Gritty Warriors’ PIAA run grinds to a halt
Few ever expected them to even be there.
It was an improbable run, one which should live in Bristol football lore for at least the foreseeable future and maybe even longer. It was complete with the progrDP’V firVW ever VWDWe SODyoff victory and a chance to reDFK WKe CODVV A VePLfinDOV on the last night of November.
But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. For the Warriors, the clock finDOOy VWruFN PLdnLgKW, though not without a very WougK figKW, )rLdDy nLgKW Ln Lackawanna County. There, Bristol was worn down by District 2 champion DunPore Ln WKe finDO 18 PLnuWeV of action and ultimately VuFFuPbed by D 34-12 VFore to see what was arguably the best season in the team’s history come to end.
“The second half showed us that the season kind of took a toll on us, and we just got outplayed,” said head coach Leo Plenski, whose firVW DW WKe KeOP Ior WKe Srogram ended with a 9-2 overall record.
Bristol did not go quietly into the night at salley siew stadium, despite having a WreN oI over 120 PLOeV MuVW to get to the game, as compared to a trip of less than 10 PLOeV Ior DunPore. ,nstead, the Warriors erased Dn eDrOy 7-0 KoOe, VSDrNed by a long opening kickoff return by Dunmore’s Austin Seamon, one which led to his own touchdown run.
Bristol did it thanks to a 38-yDrd WouFKdown SDVV ODWer Ln WKe firVW TuDrWer IroP junior quarterback Trevor Leone to tight end Tyler .eOOy, wKo finLVKed WKe year as the team’s leader in touchdown receptions.
That made the score 7-6, Dnd ODWer Ln WKe firVW KDOI, the Warriors pulled ahead, thanks to a 2-yard touchdown plunge by senior fullback and linebacker Willie 6uWWon, wKo finLVKed wLWK 23 yards on the ground and a solid night on the defensive side of the ball. Bristol held Dunmore at bay from there, allowing them to enWer KDOIWLPe wLWK D 12-7 OeDd and very much in the mix for what would have been a huge upset.
It took a bit, but the Bucs finDOOy VWruFN bDFN Ln WKe third quarter, as Seamon broNe D 58-yDrd run Wo WKe end zone to give his squad the lead. Dunmore’s physically-wearing but also questionable play, in terms of sportsmanship, took over from there.
Daiqwon Buckley added another rushing score, this WLPe IroP 18 yDrdV ouW, Wo open the fourth quarter and PDNe LW 20-12. Any KoSeV of a Bristol comeback were ended by another Seamon WouFKdown run oI 30 yDrdV Dnd Dn 11-yDrd dDVK IroP Buckley to cap things off in WKe finDO IrDPe.
“We were really battling, but their strength really beat us,” said wide receiver/safety Sean Coughlin, who caught two passes and helped the Warriors’ secondary hold Dunmore to onOy 13 yDrdV SDVVLng on the night. “They have a lot of guys and a lot of strength, and it really overpowered us in the second half.”
The Warriors got another outstanding effort from sophomore running back Donte Simmons, who had 136 yDrdV on WKe ground Ln WKe OoVLng eIIorW Wo finLVK wLWK over 1,500 Ln MuVW nLne games of action. One victory was by forfeit, while Simmons missed another win over Lower Moreland due to an injury.
“I think this is my best year out of all my years that I’ve played,” said Sutton. “I think I went out with a pretty good season.”
For Sutton and the other seven seniors, which include Kelly and Coughlin, it was a wonderful cap to a career WKDW LnFOuded Wwo dLIfiFuOW seasons leading up to this turnaround campaign. Bristol entered the state playoffs two weeks ago thanks to a 27-24 comeback victory over Communications Tech, the only team to beat the Warriors to that point in the VeDVon, Ln WKe DLVWrLFW 1/12 championship game. Their reward was a date with Williams salley in the opening round at Souderton Nov. 24. Williams salley entered the gDPe wLWK D 12-0 PDrN Dnd DLVWrLFW 11 WLWOe Wo booW, buW the Warriors were not intimidated. Simmons had one of his best games of the season wLWK over 200 yDrdV Dnd DOO three touchdowns for Bristol, and the defense did the reVW Ln D 20-0 VKuWouW vLFWory. It was arguably the best accomplishment in a season that included Bicentennial Athletic League (BALF and Independence League titles, as well as a nine-game win-
ning streak.
“It’s the little things,” 3OHnsNi sDid KH wRuOd rHPHPEHr DERuW WKis yHDr. “,W seems like offensively and defensively, they play as a complete package.”
A game against archrival Morrisville originally sFKHduOHd IRr TKDnNsJivinJ PRrninJ wDs FDnFHOOHd duH to the state playoff game wiWK :iOOiDPs VDOOHy sHW WR be played two days later. mlenski said that will be FODssifiHd Ds D nRn-SODyHd contest rather than a forfeit for Morrisville, which gave WKH :DrriRrs WKH BAL WiWOH.
“,W’s dHfiniWHOy D JrHDW season. Coming into the season, nobody had these HxSHFWDWiRns IRr us,” sDid CRuJKOin, wKR PDy KDvH played the last football game of his career since he wiOO OiNHOy SursuH EDsHEDOO in college.
“We really proved to the town here that Bristol football is back and it’s a new tradition,” he added. “To FRPH RuW Dnd JR 9-2, PDNH state playoffs and win a state playoff game, it’s a special feeling. It’s an awesRPH wDy WR JR RuW.”
For the rest of the team, meanwhile, 2M12 will be D FDPSDiJn WR EuiOd Rn IRr IuWurH suFFHss. APRnJ WKH SODyHrs wKR wiOO rHWurn DrH LHRnH, SiPPRns, EDFNuS runninJ EDFN TyriT :iOsRn, EDFNuS IuOOEDFN DyODn Shamwell and three linemen, all of whom will have the experiences of what they accomplished over the past three months.
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