It’s something I’ve been asked a handful of times over the last 11 or so days –– just how good is the Bradford High football team?
At first, it was after a 56-0 thumping on opening night (or as the fine folks at the PIAA like to call it, “Week 0”) of visiting Smethport.
After that game, there was the usual amount of skepticism, mostly pointing to the competition.
The first real potential speed bump for the Owls came on Friday when Coudersport came to town, led by first-year coach Tom Storey. Nevermind Coudersport, along with 2016 division champ Otto-Eldred, appear to be the leaders of the North pack.
This matchup, at least externally, centered around last year’s 36-34 overtime win by the Falcons. That loss not only dropped the Class 4A Owls to 1-1, but it flipped the script on the Bradford-is-too-big-for-the-AML storyline.
Fast-forward to Friday when head coach Jeff Puglio’s men in black pounced early with another opening-drive touchdown, fought back after trailing briefly and won 28-8 in a game that didn’t feel particularly close at any juncture.
The questions wondering if these Owls are for real will likely follow the team for the next few weeks, at least until it wins its first-ever AML South game after going 0-5 last year. The first opportunity is against Elk Catholic on Sept. 22.
Is Bradford High for real? That’s still to be determined, as the schedule packs games against Ridgway, Kane, Brockway and Curwensville in succession after the Crusaders come to town.
One thing, however, that is clear after two games is that this Bradford High team is operating at a level defensively that wasn’t seen last year.
Besides fullback John Eakin’s weekly rushing totals, the fact the Owls haven’t given up a point defensively is one to be highlighted.
Sure, consider the competition. But Smethport’s first-teamers couldn’t find the end zone after Bradford High played its junior varsity players the entire second and third quarters in the shutout.
Coudersport didn’t have success either, scoring its eight points on an Elliott Hite scoop-and-score fumble recovery of 84 yards before Chase Whitman scored on the conversion.
In two games, Bradford High is surrendering an unofficial 106 yards per game and held Smethport to just 79.
With running lanes hard to find, the Owls also aren’t giving up yards through the air, either. Five players (Jaron Ambrose, Donny Pattison, Nate Blauser, Anthony Bruno and Caleb Nuzzo) have already tallied an interception, while Gage Campbell, Kevin Ackerman, Isaac Gralak, Andy Pantuso, Noah Meyer and Clayton Cornelius have combined for six sacks. On Coudersport’s only red-zone trip on Friday, Falcons quarterback Jared Green was chased down on fourth-and-goal from the nine-yard line late in the second quarter by Pantuso and Drew Piganelli.
“The defense played really good tonight,” Puglio said postgame. “They were tough, but there’s improvement to be made.”
Through two games, the defense looks less like it did last year and more of what fans in the AML South are akin to seeing on fall Friday nights. The Owls are playing faster and hitting harder than any Owls team in recent memory.
And those aren’t my words.
A few people, including The Era’s Ron Kloss –– who’s seen a good amount of BHS football in his life –– have commented that this year’s outfit are the most physical to take to Parkway Field in some time.
If the team can stay healthy –– a major if –– the Owls are set up perfectly to use its four-headed monster of a backfield with Eakin, Ambrose, Derek Sunafrank and quarterback Pattison to combine with a stout defense, a winning formula for cold, November football at any level.
That’s probably looking too far into the future, though. The focus this week likely isn’t even on opponent Cameron County, but instead looking inward as Puglio has reiterated multiple times the only team the Owls have to worry about is their own.
So, is Bradford High for real?
I guess the only way is to see for yourself.
