By HUNTER O. LYLE
BRADFORD, PA – Sometimes it’s good to get punched in the mouth. Figuratively, of course.
After a dismal first quarter full of mishaps and struggles, the Bradford football team pulled it together for a comeback victory over Coudersport, winning 71-13 in front of their home fans for the final time this season.
Despite coming into Friday’s game as the supposed favorites, everything seemed to fall apart for the Owls early on. Winning the coin toss and choosing to receive, Bradford got just two snaps off before a big hit forced a fumble which Coudy recovered. Switching to defense earlier than expected, the Owls failed to stop the Falcons as they slowly marched towards the end zone. Despite forcing a punt, Bradford’s offensive woes would resurface on their second drive.
Again, the Owls got off a good first play, this time a pass to Jordan Thompson that drew 14 yards. However, a bad snap on the following play resulted in a sack for a loss of 10 yards. On second down, Coudy’s staunch coverage left quarterback Talan Reese with no other choice than to scramble out of bounds, giving up two yards. Luckily for the Owls, Reese connected with Kaden Kicior on a long bomb that took Bradford 75 yards downfield. However, after eventually making it to the two-yard line, successive mistakes including another bad snap hobbled the home team, sending them away with just three points instead of seven.
The Owls’ bad luck continued as a successful onside kick that gave them ideal field positioning produced a punt four snaps later. Then, after forcing Coudy to attempt a run on fourth-and-one, the Falcons broke free and streaked down the sidelines for a 73-yard score. It was beginning to look like one of those long nights at Parkway Field.
As the first quarter wound down, it was clear that the Owls were starting to spiral. Instead of giving in to the mental frustrations, they chose to respond immediately.
Getting the ball on their own 45, Logan Kohler opened the drive with a 55-yard carry that ended with seven points. Taking the lead at 10-6, Bradford had the momentum and would refuse to let Coudy near it for the next three quarters.
Riding the wave, the second quarter would be totally controlled by Bradford. Following their first touchdown, the Owls would score another after an interception from Enzo Aiello that took him 55 yards and into the endzone. The Owls would score on the next three drives. First, forcing a Coudy three-and-out, Bradford marched downfield before a 14-yard carry from Carter Colley put them up 24-6. A second interception qued Bradford up for another seven points, this time being scored by a two-yard run from Thompson before a third pick-six from Sean Ward widened the deficit to 38-6.
With the defense forcing Coudy into submission, everything was working for the Owls, including their crunch time offense. Getting the ball at their own 31-yard line with just a few minutes to go, Bradford scored one more time in the first half. Eating clock as well as plenty of yards, Kohler crossed the plain with just 1.8 second remaining. After a dismal first quarter, Bradford now entered the break up 44-6.
“We knew they were going to be a team that could run the ball from what we saw on film so it was really critical to stop the run tonight. When we were able to force them into some passing situations, we could really ramp up the pressure,” said Puglio. “We did a really good job putting pressure on the quarterback and forcing turnovers. I wanted three and I think we got more, but scores on defense were huge. There were huge momentum shifts.”
Entering the second half, Coudy looked just as listless and Bradford just as dominant. The Falcon’s first drive resulted in a sack and loss of 10, followed by a loss of three on a failed carry and yet another sack that stripped the ball free. The Owls recovered and scored two plays later.
Thus would be the game for the remaining two quarters. The Owls, even with their junior varsity roster taking the field, would continue to pound the ball into the end zone against an already defeated Falcons squad. By the time the running clock emptied, the Owls had won by 58.
“We talked about being alphas and we haven’t been alphas much this year. We just put the challenge on (the team) and left the locker room saying, ‘who’s going to be the alpha tonight?’,” said Puglio. “I think we had a lot of guys play that role tonight. It’s really encouraging to see guys step up and take on that alpha role. I’m really proud of that role.”
Reese finished with 210 passing yards and two touchdowns, targeting Logan Kohler for 98 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Nick DeGolier had a team-high 83 rushing yards, including one into the end zone, while Haviland had 30 rushing yards and one touchdown. On defense, Degolier had five tackles and a deflection, Haviland had three tackles, two sacks and an interception and Ward had three tackles, a deflection and an interception.
Along with the win, the Owls had reason to celebrate in their four seniors who were instrumental in the building of the Bradford football program. Among them are Reese, Evan Whitmore, Carter Colley and Malachi McCormick.
“I’ll remember their perseverance. They had a rough go at it. The first two years, we didn’t win a game, but they’re going to be part of this turnaround” said Puglio. “We’re on the verge of it right now, but (the seniors) are going to be a part of the resurgence of Bradford football. I give a lot of credit to them.”
