Pomperaug (4-4) fell to Bunnell and Rody Ricketts’ five touchdowns in Friday night’s conference matchup, in a game that felt unreflective of the final score.
The Panthers struck first, with Jack Guinipero finding the end zone for a 47-yard rushing score in the first quarter, but their lead was short-lived, with Bunnell taking control, 19-6, going into the final moments of the third quarter.
Seeking a spark on offense, the Panthers dialed up some trickery, with Guinipero taking a toss and turning it into a 35-yard touchdown pass to Caleb McKee.
From there, the visiting Panthers had a few chances to take the lead in the final quarter. A Bryan Vidal fumble recovery with under five minutes left put Pomperaug within striking distance.
While Pomperaug stayed true to its hard-nosed running style of play, the offense featured a developing passing game, but one that couldn’t get things going in the final minutes of play.
With about a minute left in the game, Bunnell took what looked to be a 25-13 game to a 32-13 final, capping off the day for the Bulldogs.
“I’m extremely proud of their effort,” said Pomperaug head coach Tony Pereira, noting the playoff-like atmosphere. “We put ourselves in a position to take the lead several times in the fourth quarter.”
“What we need to start doing at that next level is to punch it in,” he added.
For Ricketts, a week of preparation and a team-first mindset fueled Bunnell to its now 6-2 record.
“It wasn’t just me; I give a lot of credit to the O-line,” said Ricketts following his 5-touchdown performance.
Pomperaug’s McKee has been known by the coaching staff to be one of the team’s most consistent defenders in the secondary, and Friday’s game saw him contribute on offense as well.
With emotions still high just minutes after the final whistle, McKee reflected on how valuable the experience was for a group of mostly juniors.
With two games left on the regular season schedule, McKee said he’d like to see a more team-oriented style of play, while recognizing that games like these are the growing pains of a growing program.
“I think we need to play like a band of brothers,” said McKee after the game. “We need to play together.”
He recognized that his stand-out moment on offense was only possible with the support of his teammates.
“This is a team sport, not an individual sport,” McKee added.
Pomperaug will finish their road trip with a trip to Masuk High School in Monroe on Friday, November 14, at 7:00 p.m. Their regular season finale will be at home against Notre-Dame Prep on Tuesday, November 25, at 6:30 p.m.
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