Coach Shaun Bavaro and his BHHS Bruins football team took their 2-1 record and went on the road to take on another Medford football powerhouse as they stepped off the bus facing the former state champions Cascade Christian Challengers. The Bruins, coming off a tough loss last Friday, stepped on the field ready to take on the undefeated 3-0 Challenger team and test their own resolve.
The Challengers came into the contest with an undefeated record behind them, an offensive juggernaut averaging over 50 points in every league game to date, and a defense that has only allowed one touchdown in league play all season. And from their first drive of the game, they proved to be everything their record says it is.
It took only minutes after the first kick-off for the Challengers to get into the endzone and start the scoring. The Bruin defense was caught flat-footed as the Challengers ran through 1 on 1 tackles and threw over the defense for big chunks of yardage and ultimately the endzone.
The Bruins were then forced to punt on their first possession going 3 plays and out and punting the ball back to the Cascade Christian Challengers.
Cascade Christian then drove deep into the Bruins territory and ultimately scored again after a 10-yard quarterback keep play, quickly putting the Challengers up 0-14.
However, the Bruins took the ball after the kick and put on a little offensive show of their own driving to mid-field with a mix of run plays and short passes. Bruin quarterback Andrew Burger #4 dropped back hit Derek Bonde #42 on a skinny post and Bonde then outran the Cascade Christian defense 56 yards for a Bruin touchdown putting the Bruins in the scoring column 7-14.
But the Challengers proved to be too much for the Bruins on the night, consistently in the Bruins offensive backfield disrupting plays and pressuring the quarterback consistently. Defensively the Bruins struggled to stop the Challenger passing game that threw over the Bruin defense into the zone between the linebackers and safety leaving the pass coverage on islands chasing receivers.
The Challengers racked up 52 points in the first half of play and took a confident lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Bruins came out after the half determined to test their offense and put plays together. But, it would be the defense that ultimately put points in the board. Senior linebacker Marcus Clay #16 intercepted a Challenger pass play and returned it for a Bruin touchdown late in the 3rd period.
In fact, Marcus Clay would single-handedly score more points on the Cascade Christian team than every other team the Challengers have faced all season in league play after he picked up a Challenger fumble, forced by senior linebacker Brig Schofield #2, and then returned that turnover to the endzone, single-handedly scoring 14 points on his own.
The Bruins ultimately fell 20-59, however, they scored on a league-leading team offensively and defensively and will be able to carry these accomplishments into next weeks final game of league play.
Next Friday evening, the now 2-2 Bruins will play their final game of league play at home against the only other team to score on Cascade Christian this year, the 2-2 Mustangs from Hidden Valley. On paper, these two teams match up equally and the winner of this match will see post-season play.
This reporter expects Bruin stadium to again be packed to the rafters and standing room only next Friday at 7:00 pm to celebrate Bruin senior night and push this exceptional Bruin football team into post-season play.
Please Like, Share and Follow the …
