Tags

, , , ,

Posted October 26, 2012
By John Russo
Special to the Daily Journal
Link.

BRIDGETON — The Bridgeton High School football team needed a win on Friday to enhance its playoff hopes.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, a strong Middle Township running game stood in their way. The Panthers rushed for 367 yards in a 25-12 win over Bridgeton, leaving the Bulldogs waiting to hear their playoff destiny.

“We just have to hope for a miracle, really,” sophomore running back Cappadonna Miller said.

Bridgeton struggled to keep Middle Township’s tandem of Terrence Toney and Nigel Case from breaking big runs, which set up all three of the Panthers’ first-half scores. The two backs each eclipsed the century mark, combining for 305 yards.

“We weren’t wrapping up,” Miller said. “They were power backs. You couldn’t hit them up high. Even when we tried to hit them low they were still moving their feet and pushing us around.”

In the first quarter, a 54-yard run by Toney set up Zack Vogelei’s 1-yard score, giving the Panthers a 6-0 lead. Case broke three tackles on a 44-yard run on the next possession to make it 12-0.

“Case, we knew, runs hard,” Bridgeton head coach Dave Ellen said. “He keeps his legs pumping and we didn’t get enough hats on him and he had some long runs.”

After a nice Bridgeton drive, capped by a 1-yard run by Stefon Bowman, made it 12-6, Case again set up a Panther score with a 54-yard run. Quarterback Joe Durso found Jalen Toney for a 10-yard score, making it 19-6 at the half.

Bridgeton was able to hold Middle Township to just a pair of field goals in the second half, but the Bulldogs’ lackluster play in the first half set them back and they couldn’t overcome it.

“The kids had a decent week of practice and they seemed like they knew what was going on with (Middle Township’s) game plan — they didn’t do anything we weren’t prepared for — but we didn’t make plays and Middle Township did,” Ellen said. “Before we knew it, it was 12-0 and you’re digging yourself out of a hole the whole game.”

Miller felt the team took Middle Township lightly.

“We thought because we had home field advantage that we were going to beat them, but we thought wrong,” he said.

Bridgeton, who was already a thin team at the beginning of the year, suffered another big injury. Junior running back and linebacker Quasheem Taylor was lost for the entire second half after injuring his hand.

In the second half, Bridgeton managed to move the ball a little better, but a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions thrown by Ronald Williams to Terrence and Jalen Toney, respectively, halted those drives.

Williams did connect on one deep pass in the fourth, finding Miller for a 53-yard touchdown pass. Williams floated the ball over Miller’s shoulder, who caught the ball in stride down the right sideline for the score, cutting Middle Township’s lead to 22-12.

“We moved the ball in spurts, but it was not enough,” Ellen said. “We’ve got to come out with more fight than that. It didn’t happen. We were flat and it’s kind of the mark of a young team. Nobody really stepped up to take the bull by the horns.”