By Jake Levin (@JakeLevin477)
BRIDGEWATER - Even in a tied game late in the fourth quarter, the Bridgewater-Raynham Trojans never had to vary from their game plan.
Thanks to flawless offensive line play, the Trojans were able to ride the two-headed monster of Devante Greaves and Bryce Shaw to a 40-26 victory over the Barnstable Red Raiders, sealing up the Old Colony League crown the process.
It was an especially prolific night for Greaves, who amassed 317 yards on the ground on 28 carries for a ridiculous 11.3 average. He also had three touchdowns on the ground to finish as the shootout’s leading scorer.
Greaves, who missed the previous three games for the Trojans (5-1), showed no signs of rust for a team with its eyes set on the Division 2 South postseason.
“Devante Greaves is a very good running back,” Bridgewater-Raynham head coach Dan Buron said after the game. “Bryce Shaw is another pretty good running back, so it’s a nice combination we have back there. They run hard, and you’ve got to credit the offensive line, too. They’re opening up some holes.”
While Shaw may not have had the gaudy rushing numbers of Greaves (12 carries, 60 yards), a play he made on the defensive side of the ball effectively clinched the game for the Trojans.
Nursing a one-score lead, 34-26, with less than a minute and a half to go in regulation, the Red Raiders (2-4) were driving right down the field once again. Barnstable quarterback Matt Petercuskie guided the Red Raiders to the Trojan 39-yard line and faced third-and-4, where he was in search of his favorite target on the night, Sam Rosen.
Shaw jumped the route, coming up with a one-handed interception in one fluid motion. Shaw returned the ball 69 yards for a touchdown, giving Bridgewater-Raynham the 40-26 advantage.
Still, the Trojans found themselves needing the heroics of Greaves and Shaw after defensive breakdowns on consecutive series brought Barnstable back to tie the game.
Bridgewater-Raynham was comfortably ahead, 26-12, after a Greaves 66-yard touchdown run with 4:54 to go in the third quarter. Barnstable had gone three and out on its previous two series offensively, but things began to click again when Petercuskie found Sam Rosen for a 63-yard gain over the top on dire third-and-21 play for the Red Raiders.
The drive continued into the fourth quarter, where Barnstable scored on the first play on a Rosen 5-yard touchdown catch. The conversion failed, but the Red Raiders had life down 28-16.
The Trojans went nowhere but backwards on their ensuing possession, at one point facing a third-and-35 thanks to two penalties and a sack. They would ultimately punt, giving Barnstable the ball back at its own 29 with 6 minutes to go in regulation.
Three plays into their drive, the Red Raiders caught B-R in another gaffe defensively. Petercuskie dialed up Ryan Welsh for a 70-yard touchdown pass, once again directly over the top of the D. Petercuskie found Rosen for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 26-apiece with 4:36 to go.
“You’ve got to give Barnstable credit,” Buron said. “It was their first league game, so you knew they were going to throw everything they had at us and they did in the first half. I thought we made some adjustments to stop their quarterback… I’m a little concerned, there we some breakdowns, but it’s all things we can correct and we’re going to have to correct.”
Petercuskie finished 14 for 23 throwing the ball for 216 yards – 187 in the second half – and two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also had a 6-yard rushing touchdown on a draw play in the first half.
Petercuskie’s second interception of the night came on the game’s final play, with no chance of the Red Raiders coming back. The Hail Mary fell into the arms of none other than Greaves, who capped off his historic night with a pick.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Greaves said after the game of his rushing total in a moment of shock-and-awe. “The line was doing their job tonight. It just felt great to be back after missing three games.”
Bridgewater-Ryanham cracked 40 points for the second time this season, a feat even more impressive considering its fumble on its very first offensive play of the game. The miscue gave Barnstable the ball at the Trojan 9-yard line and an early lead, as Welsh scored the first of his two touchdowns just 1:56 into the first quarter.
While the Red Raiders would later tie the game, the Trojans never trailed after Thomas Fay’s PAT on Corey Sullivan’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Ciccio with 2:37 to go in the first half.
If the postseason were to begin today, Bridgewater-Raynham would face the Marshfield Rams (4-2) in the opening round. The Rams were blown out by the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins tonight, 43-16, on the Cape. Barnstable is clinging to the No. 8 seed in the Div. 2 South bracket, where it would face the unbeaten King Philip Warriors (6-0) if the tournament began today.
Scoring Summary
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Barnstable: 6 6 0 14 – 26
Bridgewater-Raynham: 6 7 13 14 – 40
First Quarter
Barnstable: Ryan Welsh, 10-yard touchdown run (kick failed)
Bridgewater-Raynham: Devante Greaves, 3-yard touchdown run (kick failed)
Second Quarter
Barnstable: Matt Petercuskie, 6-yard touchdown run (conversion failed)
Bridgewater-Raynham: Jeff Ciccio, 29-yard touchdown pass from Corey Sullivan (Fay kick)
Third Quarter
Bridgewater-Raynham: Bryce Shaw, 1-yard touchdown run (kick failed)
Bridgewater-Raynham: Devante Greaves, 66-yard touchdown run (Fay kick)
Fourth Quarter
Barnstable: Sam Rosen, 5-yard touchdown pass from Matt Petercuskie (conversion faield)
Barnstable: Ryan Welsh, 70-yard touchdown pass from Matt Petercuskie (Rosen catch)
Bridgewater-Raynham: Devante Greaves, 1-yard touchdown run (Greaves run)
Bridgewater-Raynham: Bryce Shaw, 69-yard interception return (kick failed)
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