BA Athletic Recap - Week of 11.5
It was a big week in Bridgton Academy athletics as the fall season nears its close and the winter sports begin competition in earnest.
Bridgton Academy football faced a physical and disciplined Naval Academy Preparatory School team and fell 41-6. Rainy conditions made it difficult for Bridgton’s pass-heavy offense and the game tilted heavily in Navy Prep’s favor. An interception by Drew Buckley (Fairfield, CT) gave the Wolverines a chance to score from inside the red zone, but they failed to convert, entering halftime down 28-0. Quarterback Brandon Jorgensen (Beacon, NY) entered the game in the second half and led the Wolverines to a touchdown on his first possession, but that would be Bridgton’s only score. With the season winding down, Coach Rick Marcella said, “Our mission is to keep improving on and off the field. We’ll keep coaching hard and we expect the team to respond with a strong performance.” The football team will close its season on the road at Framingham State University with a noon kickoff on November 14.
The Wolverines soccer team had a busy week with home games against Proctor Academy and Hebron Academy. The Proctor game began with a wake-up call as the Hornets scored two minutes into the game. Unperturbed, Bridgton dominated possession for the rest of the half and peppered the Proctor net for a 4-1 halftime lead. Two goals from Christopher Kourtelidis (Ashland, MA) and three assists from Muntasir Ahmed (Portland, ME) led the team’s offensive output while Maxon Brochu (Bath, ME) scored his first goal of the season on a 25-yard wonder strike. Muntasir explained the dynamic offensive output, “When I step on the field, my first instinct is to try and create opportunities for my teammates. I trusted that they would be at the right place at the right time and our conversion rate was high.” With a healthy lead, the Wolverines controlled the ball through the second half to complete a comprehensive 5-2 victory.
The Hebron game began with a wobble as well. While Bridgton enjoyed a massive advantage in possession, a Hebron own goal was all that separated the teams at halftime. After the break, the Wolverines attacked with greater purpose and cohesion and finished with a 5-1 win. They’ll hope to earn an invitation to the NEPSAC A playoffs in their November 10 regular season finale at home against Brewster Academy.
Bridgton hockey went to Hudson, New Hampshire to take on the Northern Cyclones and came away with a solid 2-0 victory. Goalie Jeffrey Reda (Larchmont, NY) led the way with a 22-save shutout while defensemen like Billy Parr (Dedham, MA) and Henry Stonehouse (Belmont, MA) played a composed, physical game to limit the Cyclones’ chances. Stone Devlin (West Falmouth, MA) opened the scoring and Bridgton doubled the lead when a great breakout pass by Patrick McGoey (Cranberry Township, PA) sprang a Wolverine rush and Hunter Meader’s (Vineyard Haven, MA) wrist shot found the back of the net. Coach Mike Meserve saw plenty of room for growth in his team’s game, “The team ran our systems correctly, but we need to work on execution. Little mistakes like turnovers cost us some valuable scoring opportunities.” The hockey team will travel down to Burlington, Vermont for a pair of games against Rice Prep on the 13th and 14th before hosting North Yarmouth Academy in Chalmers Ice Arena at 4:00 P.M. on November 17.
Bridgton Academy basketball played a complete game on their visit to in-state rival Lee Academy last week and came away with a convincing 76-55 victory. Alexander Barnhill (Schenectady, NY), Trace Salton (Portland, OR), and Amadou Diallo (Jamaica, NY) led the attack while Luke Britton (Greenfield Center, NY) and Michael Wolf (Greenwood Village, CO) made valuable contributions off the bench. After the game, Coach Whit Lesure said, “It’s probably as well as I’ve seen a team of ours play up here in a long time. To compete on both ends for two halves is a learning process but the guys are holding themselves accountable and bringing good energy to each contest.”
The team also travelled to the birthplace of basketball for a scrimmage against Springfield Commonwealth Academy. The Wolverines gave a good effort, but found themselves trailing 33-30 at halftime. In the second half, Bridgton jumped out to an impressive 11-2 start but failed to finish the job and lost their momentum late in the half. Nathan Brinkman (Trumbull, CT) came off the bench along with John Marcille (Rehoboth, MA) and Ayme Daguilh (West Boylston, MA) to provide significant minutes in the hard-fought contest. Coach Lesure commented, “I don’t say this often, but I told the guys I was happy we lost. It’s early in the season and I think I will have no problem getting their full attention in the coming week as we begin conference play.” They’ll be on the road for most of November, with a trip to Vermont Academy coming up on the 13th.
