Good BRHS football defense not enough to produce win

By: Sean Moylan Sports Writer
    Willingboro’s 12-0 victory over the Bordentown Regional High varsity football team this past Saturday at Bordentown was a perfect example of why it’s so hard for a small school to defeat a big school.
    While each club came into the game looking for its second win, the Chimeras used their superior size and numbers to slip by the Scotties.
    “They were a lot bigger and stronger than we were and they played most of the game with just five or six guys in the box,” said Bordentown head varsity football coach Larry Larned. “We had five guys to block four and we couldn’t get anything going in our running game.”
    The Scotties rushed for just 61 yards in the game. Thomas Lee had 39 yards rushing on 15 carries. Quarterback Brett Pedersen ran for 10 yards on four carries and Pete Pulhac (a 5-yard carry), Isaah Richmond (4 yards on two carries) and Breon Walker (a 3-yard carry) had the Scotties’ only other runs.
    The Scotties’ quarterbacks had about the same amount of success throwing the ball. Pedersen completed three of 13 passes for 29 yards. Pulhac completed two of his three passes for 55 yards. Richmond made a 35-yard grab while Sean Euleteri had a 20 yard reception. Pulhac and Lee each had 12-yard catches for the Scotties. Walker caught a 5-yard pass.
    Defensively, the Scotties played excellent in holding the Chimeras to negative yards throwing and 198 yards rushing. Willingboro didn’t even score until Matt Dash ran it in for six points with 8:54 remaining in the first half. The score remained 6-0 until Dash scored another touchdown on a 10-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. As it turned out, Dash rushed for 133 yards on 17 carries and was basically the only offensive star in a game that was dominated by the defenses.
    “Our defense tightened down when it had to,” said Larned, whose team bent a little on a few running plays but completely shut down Willingboro’s air attack. “Thomas Lee, a defensive end, his motor didn’t stop the whole day on defense.”
    Larned was also very pleased with the play of his sophomore nose guard Chase Potocny.
    “Our kick return team has been playing well and Peter Pulhac did a good job of punting this week,” Larned added. “We’re still very inexperienced. And we’re a young team this year. Last year we had five seniors playing most of the game.”
    That is why Larned counts so much on the senior leadership of Lee and Pulhac, who seem to never leave the field.
    Win or lose, Larned has made sure his players play the game with integrity and class. Bordentown could have easily let Saturday’s home game get out of hand. Instead it played hard and the outcome was not decided in Willingboro’s favor until late in the fourth quarter.
    Saturday was also Teacher Appreciation Day at Bordentown and that halftime event went very smoothly and will be continued in future years.
    “The BRHS Football Team and Cheerleaders recognized teachers who have made their experience here at BRHS extra special,” noted Larned, who teaches his players to have respect for others and he has them participating in several area functions, such as volunteering at Special Olympics. The Scotties are still trying to put things together on the football field but they’ve already got their acts together off it.
    Bordentown (1-6) is scheduled to host Maple Shade this Saturday.