Monroe Central 42 Bridgeport 20 @BHS_BulldogFB @mchs_seminoles

Tagged under: Beyond The Keystone, Game Photos, Gameday Hub

David Burnworth | August 29, 2021

Yesterday afternoon after my day game I drove the ten miles or so from Bellaire to Bridgeport to not only see the Bulldogs host Monroe Central, I would also get to see the first game at the new Perkins Field inside Bill Jobko Stadium. The Bulldogs have been away from there the last three seasons due to a flood that all but totaled the facilities. I want to thank everyone from Bridgeport for the hospitality. From allowing me in the media lot a tad bit early, along with providing rosters, and finally letting me know that I was welcomed there. You guys are good people.

Things started out almost as good as they could have for the Bulldogs with the opening kickoff being muffed by the Seminoles and coming out of the scrum with the ball looked to be Cody Swauger. Monroe Central, who has just nineteen players on their roster, only dressed fifteen if my bad eyes allowed my brian to count correctly would stand tall on the ensuing drive. Collin Kroll would sack the fleet-footed Colin Jackson to bring up a fourth and fifteen. After getting the ball back Malachi Rose-Burton would find Dillon Lincoln, who was wide open for an easy 31-yard touchdown. Burton would find Xavier Kinney for the two-point conversion pass to make this an 8-0 game.

On the next Bulldogs drive the Seminoles defense got sacks from Lincoln and Collin Kroll, then Kinney tipped the Bulldogs punt to set up the next offensive drive for the road team. The Bulldogs defense would get two huge plays from the talented Frank Smith Jr. First he crushed Tucker Howell for a 7-yard loss, then he sacked Burton for another 7-yard loss. Smith would be contained for the most part the rest of the game but not from a lack of effort.

Three completions from Buton to Lincoln totaled 70-yards including a 16-yard touchdown making this a 14-0 game, with 11:50 left in the half. Buton to Lincoln struck again for 25-yards at the 9:54 mark of the quarter. The Seminoles defense would make the games next big play, with Travis Berry sacking Jackson for a loss of ten. The Bulldogs offense showed a little bark with two good runs. The first came from Jason Aubrey for 39 yards, then it was a 13-yard run from Jackson that took the ball down to the Monroe Central 4-yard line. Jackson would take it into the endzone from there, then he hit Peyton Pyle to make this 14-8 game, with 3:52 remaining in the half.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Seminoles got a great 82-yard return from Michael Bunning followed by another Burton to Lincoln pass that increased the lead to 22-8. The Bulldogs would get a 19-yard completion from Jackson to Pyle but one play later Howell would get a pick-six from 33-yards out to make this 28-8 game as the teams headed to the locker rooms.

Bridgeport came out barking loud with Jackson connecting on a screen pass to Aiden Tarr that turned into a 51-yard score. Jackson would run the two-point conversion in making this a 28-16 game. Anthony Jaworski would block the Monroe Central punt to give the Bulldogs the ball just 36-yards away from another score. The Monroe Central defense would get two sacks on the drive, with Lincoln and Kinney each posting one.

Burton, who seemed to have 2 1/2 steps on everyone on the Bulldogs defense would put his speed to good use when he sprinted for a 23-yard touchdown, then he followed that up with a two-point conversion pass to Kinney to make this a 36-16 game, with 3:59 left in the long third quarter.

Facing a fourth and shot the Bulldogs had little choice but to go for it and that came back to bite them in the rear end when Jackson was stopped short by #62 (Not on any roster I had including the one used by the PA Guy). The last score of the quarter and for Monroe Central came on a 73-yard gallop by Burton making this a 42-16 contest.

There were three big plays in the final frame. The biggest being from the Bulldog, when Jackson scored from 13-yards out making the final score 42-22. The others were runs of 28-yards by Lincoln and a 34-yard run by Blake Jennewein

Unofficial Stats

Monroe Central

52 Plays

368 yards

Passing 16-25 2 TD’S

Bridgeport

68 Plays

255 Yards

Passing 10-26 1 INT.

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