HYANNIS – The Barnstable Silver Bullets D1 Mites are headed for the Super Bowl this Sunday after an outstanding, 8-6 victory over Bridgewater at W. Leo Shields Field Sunday (Nov. 2).
      The victory avenges last year’s 21-0 loss to Bridgewater in the Super Bowl and a 0-0 tie at home earlier this season. Head Coach Paul Hickey’s Mites now stand at 6-1-2 on the season and will face Scituate at Silver Lake Regional High School this Sunday (Nov. 9) in the Old Colony League D1 Mites Super Bowl.
      The win versus Bridgewater could best be described as a defensive tilt as both teams battled back and forth throughout the game, trying to gain ground versus one another to little or no avail.
      Charlie Rice was the top running back for the Silver Bullets, gaining 68 yards on three carries, including a 54-yard touchdown run up the middle, with special thanks to a fantastic block by offensive guard Kevin Ostrom. Quarterback P.J. Crosby was the lone other scorer for the Silver Bullets, punching in a successful two-point PAT conversion following Rice’s touchdown.
      The backfield of Cam Crocker, Bobby Melley and Everett Walsh also ran the ball well, but not far enough to garner more points on the day.

First Quarter
      Melley led things off with an excellent 25-yard kickoff as the Barnstable defense opted to take the field first after winning the coin toss. Cornerback Steven Huska made two consecutive tackles to get the defense fired up and left Bridgewater in a tough 3rd and five situation on its own 40-yard line. Defensive tackle Damian Johnson and defensive end Melley then converged to squash the visitors’ attempt to run outside, forcing them to punt on 4th and 5.
      A fumble on the punt, however, immediately handed the ball back to Bridgewater as the visitors recovered the ball on the 50-yard line.
Tedero France made the first hit for Barnstable from his slot at cornerback, setting up 2nd and 10 for the visitors, but on the ensuing play they broke it wide open and gained 23 yards for a first down, putting the ball at the Barnstable 27. Theodore France made a potential touchdown-saving tackle on the play. A run up the middle was stopped by Andrew Ellis and middle linebacker Cam Crocker, but Bridgewater had gained enough ground to make it 3rd and 1. Defensive end Walsh made the next hit, but it was good enough for a first down and Bridgewater was breathing hard down the Silver Bullets’ collective necks.
        Tedero France made another good hit, followed by a superb tackle by Ellis, but again, Bridgewater had gained valuable ground and another first down. Walsh made a solid hit on the ensuing play, stopping the Bridgewater running back cold and bringing up 2nd and 10. An incomplete pass left the visitors at 3rd and 10 but still in great field position to strike. Outside linebacker Joe D’Olimpio followed suit with a rock solid stick but again, Bridgewater had every chance, it seemed, to strike paydirt first.
      Dropping back to pass and seeing a man open in the middle, the Bridgewater quarterback let it fly and out of nowhere came safety Theo. France who picked it off and ran 15 yards before being brought down by the quarterback.
      Situated on the 31-yard line, Melley got the ball first but could not found room to break it open. On 2nd and 10, Barnstable ’s “No Huddle” offense seemed to firing on all pistons, but Bridgewater would not relent. Forced to punt, the ball went awry of punter Devin Broadley and Bridgewater recovered on the Barnstable 26. Johnson made a nice tackle to end the quarter and leave the visitors at 2nd and 10 to start.

Second Quarter
      On the first play of the second quarter, Bridgewater caught the Barnstable defense napping and punched it in 26 yards for its only score of the day and a quick, 6-0 lead.
Running off tackle on the ensuing two-point PAT, the Bridgewater running back fortuitously tripped over one of his own linemen and was met at the goal line by a host of Barnstable defenders. The score remained Bridgewater 6, Barnstable 0.
Melley returned the kick off to put Barnstable at its own 40-yard line. Tedero France carried the ball first, gaining five yards in his usual, hard-charging fashion, followed by another carry for again of one to make it 3rd and 4 to go on the 46 yard line.
     Enter Rice.

     Taking the ball off guard and running into a host of Bridgewater defenders, Rice broke free of two tackles, ran behind a great block by Ostrom, kicked it slightly outside, found an open seam and turned on the jets, flying in for the game-tying score to make it 6-6.
      Quarerback P.J. Crosby then faked a hand-off and had the entire Bridgewater defense grasping at straws as he wheeled outside and dove into the end zone for the successful two-point PAT and the eventual game-winning score. Now up 8-6 and heading for the end of the first half, Barnstable ’s defense would have to play the game of its life to stop Bridgewater from coming back.
      Tyler Kennedy made a fantastic hit on the kick-off, with Rice and D’Olimpio jumping aboard to set the stage for the Silver Bullet “D.”
      Walsh came charging hard as Bridgewater tried to get outside and stuffed the visiting running back for a loss to make it 2nd and 12. On the ensuing play, D’Olimpio tripped up the Bridgewater running back and Curtis Collopy finished the job to make it 3rd and 9 on the Bridgewater 38-yard line. Johnson followed with a nice hit to make it 4th and 9, then the vistors attempted a fake punt only to be met by the duo of Tedero France and Johnson for a 5-yard loss. Barnstable regained possession and took over on the 33.
      Walsh carried the ball first and was met by a wall of defenders for a gain of only one to put the ball on the 32. On 3rd and 9, Tedero France took the ball but could not find a hole, creating a tough 4th and 10 scenario for the hosts. Forced to punt, Broadley placed the ball at the Bridgewater 24-yard line and the defense found itself back on the field once more.
     Bridgewater aired it out again, though, on a halfback option and finding an open man, gained 20 quick yards for the first down. Theo. France made the tackle. On first and 10 on the Barnstable 40, Bridgewater aired it out again once more but to no avail to make it 2nd and 10. Broadley then stepped up big and hammered the running back up the middle to make it 3rd and 9. Again, Bridgewater aired it out and completed the pass, but it fell just short of the first down. On 4th and inches, D’Olimpio stepped up and made a solid hit and Barnstable took over on downs.
Crosby ran a QB keeper left, but time ran out and the first half ended with Barnstable still in the lead – a lead it would hold for good – 8-6.

Third Quarter
      Barnstable received the opening kick-off of the second half but again could not get things rolling as successive runs by Tedero France, Melley and Crosby gained no yardage and the Bullets were forced to punt.
      Broadley booted it down to the Bridgewater 28, setting the stage once more for another fine defensive stand by the Big Red Machine.
Broadley set the tone with a nice stick for no gain, followed by a superb hit by Walsh to stop the visitors’ running attack once more. Collopy and D’Olimpio then converged to tag team the Bridgewater back and the visitors were forced to punt.
Rice took the ball first and gained 10 yards. Crocker followed suit with a gain of four yards up the gut and Barnstable seemed well on its way toward wearing Bridgewater down. On 2nd and 4, Crocker took the rock again, gaining one to make it 3rd and 3. Time expired in the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter
      Bridgewater went offsides to give Barnstable another five yards, followed by another Crocker run up the gut for a gain of three. Rice took the ball again for a gain of two yards, not good enough for the first down. Barnstable was forced to kick once more. Broadley did the job again, booting it down to the Bridgewater 8-yard line.
Collopy started things off on defense with a nice hit for no gain, followed by a solid tackle by Tedero France . On 3rd and 10, Johnson made a nice hit, forcing Bridgewater to punt. Barnstable had yet another chance to make something happen.
      Crocker took the ball up the gut for a gain of five yards, and then took it again for a gain of three. On third down he carried again but this time it was not enough. On fourth down, Crosby attempted to run with it but Bridgewater would not relent. Barnstable had to give the ball up on the 1 yard line.
      Bridgewater aired it out again for an incomplete pass to make it 2nd and 10, then went back to the ground, this time gaining 10 yards for the first down on a quarterback keeper. With Bridgewater on the 11 and 1st and 10, Ellis made a great stop and time began to run out on Bridgewater ’s hopes of a comeback. Three successive incomplete passes and Barnstable regained possession only to take a knee and let the fourth quarter clock expire.