Bridgewater's Offense Explodes in 44-14 Victory at Apprentice
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Junior quarterback Willie Logan threw for 293 yards and three scores as the Bridgewater Eagles football team remained unbeaten with a 44-14 victory on the road at Apprentice.
Offensively, the Eagles rolled up 582 yards of total offense behind a balanced attack.
On their first drive of the game, the Eagles got on the board when sophomore Jacob Wrightbolted 66 yards to the endzone on the second play from scrimmage to put the Eagles up 6-0 after the John Griggs PAT failed.
Apprentice looked to respond on the ensuing drive but junior linebacker Andrew Palmer picked off a pass near the sideline to thwart the Builders' drive.
Logan pushed the Eagles deep into Apprentice territory on the ensuing drive to set up a 34-yard field goal attempt from Griggs. The freshman converted the kick to extend the Bridgewater lead to 9-0 with 8:27 to play in the first.
The Eagles defense continued to shine, holding the Builders in check before finalizing the first quarter of scoring when Wright bolted into the end zone from 17 yards out to push the Eagles lead to 16-0 at the end of the opening frame.
Following a defensive hold to open the second quarter, the Eagles needed just one play to find pay dirt. Logan connected with wide receiver Jayme Perry on a 40-yard pattern to build the Bridgewater lead to 23-0 with 13:06 to play in the first half.
Apprentice finally got on the board midway through the quarter when Jodey McNeil scampered 28 yards to the endzone to cut the Bridgewater lead to 23-7 which is where it would stay at the half.
After an extended halftime break, both defenses settled in for the first part of the third quarter before the Eagles added a score in the latter portion of the third. Logan tossed his second touchdown pass of the day with a 49-yard strike to Shawn Lee to build the Bridgewater lead to 30-7 with 5:57 left in the third.
Bridgewater's defense held the Builders in check again on their ensuing drive before embarking on a 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive to effectively put the game away. Logan capped off the drive with his third touchdown pass of the day, this time a 17-yard connection with Cord Keating to put the Eagles up 37-7.
The Eagles added their final score of the game on their first drive of the fourth quarter whenRyan Green-Ellis broke free to the wide side of the field and sprinted 50 yards to the end zone to push the Bridgewater lead to 44-7.
Apprentice added a late score on a two-yard carry from Jonathan Whelen, but it wasn't enough as Bridgewater remained unbeaten with a 44-14 victory over the Builders.
Wright was stellar on the day, rushing for a team-high 110 yards on just 14 carries. The Eagles bolted for 278 yards on 39 carries on the afternoon as they controlled the line of scrimmage for the majority of the contest.
Through the air, Logan finished the afternoon with a 22-for-34 performance and a career-high 293 yards. Senior Carlos Gonzalez came in the game in the fourth quarter and added one completion for 11 yards to put the Eagles over 300 yards passing on the afternoon.
Keating was stellar on the receiving end, hauling in a career high seven passes for 99 yards and a score. Tight end Michael Colee added four receptions for 54 yards, while Lee and Perry each tallied a touchdown pass on the day.
Defensively, Andrew Palmer and Alex Collins led the way with eight tackles each. Collins chipped in two tackles for a loss in the victory. Linebacker Salem Nganga was also exceptional, tallying six tackles, including two-and-a-half for a loss and a pair of sacks.
Apprentice was paced offensively by McNeil's 122-yard effort. The Builders' tailback carried the ball 23 times on the afternoon to become the first tailback to rush for 100 yards on Bridgewater on the season.
Whelen finished the day 7-of-20 for 65 yards.
The Apprentice defense was led by an eight-tackle effort for Brock Bullock.
Bridgewater controlled the ball, owning a 34:05-to-25:55 advantage in time of possession. The Eagles also went 8-of-18 on third down and limited the Builders to a 5-of-20 effort on third down.
With the win, Bridgewater takes the lead in the all-time series with Apprentice with 15 victories against 14 losses.
Bridgewater is back in action on Saturday at Jopson Field against Hampden-Sydney. Kickoff for Saturday's homecoming matchup with the Tigers is set for 1 p.m.
