Finally the Bradford Owls were on the happy side of some
fourth-quarter handshakes following a 37-20 District 9 League rout
of Punxsutawney at Parkway Field on Friday.
After two consecutive double overtime losses to start the
season, the Owls opened a 37-6 margin in the third period and
cruised to their first victory of the 2005 campaign.
“Yeah, we didn’t want another overtime game,” said Steve
Ackerman, BHS head football coach. “We showed what we’re capable of
when we do things correctly. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t a
perfect game by any stretch, but the guys learned if they do their
jobs and don’t worry about anybody else, we can be a decent
football team.”
The undisputed star of the game was the Owls’ Garrett McEwen,
who shifted from his guard position to the backfield in the goal
line offense and scored three touchdowns. The 5-11, 200-pound
junior also blocked two first-half punts that led to 10 Bradford
points when the outcome was still in question.
“He (McEwen) had Jerome Bettis stats – six carries for 13 yards
and three TDs,” Ackerman chuckled. “Garrett had a big night on
special teams and a big night on defense (six tackles). Garrett is
a guy who goes 110 miles per hour every second he is playing. We
need that and we need the other guys to feed off that and play the
same way.”
The Owls’ defense limited the Chucks to one first down on their
opening possession of the game as Bradford took over at its own
35.
Despite stumbling at the 40, Josh Holleran regained his balance
and finalized a 31-yard run to the Punxsy 34. Three plays later,
quarterback Ben Walter found Tommy Morris at the 4 and the junior
split end made a leaping, SportsCenter-worthy grab with a defender
in his face.
“Tommy (Morris) is an athlete who can go get the ball and Ben
(Walter) can put it out there,” Ackerman declared. “That
combination worked a couple of times tonight in some big
situations.”
McEwen then put his helmet behind an overpowering line surge to
score from three yards out and Steve Butler added the extra point
for a 7-0 lead with 5:20 left in the first.
The Chucks answered in exactly 60 seconds on a 14-yard run by
David Pisano, a 31-yard pass from Zach Smith to Austin Furman and a
50-yard touchdown strike from Smith to Jeremy Falgout. Taylor
O’Brien then blocked the PAT to keep Bradford in front 7-6.
“They (Chucks) saw our man-to-man package and went up on top
right away,” Ackerman recalled. “We were trying to get pressure on
the quarterback, but we were also in single coverage and there’s no
help. They caught us in it and hit it.”
The Owls failed to move the chains and neither could Punxsy, but
McEwen blasted up the middle to block Falgout’s punt and the hosts
gained possession at the Chucks’ 1.
Following a half-yard penalty on the visitors, McEwen launched
himself over the pile and Butler booted the extra point for a 14-6
advantage with 22 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.
As the second quarter commenced, it was evident the large crowd
was witnessing the Punt portion of the Punt, Pass & Kick as
both teams booted twice. On Punxsy’s second punt, McEwen once again
stormed through the line and swatted it away, and Ben Lanich
recovered the pigskin at the Chucks’ 8.
“He (McEwen) came right through the middle,” Ackerman said of
the blocked punts. “I haven’t seen the film yet, but he seemed to
be untouched.”
Unfortunately, the Owls committed a couple of five-yard motion
infractions and had to settle for Butler’s 22-yard field goal that
extended the Bradford margin to 17-6 with 2:17 showing.
“We lost our composure,” Ackerman confessed. “I said we weren’t
perfect tonight.”
On the ensuing kickoff, Furman traversed from his own 6 to the
Bradford 48 where Holleran made a touchdown-saving tackle. Three
plays later Holleran picked off Smith at the 19 and the half ended
with an 11-point differential.
Holleran then set the tone for the second half when the 5-8,
150-pound senior started from his own 35, broke a tackle at the 42,
scampered along the left sideline and then carried two Chucks on
his back to the Punxsy 6.
“We ran a trap right up the middle,” Ackerman noted. “Nobody was
there because they were outside covering the toss and he (Holleran)
took it down the sideline. It was a nice way to start the
half.”
Then on a third-and-goal from the 2, O’Brien slipped a tackle in
the backfield and rumbled around left end for the score. Butler
drilled the extra point toward the orange-colored moon and the gap
was 24-6 with 10:07 left in the third.
The Chucks went three-and-out, and then with their punter
possibly pondering another McEwen rejection, he shanked a 16-yarder
and the Owls were back in business at the enemy 41.
On a third-and-eight, Walter heaved an aerial downfield and
Morris picked his defender clean with a reception at the 6.
McEwen’s third TD of the evening and Butler’s PAT then made it 31-6
with 5:30 remaining.
The third-quarter onslaught continued when Jim Milbrandt’s
interception led to a five-yard touchdown jaunt by Holleran with
1:58 showing.
“We scored every time we touched the ball in the third quarter,”
Ackerman boasted. “I’m very proud of the kids tonight.”
Then in the fourth quarter the Chucks (0-3, 0-2) registered a
pair of feel-good touchdowns against a clean-jerseyed Owls’ defense
for the final 17-point margin.
Bradford (1-2, 1-1) will attempt to balance its books next
Friday at Clarion-Limestone (7:30 p.m.). The Lions defeated the
Owls 8-3 at Parkway Field a year ago.
“We have a grudge match down there,” Ackerman said. “They
(Lions) stopped our five-year home winning streak.”
