Wick Wins

 

Maybe we can just move the light pole?

The scoreboard was ominous. 

It had almost been too easy.

It was midway through the second quarter and it read: VISITOR 20 CHOATE 0.

This wasn't just any old game either. It was the Mike Silipo Bowl, to decide the king of prep school football in New England.

Brunswick was 8-1 coming into the game. Choate Rosemary Hall was 8-0.

Choate also felt like they were steamrolling opponents. Maybe they weren't but it felt like it.

The Bruins were very good. Excellent even.

But then, after a stalled opening drive for the Bruins, the Wild Boars of Choate delivered the first punch of the contest.

Though it went the wrong way. 

Senior Luke Michalik picked off an errant pass and sprinted untouched into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Then Choate had a punt blocked.

Then they fumbled.

Then they were intercepted again.

Then they were picked off once more.

And with two touchdowns and two field goals, the Bruins had that nice big 20-0 lead.

Still, in the booth -- ha! Did I say "booth?" -- Chris Erway and I both had this feeling. Chris said it on the air. He felt that Brunswick left too many points on the field by only getting field goals. I'm fairly certain Brunswick head coach Wayne McGillicuddy would share that sentiment.

Choate ripped off a long drive late in the first half and scored to get on the board. Now it was 20-6.

Chris and I stepped away from the snack table that served as our booth* and took a walk to stay warm. They both felt the game had just changed.

Look above #2 in this screen grab from Dave Fierro on Twitter.
That's Chris and me.

*There's no booth at Choate. They have three fields available for football that we saw but, in each case, only scaffolding appeared to be possible for any kind of eye-in-the-sky view.

That's a no.

At the turf field for today's game, Chris and I quickly shot down the scaffold option. Our technical director and cameraman, Gustavo Pessoa, was set up there along with another camera and a few coaches. I cringed as I watched each person climb up there.

So we stood at ground level, on the top of a hill overlooking the field. We also had to bob and weave around a light tower for the entire game. Was it ideal? No. Would we make it work? Have you met us?

A snack table, a nearby power outlet, an audio cable up to Gustavo, my computer, a small mixer, and two headsets. Plus one of my pod tents in case we needed it.

Cold? Yes. Blustery? Certainly. 

But did we survive and do our job?

Always.

*****

The second half started basically as we thought. Choate scored twice and took the like they had dinner plans.

The scoreboard now said 21-20 in favor of the Wild Boars.

It was no time to panic. Admittedly, many a team has done just that, allowing the oncoming freight train to take over the game and run away.

Not the 2022 Brunswick Bruins, who last lost to an excellent Hun School team back in September. That's the only blemish in an otherwise remarkable year.

The Bruins still looked done. Their quarterback, Elijah Cromartie, threw an interception that felt defeating for Bruins fans. Given the way the Choate offense had begun to jell, hope felt like it was disappearing.

Not so fast. Bryce Davis -- arguably the MVP of the Bruins offense -- ripped off a touchdown run to put Wick back on top, though a two-point conversion attempt failed.

Now Choate had the ball again with all of their time outs. Their drive never got going, stalling near midfield and dying with the Bruins defense shut down a short yardage play on fourth down.

Yet the Bruins, who had been in long yardage situations throughout the day, were ready to close things out. 

Chris and I fought the light pole on arguably the run of the year. On a third and fifteen with just over a minute remaining, Davis took it to the left side...

I'm going to give you a little "inside broadcasting" here. While I normally call most games that are on video in what I would consider a "hybrid" of the heavily detailed "radio call" versus the minimalistic "TV" call, I went smaller here.

The reason was our vantage point. On this play by Davis, I was navigating the pole. I couldn't see what was happening ... and then?

Davis was still running. Then he crossed the goal line. You could almost hear the shock in my voice.

Still, the call almost sounds OK and that's because of the minimalistic approach.

The touchdown was more than enough for the Bruins to wrap up the victory. 

The Wild Boars tried to get another score on the board but it was not to be.

VISITOR 33 CHOATE 21.

Brunswick lost the Mike Silipo Bowl last year at home. They'd lost to Choate in 2018.

Today? No. Not today. They received the plaque that will hang in the case near Robert L. Cosby Memorial Field. 

They are champions of the bowl and of the NEPSAC in New England.

No further questions. They've answered them all from the sweat of August practices to the frosty chill of a late November Saturday.

Game over. Season over.

A fun team to cover with players that will be back next year while others move on.

A win they can be very proud of and they were, as evidenced by the celebration at Choate after the clock ran out.

For me, it was another year of Brunswick football in the books. They played 10 games and I called nine of them. We'll deal with next year when that time comes around.

For Chris, he now has a full year of prep school football under his belt. I expected most, if not all, of the things that happened for us this year but it was a whole new world to him. We celebrated by raising a glass nearby after it was over.

Well deserved.

While it's not about us, we scratch and claw to present the best broadcast we can every day and today was another example.

There are still more football games before the season is over but we say goodbye to Brunswick for now.

Still, an email from the Brunswick hockey coach was waiting for me when I got home.

I'll be diving into that and basketball and maybe wrestling next.

Early December will be here soon.

But, for tonight, hail to the victors. 

The Brunswick Bruins are kings of New England.