Jeremy Witherspoon breaks free vs. Montclair
MONTCLAIR – The Bloomfield High School varsity football team finished a successful season.
The Bengals, under 26th-year head coach Mike Carter, ended the season with an impressive 7-3 record after losing a heartbreaking 30-23 decision to rival Montclair on Thanksgiving Day at Woodman Field in Montclair in the teams’ annual Thanksgiving Day meeting.
The Bengals led 23-13 in the second half, but Montclair rallied for 17 unanswered points to win the game.
Bloomfield and Montclair, which met in the state North Jersey Section 1, Group 5 playoffs won by Montclair, 40-14, on Nov. 11 at Foley Field, played for a share of the North Jersey Super Football Conference-Liberty Blue Division title. Both teams entered the Thanksgiving Day game tied for second place at 4-1 apiece. With the win, Montclair ended the season with a 7-4 overall record and shared the division title with West Orange.
Montclair opened the scoring on Daniel Webb’s 45-yard touchdown run with 5:13 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
The Bengals tied the game when Ky Bowman scored on a two-yard run and fellow senior Victor Saccaro booted the extra point with 1:09 left in the first quarter.
Saccaro gave the Bengals a 10-7 lead with a 28-yard field goal with 7:11 left in the second quarter.
Montclair answered as Tarin Earl threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Ivan Daniel with 5:33 left in the second quarter for a 13-10 lead.
The Bengals retook the lead, 17-13 when Jeremy Witherspoon, an ex-Montclair player, scored on a 60-yard run and Saccaro kicked the point-after with 7:29 left in the third quarter.
BHS increased its lead to 23-13 when senior Brandon Fernandes scored on a two-yard run to cap a 97-yard drive with 1:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Montclair cut the Bengals’ lead to 23-16 on Harry Wylie’s 26-yard field goal with 10:53 in the fourth quarter.
Mountclair tied it 23-23 as Josh Crawford scored on a 12-yard run with 7:12 left. Bloomfield was stopped on its next possession. Montclair took over possession after the Bloomfield punt. Webb capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter for the game-winner.
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