Khair Bowman (27)
BLOOMFIELD, NJ – The Bloomfield High School varsity football team certainly felt right at home.
The Bengals put on an impressive display in an emphatic 39-17 win over Nutley in their home opener on Friday night, Sept. 16, at Foley Field to move to a 2-0 record.
Senior running back Khair Bowman rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries; senior running back/linebacker Brandon Fernandez ran for 69 yards on 13 carries, caught a TD pass, and recorded eight tackles, including three for loss, and senior Jared Dockett scored a pair of TDs on special teams and on defense to spark the Bengals in this North Jersey Super Football Conference non-division game.
Senior lineman Al-Samad Henderson opened the scoring in the first quarter when he returned a fumble 12 yards into the end zone to give the Bengals a 6-0 lead. The point-after kick failed.
Nutley got on the board later in the quarter with a 35-yard field goal to cut it to 6-3.
Senior Ryan Mondo completed his only pass of the game on a 39-yard TD to Fernandes, followed by senior Victor Saccaro’s extra-point kick, to make it 13-3 in the second quarter. Mondo finished one-of-five passing on the night.
Bowman scored on a 90-yard run and Saccaro kicked the point-after to extend it to 20-3 in the second quarter.
Nutley answered with a two-run TD run to cut it to 20-9. But senior Jared Dockett returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for a TD to a make it 27-9.
Nutley scored on an 11-yard run, followed by the two-point conversion, to draw within 27-17 at the half.
In the third quarter, senior lineman Ron Vincent recorded a safety for the Bengals to increase the lead to 29-17.
In the fourth quarter, Saccaro kicked a 25-yard field goal and Dockett returned an interception 41 yards for a TD, followed by Saccaro’s extra point, to end the scoring.
Nutley fell to 0-2.
The following are other BHS statistics:
Rushing: senior Zavion Stevens, eight carries for 47 yards; senior quarterback Joe Giliberti, three carries for 25 yards; Dockett, two carries for 23 yards; Mondo, five carries for 10 yards.
Defense: senior linebacker Danny Carter, nine tackles; senior Menkare Fleming, five tackles with one sack; Vincent, five tackles, including one sack and two for losses; senior linebacker Carlos Afful, five tackles, including two for loss, and one assist.
Next game: The Bengals will visit North Bergen on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. North Bergen is 1-1.
Bloomfield (2-0 overall, 1-0 NJSFC Liberty Blue Division)
Sept. 9, Won, at Columbia, 42-6*
Sept. 16, Won, Nutley, 39-17
Sept. 24, at North Bergen, 2 p.m.
Sept. 30, West Orange, 7 p.m.*
Oct. 14, Livingston, 7 p.m.*
Oct. 22, at East Orange Campus, 1 p.m.*
Oct. 28, Bayonne, 7 p.m.
Nov. 5, at Morristown, 1 p.m.*
Nov. 24, at Montclair, 10:30 a.m.*
*NJSFC Liberty Blue Division
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