Revved up Wildcats find a second gear
EASTON -- The score at halftime was 6-6, but over the final two quarters West Bridgewater's defense forced four turnovers, held Brighton to 75 yards of offense, and propelled the Wildcats to a 34-14 victory yesterday for the Division 4 Super Bowl title, their first since 1991.
"There was doubt all the way along the line," said West Bridgewater coach Bill Panos . "There's so many things that tried to tear us apart, so it was hard to keep it all together. But it's so nice when it does stay together. Not only making it here [to the Super Bowl], but winning it."
During Panos's interview, and all the time until the buses rolled away from Stonehill College , Bridgewater players were yelling, "Balling" , and imitating a jump shot, part of the chorus and dance from a song of the same name, performed by rapper Jim Jones .
"We shot ourselves five times," said Brighton coach James Philip , referring to his team's five turnovers, the first was a fumble in the first quarter by Manuel Boria , recovered by Rich Harris. The turnover led to West Bridgewater's first touchdown. "You give up the ball that many times to a team this good, you're going to lose."
With 4:44 left in the third quarter and the game tied, West Bridgewater linebacker Danny Noonan got a clear shot at Brighton running back Carl Williams on a misdirection play, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive lineman Shawn Glidden .
West Bridgewater fullback Matt Harris ran for 5 yards on first down, and on second down, Matt Nunes ran up the middle on a quarterback draw for 12 yards. Brighton shifted players closer to the line to contest the run, but Panos anticipated the move and went up top on the following play.
Wide receiver Greg Pigeon beat the cornerback on the left side for a 51-yard gain to the 9. According to Panos, the pass was the play of the game.
"That kind of broke things open," said Panos. "It made them have to respect our passing game, and enabled us to run more in the second half."
Matt Harris punched it up the gut from 2 yards for the go-ahead score two plays later, to make it 12-6. On the ensuing kickoff, Brighton's Dolan Reid returned it 10 yards before being smacked by Matt Harris. The hit forced a fumble, which was recovered by Jose Gurley at the Brighton 39. Two plays later, Brian Flaherty ran off right tackle for a 17-yard score.
On the ensuing kickoff, Brighton's returners could not get control of ball and Pigeon recovered it at the Brighton 46.
On third and 4, Reid intercepted a Nunes pass and returned it 75 yards for a score, but a clipping call brought the ball back to the Brighton 15. The Bengals were unable to convert a first down from there.
West Bridgewater took over at the Brighton 21, and Flaherty scored from 9 yards to make it 26-6. On the following Brighton series, linebacker Steve Tartaglia intercepted a Kameel Lashley pass. Four plays later, Tartaglia ran down the right sideline and broke three tackles on the way to a 15-yard touchdown run. Pigeon caught the conversion pass from Nunes, making the score 34-6.
Reid (12 carries, 77 yards) scored his only TD with 35 seconds left, a relief for Panos.
"We were very concerned about No. 24 [ Reid]," said Panos, who had outside linebackers Noonan and Flaherty keying on Reid. "We contained him as much as he can be contained."
West Bridgewater scored in the first quarter after Rich Harris's fumble recovery at the Brighton 47. Facing fourth and 9 from the 21, Eric Johansen ran a passing route just beyond the linebackers as Nunes dumped the ball to him for the score with 4:40 left in the first quarter.
With eight minutes left in the first half, Brighton got the ball on its 34 after a Matt Harris 31-yard punt. The Bengals' Lashley used his 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound frame to his advantage, running up the middle and outside for 46 yards on the drive.
On third and goal from the 1, Jamil Sanders took a pitch to the right from Lashley and beat defenders to the pylon for the score. Boria attempted the conversion rush, but was tackled by Gurley.
West Bridgewater got the ball with 1:07 left in the half, but was unable to convert a first down, and the sides entered the half tied.
According to Noonan, a West Bridgewater senior captain , Brighton was making celebratory noise in the locker room at halftime, which was the opposite of what the Wildcats were doing.
"They were happy with a tie, we weren't satisfied at all," said Noonan. "That pumped us up when we heard them jumping up and down when it's a tie ball game. We don't take ties."
