BA vs. Springfield College

Svenn Jacobson

Homecoming brought the Springfield Pride football team to town to face off against the BA football team. The offense worked in harmony to set each other up. The first score was set up when John Strezo (Burlington, MA) burst into the backfield and wrestled the ball out of the hands of the QB for a forced and recovered fumble. The fifty-five yard drive that followed was highlighted by three superb runs by Jacob Duffrene (Waltham, MA) and a diving catch by Mike English (Arlington, MA). The last of last Duffrene’s runs was a five yarder that found paydirt and put the Wolverines up 6-0. Springfield’s following series lasted only three plays and ended when Ken Bartolo (Malden, MA) and Phil Ndifon (Johnston, RI) combined for a sack. BA got the ball back at the twenty-six yard line after a bad punt, and Chris Mullins (Centerville, VA) went up top to find Will Dyson (Cliffside, NJ) not an easy task for the scoring strike. BA extended its lead to 12-0. The second quarter saw BA continue to work together to set up scores. On the second possession of the quarter, Shamis Henry (Flemington, NJ) scooped up a loose ball to give the offense a shot from the Springfield eighteen-yard line. Once again, the offense wasted no time and scored on a single play this one an eighteen-yard run from Duffrene and the lead was extended to 18-0. Here, at the moment when BA really could have put the game away, Springfield found a spark. Going to the air, an unfamiliar place for the Springfield triple option, the Pride hit a thirty-two yard pass to BA alum Cam Cooper (Class of 2013). This set up Springfield in BA territory for the first time and the boost of confidence propelled them into the endzone for their first score, narrowing the gap 18-6. Springfield punched in a second score as time expired in the first half by again hitting BA alum Cam Cooper this time for fifty-nine yard touchdown pass. The Wolverines eventually were able to pull away in the second half thanks to Malik Lee’s seventy-five yard touchdown run on the opening series and later on Duffrene’s third rushing touchdown. The game ended 40-20 in favor of the Wolverines and moves BA to 2-2 on the season.