By Joe Early
Brunswick School
In a match-up of undefeated conference foes, Brunswick saw an early 13-7 lead over Salisbury turn into a 34-20 halftime deficit, as the Knights pulled away for a 62-27 win on Salisbury’s home field.
The loss halts a 13-game winning streak for the Bruins (5-1).
Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, Brunswick rallied for a pair of passing touchdowns from sophomore Nick Henkel, taking its first lead of the game at 13-7.
Henkel’s first score was a 13-yard pass to junior tight end Kieran Dowley. The go-ahead score, a 11-yard pass from Henkel to junior wide-out Sean Morris, was set up by a 57-yard punt return by junior Cam Kelly, giving the Bruins’ offense possession deep in Salisbury territory.
Salisbury (5-0) countered with its second touchdown of the opening quarter on a 10-yard run. After a successful PAT, the Knights owned a 14-13 advantage.
In the second quarter, the Bruins regained the lead at 20-14, as Henkel hit freshman receiver Cory Johnson on a 10-yard comeback pass just inside the pylon.
That would be the final lead for Brunswick, as Salisbury closed out the half with 21 straight points. An 80-yard touchdown on the ensuing kickoff return started the run, and a one-yard touchdown plunge in the final seconds gave the hosts a 34-20 lead at the break.
To start the third quarter, the Knights added two more touchdowns, building a 48-20 advantage.
The Bruins’ offense scored their final points of the game as Morris hauled in a 21-yard touchdown on a fade pass from Henkel later in the third quarter, slicing the deficit to 48-27.
In the fourth quarter, Salisbury added another pair of touchdowns, including a defensive score, for the 62-27 final.
Henkel finished the day completing 21-for-40 passes for 223 yards and four touchdown tosses. His top target was Morris, who finished with a career-best 11 catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Dowley added six catches for 52 yards and a score, as Johnson added three catches for 21 yards, including a touchdown.
Defensively, the Bruins were led by junior linebacker John Fox, who had nine tackles, including three for lost yardage. Senior defensive back Reilly Walsh collected the team’s lone interception, while classmate Patrick Adamo recovered a fumble.
Up next for the Bruins is a home game against a rested Kent squad (2-2), who was idle this weekend. The conference tilt on Halloween is slated for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff on Cosby Field.
