Coach Shaun Bavaro and the BHHS Bruin varsity football team were on the road Friday evening, traveling to Medford to challenge the 6-1 St. Mary’s Crusaders for a beautiful fall night of football.
As the Bruin 2022/23 season has progressed, the Bruins have seen significant positive growth through the middle of the schedule. Friday nights match-up with the Crusaders was another good night where both the offense and defense showed they could compete, putting together offensive attacks and playing well as a defensive unit against a powerful Crusader team.
But as much of the season has played out, those positive moments have been outweighed by fleeting lapses of focus, untimely fouls and big plays for the opposition, resulting in opponents capitalizing and putting points on the scoreboard.
Friday night had all of these elements, starting with the opening kick-off St. Mary’s elected to receive, and opened the game with an 80 yard return for a touch down, putting the Bruins behind, 0-7 before a play was run from scrimmage.
The Bruins would start their first drive on their own 20 yard line early in the first quarter, and on a 3rd and 6 situation, the Bruins were intercepted. But the Crusaders would fail to capitalize as the Bruin defense would return the favor after sophomore Clayton Larios, #33, stepped in front of a St. Mary’s pass as the Crusaders drove to endzone.
Both teams would trade turnovers more than once in the series before the Crusaders would find the endzone extending their lead to 0-14.
After putting together a drive late the Bruins would give the Crusaders another opportunity late in the half, allowing St. Mary’s to get into the endzone one more time with just seconds left in the first quarter to take a 0-21 lead into the second quarter.
Big plays by St. Mary’s in the second quarter quickly put the game out of reach, as the Crusaders amassed a 0-35 lead in the quarter, before the Bruin offense would put together a 50 yard drive that would end with a 9 yard touchdown pass pulled in by senior wide receiver Seth Valliere, #1, getting the Bruins on the board, 6-35.
But the Crusaders would strike once more just moments before the half-time break, extending their lead to 6-42. The Bruin defense slowed the St. Mary’s attack significantly in the third period, allowing only one scoring opportunity for the Crusaders in the period that again advanced their lead to 6-49.
But the character of the Bruins showed late, as the Bruin offense put themselves in position to score. Coach Bavaro would call #79, senior Rafael Cavaus’ number sending the big lineman into the endzone on a power dive play, making the final score 14-49.
The Bruins will be ending a week of Homecoming festivities next Friday evening, as the 2-4 North Valley Knights make the trip to Brookings and a 7:00pm kick-off.
