• Home
  • Posts
  • Brunswick Football Golden at NEPSAC Sean Brennan Bowl

Brunswick Football Golden at NEPSAC Sean Brennan Bowl

wickfootwins1-11-21
Members of the Brunswick School football team pose for a team photo with the NEPSAC championship trophy after Saturday's victory over Milton Academy. (Evan Triantafilidis photo)
Members of the Brunswick School football team pose for a team photo with the NEPSAC championship trophy after Saturday’s victory over Milton Academy. (Evan Triantafilidis photo)

With just over a minute left on the clock, a heroic effort by both Brunswick’s defense and offense led the Bruins to a 19-15 win over Milton Academy in Saturday’s New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Sean Brennan Bowl.

A defensive stop followed by a clutch 65-yard game-winning drive was just enough to put Brunswick on top in the final minute of the game.

“I almost had a heart attack at that point,” Brunswick head coach Jarrett Shine said. “We played a very good Milton football team. They’re very well coached and we knew they were going to make it a game.

“We didn’t play well at times, but that’s what life is about,” he continued. “You’re going to have your setbacks, but the one thing I keep telling the boys is that if you keep trying and keep fighting, good things will happen eventually. It didn’t happen the way we expected it to, but it worked out in the end for us.”

Following a strong defensive stand on third down, Brunswick sent pressure to disrupt the punt and started their final drive of the game on their own 35 yard line with 2:49 left to play.

After missing the previous game with a concussion, sophomore quarterback Nick Henkel led the Bruins on a seven-play game-winning drive capped off by a 24-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Caponiti.

Henkel finished the game going 22-for-34 with 285 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

“Harrison had been telling me and Coach Early that when we ran verticals, he was getting open,” Henkel said following the game. “On that third down, I trusted him, and he made an absolutely fantastic play.”

The Bruins would then deny the Mustangs’ comeback attempt in the final seconds of the game and would lift the NEPSAC Championship trophy for the second time in three years.

“I’ve been on a lot of football teams, but this is the closest I’ve ever seen a group,” Shine said. “Our seniors pour their hearts out for this team and they really showed the underclassmen like me what it really means to be part of such a family. It’s just amazing.”

Brunswick would get on the board first with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Henkel to Sean Morris, opening up a 6-0 lead.

The Bruins would find their rhythm again late in the first quarter, but couldn’t capitalize on a 13-play, 85-yard drive, as a field goal attempt hit off the right upright.

Milton Academy then embarked on an 80-yard drive of its own, led by running back Michael Silva, who carried the ball from the one-yard line. But it was an offensive lineman credited with the fumble recovery in the end zone to give the Mustangs a 7-6 lead.

Milton’s Alec Beesmer would finish the game going 6-for-9 for 30 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Freddy Okito added 10 carries for 162 yards as a change of pace back to spread the field for the Mustangs.

For the Bruins, Jason Kennedy led the rushing attack with a team-high 66 yards on the ground and 15 yards through the air after missing the previous three games. Brunswick would tally 22 total first downs compared to Milton’s nine.

Henkel would find an open Morris again for a 12-yard score to build a 12-7 lead at the half. Morris made eight receptions for 112 yards on the day to go with his pair of touchdown catches.

Milton would force Brunswick to turn the ball over on downs and would proceed to chew the majority of the third and fourth quarter clock with a 17-play drive spanning 80 yards. The drive resulted in a go-ahead touchdown pass and two-point conversion midway through the final quarter of play.

After trading punts, Brunswick set up their game-winning drive, ending in Caponiti fighting for the last few yards to put the Bruins on top.

“I told Nick [Henkel] that if we could put the ball up there, I would go get it,” Caponiti said. “He put it exactly where it needed to go, and I’m glad I came down with it. These guys who have been busting their asses for three and four years, I’m so glad I could do it for them.”

Caponiti made five receptions for 82 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

“It’s all in the coaching. Our team played with a lot of heart and that’s the different between a couple years ago and now. We’re much more of a family.”

For Brunswick, the bowl game win was their eighth victory in 11 visits to the postseason.

Shine credited his senior class to turning around the program that saw just one win three seasons ago.

“The entire season, our defense has stepped up when their backs were against the wall,” he said. “We made some mistakes, but we came together when it counted. It’s just a good feeling. It’s a good feeling for our seniors to go out 2-1 in bowl games in their career. They helped build this program to where it is now because of how hard they fought. I salute our seniors today.”

Related Posts
Loading...