brookings Harbor up 13-0 going into the 4th period. The Bruins would follow that up with Kelvon’te Dawsey #1 recovering a short kick-off giving the ball right back to the Bruins.

Junior Wide Receiver #86 Manny Zamora breaking tackles on his way to a 20 yard reception.

Running back Brig Schofield would find the endzone again in the 4th period, and the Bruins defense would step up again denying Panthers another offense threat. When the Wild Coast Compass asked Coach Bavaro who he thought were stand outs on the night, he said “the whole defense and defensive coaching staff”.

Sophomore speedster running back #1 Kelvon’te Dawsey returning a punt for a 90 yard touchdown.

But the Bruins weren’t done just yet, after taking a 19-0 lead late in the 4th, and the defense stopped the Panthers offense, sophomore running back and kick returner Kelvon’te Dawsey took a Panther punt and returned 90 yards for another Bruin touchdown with less than 5:00 minutes left in the game.

Junior running back #3 Ben Buehler rushing for a 1st down late in the game.

The Panthers wouldn’t score until they ran it into the endzone with less than a minute in the game. The Bruins would go on to take the win in the pre-season game 26-6.

The Wild Coast Compass caught up with Coach Bavaro after the game and asked him how he thought his team looked after their first pre-season match up, “We have a lot of work to do” he said, “we need to clean up many things in all phases of the game” he went on to say. “I’m happy for the kids, they needed some excitement” he said. The coach went on to tell us “we had too many flags, but I like how we refocused at halftime and played a much better game in the second half”.