Brunswick loses lead late in tough home loss to football rival Deerfield Academy

By David Fierro on October 5, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

Photo by David Fierro: Brunswick School wide receiver Matt Colella gets ready to catch a pass during a home game against Deerfield Academy recently. The Bruins were defeated in the NEPSAC matchup, 26-17.

Holding a three-point lead against Northeast Prep football rival Deerfield Academy, the scene was set for Brunswick to earn a tough, well-earned win at home against the formidable Big Green.

Yet unfortunately for the Bruins, Deerfield had a final response.

Driving 97 yards in the game’s final two minutes, Deerfield came back to pull out a dramatic 26-17 victory over Brunswick, before a jam-packed crowd at Cosby field in Greenwich this past Saturday. The loss put the Bruins’ record at 1-2, while Deerfield raised its mark to a perfect 3-0.

Photo by David Fierro: Brunswick’s defenders Arnez Dowe (No. 18) and Blaine McClure (No. 3) converge on Deerfield Academy running back Jameszell Lasiter during a recent football game at Cosby Field in Greenwich.

“They were physical, they were downhill, they were running the ball,” Brunswick coach Wayne McGillicuddy said of Deerfield’s physical style of play. “They’re a phenomenal team that did a bunch of great things. We have to bounce back, we’re going up to Avon this week.”

Indeed, the Bruins will look to get back on the winning track when it visits Avon Old Farms School Saturday at 6 p.m. Brunswick must string together victories in order to once again, qualify for a NEPSAC Bowl game at the end of the season. The Bruins won the NEPSAC Mike Silipo Bowl in 2022.

In Saturday’s matchup against Deerfield, Brunswick trailed 14-10, but took the lead when senior running back Bryce Davis broke loose for a 17-yard touchdown run with just 2:26 left to play in the fourth quarter. Junior Oliver Reyolds kicked the extra point and Brunswick had a 17-14 lead and was on the verge of registering a crucial NEPSAC Northeast Prep win.

Brunswick senior quarterback Elijah Cromartie drops back to pass against Deerfield. The Bruins lost, 26-17.

The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds at the Big Green 3-yard line, so the visitors took possession backed up near their own end zone. Quarterback Cole Greer completed a key 76-yard pass off a catch-and-run by the receiver, setting Deerfield Academy up on the Bruins’ 25-yard line with just under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Several runs by running back Malachi Costello moved Deerfield closer to Brunswick’s end zone. With only 16.3 seconds left to play in the game, Greer scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak, giving Deerfield a 20-17 advantage. Brunswick junior Ethan Long blocked the ensuing point-after-attempt. Malachi paced the Big Green ground game, rushing for more than 100 yards.

Photo by David Fierro: Brunswick wide receiver Tyler Lloyd gets ready to run a route against Deerfield Academy.

“It started with our line up front,” Deerfield coach Brian Barbato said. “On both sides of the ball, they did a great job of sustaining. When you are talking about two great teams like this, it’s not going to be any one thing that does it. Our running backs were playing hard.”

The final touchdown in the game occurred on the last play, as the Bruins desperately tried to score a touchdown in the closing seconds. The Big Green scooped up a fumble during the Bruins’ last play of the game, which resulted in multiple laterals as they tried to move down the field and get the win.

Brunswick defensive back Blaine McClure gets ready to cover Deerfield Academy wide receiver Quinton Quirrenbach.

Brunswick seized the momentum in the first quarter, reaching the end zone on its opening drive. Davis, who sparked the Bruins’ ground attack, took a handoff from senior quarterback Elijah Cromartie and sprinted 10 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Reynolds’ PAT put the home team on top, 7-0, with 8:11 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bruins’ defense thwarted Deerfield’s first possession. Brunswick junior defensive lineman Jaylen Prey sacked Greer, resulting in a fumble, which was recovered by the Bruins. After several successful offensive plays moved the ball into field goal position, Reynolds split the uprights with a 32-yard kick, giving Brunswick a 10-0 lead at the 4:21 mark of the first quarter.

Deerfield Academy’s football team came back to defeat Brunswick, 26-17, at Cosby Field in Greenwich.

“Offensively, the first two drives were successful, then we stalled until the fourth quarter,” McGillicuddy noted. ” Defensively, we thought we played pretty well – there were a couple of big plays that we obviously would like back.”

Deerfield gathered some momentum behind the running of Costello and Jameszell Lasiter, yet the Bruins’ defense halted a drive that ended at the 17-yard line. The host Bruins couldn’t build on its lead however, and the Big Green closed to within 10-7 on their next possession.

Brunswick led most of the way against football rival Deerfield, but the visitors posted a come-from-behind win.

Costello’s short touchdown run, followed by a PAT, cut the Bruins’ lead to 10-7 with 4:06 to play in the second quarter. Prey registered another sack for the Bruins in the second quarter, as he helped ignite the team’s defensive line.

In the third quarter, the visitors came out and mainly ran the ball, utilizing Costello and Lasiter. Greer ended a long, time-consuming drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak, giving Deerfield a 14-10 edge with 4:35 to go in the third quarter.

Brunswick quarterback Elijah Cromartie hands the ball off to running back Bryce Davis.

Deerfield Academy threatened to widen its advantage, but Brunswick’s defense earned a pivotal stop early in the fourth quarter. Hudson Hausmann, a senior captain/defensive back intercepted a Greer pass at the goal line, enabling the Bruins to stay just four points behind Deerfield with 10:54 left to play in the final quarter.

“I thought our defensive performance was like it’s been the past couple of games, we were really sound,” Hausmann said. “We put a bunch of big plays together and then we let up a big play that ends up breaking our defense. We just have to figure out how to limit those big plays and be a complete defense. I love all our guys and we are going to have a great season.”

Brunswick football players gather around head coach Wayne McGillicuddy against Deerfield.

A 20-yard run by Davis and passes from Cromartie to Matt Colella and Tyler Lloyd helped the Bruins’ quickly drive down the field late in the fourth quarter. Davis scored on a 17-yard run through the left side at the 2:26 mark of the final quarter, making it 17-14.

Deerfield then, went on the long, game-winning drive. The 72-yard pass highlighted the drive, but the Big Green mostly succeeded offensively, by running the ball the majority of the game.

“We did a good job of taking what Brunswick was giving us, because there’s not a lot there,” Barbato said. “When we played here two years ago the similar thing happened, where they went right down the field the first drive. Defensively, our kids just swarmed to the ball. When they stopped hesitating, they gained confidence as the game went along, but I take my hat off to Wayne and the Brunswick team, they do a great job.”

Brunswick will look to even its record at 2-2 when it travels to Avon Old Farms on Saturday.

“We have to take it day-by-day, practice-by-practice, we can’t look ahead,” Hausmann said. “Week-by-Week, hopefully, we’ll get those wins, but we have to focus on the next day.”