BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - - The Bridgewater State College football team picked up a key New England Football Conference Bogan Division win with a 35-21 victory over visiting Westfield State this afternoon at Swenson Field in Bridgewater.
Bridgewater State (5-3, 4-1 NEFC Bogan) remains tied for first place in the division along with Fitchburg State and Maine Maritime as the Bears have won four straight games. BSC is now 21-6 all-time versus the Owls since the teams first met in 1982. Westfield drops to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the NEFC Bogan.
Sophomore quarterback Jessy Resende (Brockton, MA) rushed for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while junior receiver Jesse Teixeira (Taunton, MA) caught three passes for 84 yards and two scores to lead the Bears' offensive attack.
The BSC defense limited the Owls to just nine total yards on the ground thanks in large part to five sacks which resulted in losses of 43 yards. BSC put pressure on Westfield senior quarterback Dan Cohen (Wilbraham, MA) throughout the contest. Despite getting intercepted twice and sacked five times, Cohen still managed to throw for 216 yards and three touchdowns. All three of those scores went to junior wideout David Benoit (Ludlow, MA) who hauled in four receptions for 127 yards.
The Bears opened the scoring on their second possession as senior quarterback Tyler D'Ambra (Mansfield, MA) hooked up with Teixeira on a 51-yard scoring strike on a third and 13 play. That lead was short-lived, however, as Cohen connected with Benoit on a 66-yard touchdown pass on the Owls ensuing possession.
Bridgewater would reclaim the lead for good on their next possession taking advantage of good field position. The Bears marched 52 yards on seven plays capped off by a ten-yard Resende TD run. The key play of the drive was an eight-yard pass from Resende to junior running back Jeff Creeden (Mansfield, MA) on fourth and seven from the Westfield 20.
Following a Westfield punt, Resende broke off a 72-yard touchdown run to give BSC a 21-7 advantage early in the second quarter. The Owls then took over on the BSC 48 after a short kickoff and a 28-yard return by sophomore C.J. Franklin (Natick, MA). Westfield strung together a ten-play drive resulting in an eight-yard TD reception from Cohen to Benoit.
Up 21-14 in the third quarter, the Bears lead looked in jeopardy following a fumbled snap from center which gave Westfield the ball at the BSC 27-yard line. Fortunately for the Bears, senior cornerback Aaron Santos (Providence, RI) intercepted a Cohen pass at the 21 and raced 79 yards downfield for the touchdown. Santos would add his second interception of the game later in the quarter.
Late in the third quarter following an interception by junior safety Nick Leverone (Natick, MA), the Owls looked to cut into the 14-point deficit. Four plays into the drive on third and 18, Cohen and Benoit would hook up once again, this time for 43 yards as Westfield now trailed 28-21.
BSC had a chance to make it a two-score game, but a 33-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter was wide left. The Bear, however, did not waste their next opportunity following a Westfield punt. Starting at the 49, eight consecutive running plays set up a third and eight situation at the Westfield 28. Bridgewater then opened the playbook as senior running back Bruce Burley (Mansfield, MA) connected with Teixeira on a 28-yard halfback option pass to give BSC the 35-21 lead.
Bridgewater racked up 344 yards of total offense with 228 yards coming on the ground. Along with Resende's 123-yard performance, Burley added 49 yards on 14 carries as he moved into fourth place on the Bears' all-time rushing list. Burley (2,331 yards) passed Clint Cabral who rushed for 2,284 yards from 1989 to 1992.
In addition to his two interceptions, Santos led the Bears in tackles with six (five solo) while also adding a pass breakup. Junior defensive lineman Chris Dijak (Lunenburg, MA) registered five solo tackles including a pair of sacks which resulted in losses of 16 yards. Junior linebacker John Ferbert (East Bridgewater, MA) added five solo tackles and a 14-yard sack, while junior linebacker Jason Flannery (Bridgewater, MA) recorded five tackles (four solo), a sack and a pass breakup.
Sophomore kicker Dave Leombruno (Lakeville, MA) was a perfect 5-for-5 in extra point attempts as he has converted a school record 49 consecutive point after tries since taking over the placekicking duties at midseason a year ago.
Senior linebacker Jay Fielding (Methuen, MA) paced the Owls with eight tackles (five solo) on the defensive side of the ball. Leverone added six solo tackles to his interception, while junior defensive end Nick Gniadek (Northbridge, MA) notched five solo tackles including one for loss.
Next week, BSC travels to Worcester State College for a one o'clock Bogan Division game with the Lancers, while Westfield heads to Fitchburg State to take on the Falcons at 1:30.