Banner day at Bryant
Constant, Wilson guide Bulldogs to win in opener
Bryant sophomore Matthew Crisafulli, of North Kingstown (8), carries the American flag as he joins members of the Bulldogs’ football team Saturday afternoon as they take to the field for their openingday matchup with New Haven. Jean Constant scored four touchdowns to power Bryant to a 41-31 victory at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield.
SMITHFIELD — The final score wasn’t all that different, but the Bryant football team felt a whole lot better about beating Division II New Haven 4131 Saturday afternoon at Beirne Stadium than they felt after outlasting D-II Merrmiack by eight points to start the James Perry era last season.
The biggest reason for the abundance of optimism Saturday? Bryant never trailed after All-American returner Jean Constant brought back the opening kickoff 100 yards to start the season with a bang, and Bryant’s stars all came to play on a day when the stubborn Chargers wouldn’t go away until the final minute.
Constant finished the day with four touchdowns and 219 all-purpose yards, senior quarterback Price Wilson produced four touchdown passes and completed 28-of-36 passes, and Tom Costigan and Zahir Williams combined for three interceptions in a victory where all three phases were crucial.
“This was better than last year,” Constant said after catching a career-high 10 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns. “We took a step forward this year. We stepped on their [throat] early and we didn’t give them any breathing room – way better than last year.”
“I thought we all were, everybody,” Wilson said about the improvement from the 49-41 comefrom-behind win over Merrimack a season ago. “Honestly, my job is to go out there and follow directions and I thought we went out there and did that today. We played fast, so I’m glad we got the [win]. I’m more comfortable and the longer I’ve been here the more I understand the offense.”
As well as Bryant (1-0) played for long stretches of the contest – the home side built a 20-point advantage late in the second quarter – New Haven (0-1) had chances to put pressure on Bryant in the second half. New Haven senior quarterback Ajee Patterson completed 26 of 46 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Patterson, however, made a couple of freshman mistakes with his team driving.
Patterson threw a pair of redzone interceptions that torpedoed potential scoring drives. Williams picked off Patterson at the Bryant 2 on third-and-goal from the 14 in the first half. Early in the third quarter, Costigan intercepted a pass in the end zone and Bryant went down and scored a touchdown on a 31-yard pass from Wilson to Constant to extend the lead to 34-16.
For New Haven coach Chris Pincince, a 1990 Woonsocket High graduate, the manner of the defeat took away any good feeling of being back home.
“No, we lost a football game by 10 points we should’ve won,” Pincince said when asked about returning home. “We threw three interceptions in the end zone. We’re not in this for moral victories and we’re a better football team than we showed today. Un- fortunately, we only get one shot at these guys.”
Constant tied his own school record he set last season against Wagner when he took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Patterson and the Chargers responded with a 13-play drive to tie the game when the senior found Ryan McCarthy for a threeyard touchdown pass.
The next 20 minutes were all about Wilson and his maturity in Perry’s uptempo system. The Marietta, Ga. native engineered three unanswered touchdown drives to put the Bulldogs up by 20 points late in the second quarter.
First, Wilson fired a 23-yard touchdown pass to David Zorrilla to end a 10-play drive to give the Bulldogs a lead they would never relinquish. Constant caught a 13-yard touchdown pass with 5:33 left in the second quarter to stretch the lead out to 13 and then the duo, who spent time together at Wilson’s home in late July to get ready for this season, connected again in the back of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.
“He was just going through his reads and I was wide open,” Constant said. “When you’re number’s called, you have to make a play.”
“Price made huge strides,” Perry said. “You talk about a guy from a year ago, Price is the guy who’s made the biggest stride for us. He played very, very well. He also managed the sideline and a guy who had a different level of command of the offense.”
Wilson only made one major mistake and it came late in the third quarter with the Bulldogs driving and looking to build on its 18-point advantage. Wilson overthrew a wide receiver in front of the New Haven bench and Josiah Shumaker picked off the pass and ran 62 yards for a touchdown.
Just as they had done all day, the Bulldogs responded to a New Haven score with a score of their own. Wilson completed four passes on the 61-yard drive – two to Shelton McNeal – while former St. Raphael standout Alfred Dorbor carried the ball four times for 15 yards. Dorbor’s final carry was a one-yard touchdown to put the Bulldogs up by 18 points.
Patterson fired his third touchdown pass later in the quarter, but his four interceptions, including a pair in the first half by Williams were too much to overcome.
“With our program, the defense is expected to play a lot because our offense is so fast,” said Williams, who has reached his 2017 interception total in the opener. “They’re going to get down the field fast and score. Defense will always be on the field, that’s why in pre-practice we work on turnover drills for about 15 minutes. We really emphasize turning the ball over and getting it in our offense’s hands.”
Bryant faces its toughest test of the season Saturday, as the Bulldogs head to Long Island to take on No. 22 Stony Brook from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Seahawks were shutout by FCS foe Air Force, 38-0, Saturday.