Bruins fall short at Freeport

One of the most intense football rivalries in Nassau County was cranked up again as Baldwin took the 1.6 mile drive to Freeport for the annual backyard brawl with the defending Conference I champion Red Devils. 

Both teams put over 40 points on the board in their respective openers, but this one wasn’t the shootout that many among the standing room only crowd at Freeport High School had anticipated. Senior running back Kevin Allen’s touchdown run early in the second quarter was the game’s only score as the top-seeded Red Devils knocked off the Bruins, 7-0.

Baldwin head coach Steve Carroll was a bit disappointed with the outcome of a game the Bruins had plenty of opportunities to win. “That’s one we should have had,” Carroll said. “We probably out-gained them, but we were an enigma when it came to getting the ball into the end zone. We just made too many mistakes. We need to be a little more focused.” 

After a scoreless first quarter, one that saw the Bruins (1-1) muster minus-seven yards in total offense, Freeport mounted the only scoring drive of the afternoon. The Red Devils, who improved to 2-0, went 62 yards in 14 plays with Allen barreling in from five yards out to put Freeport on the board. The point-after attempt by senior Andres Lopez carried over the crossbar despite being deflected at the line.

It appeared that the Bruins were set to even the score when junior quarterback Nick LoBello dropped back, made a terrific pump fake, and had senior wide out Troy Dennis all alone down the left sideline. The Freeport crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief as Dennis was unable to get under the ball. Late in the half, Baldwin marched from its own six to the Freeport 33-yard line, but the drive stalled and the half came to an end.

While the offense sputtered, the Bruins’ defense was pretty solid. Led by senior tri-captains Andrew Gubelli, Femi Aliyu and Matt Stoddard, and junior linebacker Chris Mertens, Baldwin kept Freeport’s no-huddle, spread attack at bay for much of the game.