It’s homecoming week at Brookings-Harbor High School and with the phenomenal season that Coach Bavaro has brought to the football program this year, the stands at Bruin field were packed to standing room only, and the atmosphere was electric.
Coach Bavaro’s team were loud, excited and fired up as the game began against the 2-0 St. Mary’s Crusaders from Medford. The Bruins kicked to the Crusaders to start the game and the train left the station in a hurry.
The Crusaders were sharp out of the gate hitting short passes and getting yards after the catch. They handed the ball off and hit their holes right on time and they quickly moved right down the field. Quickly putting themselves in scoring position after driving 75 yards in just minutes, St. Mary’s scored with a pass over the middle of the backfield.
But Bavaro’s Bruins weren’t phased and after the ensuing kick-off, Bavaro called a run play to the right side of the line and junior quarterback Ethan Hooper #10 handed the ball to #2 senior running back Brig Schofield who plowed through the line and busted off a 70 yard run play down inside the Crusader 10 yard line. But the Crusader defense stiffened and denied the Bruins the endzone leaving the score 0-7.
Just two plays later, the Crusaders handed the ball off, sealed the edge with wide receiver blocking and ran untouched 96 yards for another St. Mary’s touchdown quickly making the score 0-14. The score shocked the Bruins and hurt just a little more after going from being 6 yards from tying the score at 7 each, to being down 0-14 in a matter of seconds.
The Bruins then put together some offense trying to mentally put the 14 unanswered points behind them and build some confidence to get themselves back into the game. But, the Bruins would put the ball on the ground on their own 40 yard line with the Crusaders recovering.
Minutes later the Crusaders would strike again with another 30 yard pass play over the middle finishing the play off with an extra 15 yards after the catch. With 3:21 left in the first quarter the Crusaders led 0-21.
The Bruins were still relentless and were not about to let this stand, however, penalties set them back to a 3rd and 20 situation. Quarterback Ethan Hooper #10 dropped back and hit sophomore tight end Jacub McCollum #87 for a long pass to the outside. After a questionable spot, that the stands certainly did not agree with, the Bruins were a yard short of a first down and would turn the ball over on downs on the next play.
The Crusaders smelled blood, and wasted no time scoring again, again taking advantage of the gap between the linbackers and safety with a pass over the middle and run into the endzone making the score 0-28, and the wheels began coming off the train. The Crusaders would then score 3 more touchdowns before the half, and by halftime it was clear, that the train had left the tracks.
In the second half, Bruin pride was responsible for getting the Bruins on the board. The Bruins, after first half quarterback Ethan Hooper was under duress in every first half possession, had switched quarterbacks to sophomore #4 Andrew Burger. Burger and the offense got in the endzone when Burger hit sophomore wide-out Derek Bonde on a 40 yard pass play late in the game.
By the way, it was Homecoming Night, and at the half a Homecoming King and Queen ceremony broke out. During the dramatic celebration fraught with anticipation, Seniors Brig Schofield and Lexi Pacino were dutifully crowned the 2018 Homecoming King and Queen.
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