Second Half Surge Propels Football to Victory

Trailing 5-0 at the half against Cheshire Academy on Friday night, Brunswick rallied to upend the Cats, 19-11. The non-league road win keeps the Bruins unbeaten with a 3-0 mark, as Brunswick returns to Erickson League action, travelling to Kent on Saturday, October 6.

 

Cheshire built its first half lead with a safety and a 26-yard field goal, both in the second quarter.

 

The Bruins’ defense forced six turnovers on the day, matching three interceptions with three fourth-down stops. Linebacker Nick Villis halted a Cheshire scoring threat with an interception in the Brunswick end zone, as defensive back Liam Fairback made two interceptions. Fairback leads the team with five picks. Fairback’s first interception led to the Bruins’ first score in the third quarter.

 

Following Fairback’s first takeaway, Brunswick quarterback Nick Winegardner (7/13, 160 yards, 2 TD) found tight end Rocco DiChiara down the sideline for a 28-yard touchdown pass. After a missed extra-point, the Bruins led 6-5 with 6:58 left in the third quarter.

 

Cheshire regained the lead with a short touchdown pass at the 9:47 mark in the fourth quarter. Despite a missed two-point play, the Cats held a 11-6 advantage.

 

The Cheshire lead was short-lived, as Brunswick scored on the next play from scrimmage. On first-and-10 from the Brunswick 25, Winegardner found wide receiver Cornelius Johnson open downfield for a 75-yard touchdown reception. The Bruins also misfired on their two-point play, but owned a 12-11 lead.

 

Cheshire and Brunswick both exchanged punts following matching three-and-outs. The Cats next drive stalled and they punted the ball to the Bruins’ 46-yard line with just over four minutes left in the game.

 

Two plays later, Brunswick running back Jalen Madison burst through the line, slipped a tackle, and scampered 57 yards for a touchdown. A made extra-point kick by Chris Chavez gave the Bruins a 19-11 lead with 3:57 remaining in the game.

 

The Brunswick defense made its final stand, forcing Cheshire to turn the ball over on downs with 1:51 left to play, as the Brunswick offense ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

 

Score by Quarters:

Bruins     0 0 6 13 - 19

Cheshire 0 5 0 6   - 11