ATTLEBORO - Matty Campbell had 111 yards rushing and two touchdowns as the Attleboro High football team picked up its first Old Colony League victory of the season Friday night, 26-7 over Dartmouth.
Surprisingly, the Blue Bombardiers actually trailed in this one, 7-6 in the opening minutes of the second quarter. This to a graduation-racked Dartmouth (0-4, 1-8) team which has been shut out three times
this season and now lost five in a row. However, that didn't last long as J.J. Jolaoso's 7-yard TD run with three minutes to go before the half to put AHS up for good at 14-7.
For the game, Attleboro piled up 267 yards rushing, Campbell with his yards on 10 carries. Jolaoso had 59 yards rushing on 11 carries and Tim Reading also had 51 yards on nine carries.
Quarterback Nate Robitaille had 72 yards passing and all four of his completions were for first downs.
Campbell opened the scoring with a 16-yard TD run in the first but the conversion was no good. Dartmouth QB Mike Grandfield scored on a 5-yard run on the Indians' first possession of the second quarter.
In the second half, Reading scored just four plays in, a 13-yard run, that set up by a 39-yard run by Campbell. On Attleboro's next possession, the Bombardiers marched 75 yards on 13 plays, Campbell with a 5-yard run to cap the scoring.
Defensively, Lucas Parker had a sack for Attleboro, which improved to 5-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference
AHS snaps skid, shreds Shamrocks
BY PETER GOBIS SUN CHRONICLE STAFFSaturday, October 31, 2009 2:03 AM EDT
ATTLEBORO - Tormented by a trio of first-half turnovers, being limited to six net yards and one first down of offense through the first two quarters of play, the Attleboro High School football team refused to drown in sorrow or further contribute to impending doom.
Ryan Araujo's 83-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 67-yard punt return kept the Bombardiers on the McGrath Stadium scoreboard during the first half, then Matt Campbell and J.J. Jolaoso kept their legs moving in the second half as the
Bombardiers ground out a "that's-more-like-it" 34-14 triumph over crosstown rival Bishop Feehan High.
The Bombardiers (5-3) put to rest a three-game losing skid with an impressive momentum-swinging second half in which AHS ran the ball 29 times and created 13 first downs, while the defense limited Bishop Feehan to 47 net yards of offense and two first downs.
The Bombardiers didn't let the 47th annual renewal of the series slip away because Jolaoso (in the AHS end zone with three minutes left in the first quarter) and Campbell (at the AHS 34 in the final minute of the first half) created pass interceptions.
"The kids did this on their own," offered AHS coach Kevin Deschenes of the Bombardiers' execution on offense (36 plays, 18 more than Feehan in the second half) and defense (the Shamrocks never advancing beyond the AHS 37 on four second half series).
"They (AHS) are a good football team. They had to make a decision (after losing to Bridgewater-Raynham, Taunton and Darien, Conn.), they wanted to win."
The Bombardiers scored a pair of third quarter touchdowns, the first two times that they had possession of the ball, drives of 69 and 52 yards to break a 14-14 halftime stalemate.
If AHS' 10-play scoring series which consumed the initial 4:07 of the second half wasn't impressive enough, its 63-yard, 12-play series which consumed six minutes of the fourth quarter clock put a definitive exclamation mark on the proceedings.
"They made big plays on us," surmised Bishop Feehan coach Tony Wood - the two by Araujo which prevented the Shamrocks from dominating the ball, the clock and the scoreboard. "Those two specialty teams plays were massive."
Araujo and AHS immediately answered the Shamrocks' go-ahead touchdown by snaring the ensuing kickoff and prancing up the middle of the field, then toward the right sideline - an 83-yard gallop and the first of four conversion kicks by Jesse Perry knotted the score.
Then after stuffing the Shamrocks on their very next series, Araujo and AHS was at it again, this time snaring a punt at the Bombardier 30-yard line and returning the ball 67 yards to the Bishop Feehan three-yard line, where two plays later Campbell
bulldozed behind tackle Don Caouette for the go-ahead touchdown.
The Shamrocks (5-2) twice converted takeaways - a fumble recovery by Andrew Nunes at the AHS 25 and a fumble recovery by Cataldo at the AHS 15 - into touchdowns. Quarterback Tom Romero completed a fourth down and four-yard pass to Cataldo in the right corner of the end zone,
right at the pylon for the Shamrocks' go-ahead TD, then scoring himself from a yard out after five successive rushes by Kevin Boland, Stanley Pacuk's second conversion kick tying the score at 14-all.
The Shamrocks had possession of the ball for eight series (consuming 15:13 of the clock), four times venturing past midfield, but being unable to make one more big play offensively which might have packaged AHS as a victim. "We didn't make third or fourth down plays," added Wood.
Campbell scored twice for AHS and rushed for 79 yards, while 10 of his 13 second half rushes were for four yards or more. Meanwhile Araujo rambled for 43 second half yards and Jolaoso 23 second half yards. A 23-yard pass from Nate Robitaille to A.J. Hoose and a 19-yard run by Robitaille set up Jolaoso's go-ahead touchdown four minutes into the third quarter for AHS.
Then a fake punt by Feehan failed, AHS taking over at its own 48-yard line. Four plays into the series, Robitaille, seemingly trapped behind the line of scrimmage while rolling to his left, uncorked a throw downfield to Araujo, splitting the seams of the Shamrock defensive secondary coverage, who then burst into the end zone for a 60-yard scoring strike.
Another 50 for AHS
BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFFSaturday, October 3, 2009 2:18 AM EDT
ATTLEBORO - Posting 100 points over its last two games is definitely a positive thing for the Attleboro High School football team.
But AHS coach Kevin Deschenes said after Friday's 50-22 home victory over Durfee that there were still several areas of improvement
he's like to see his 3-1 Bombardiers tackle in practice before opening the Old Colony League schedule next Friday at preseason favorite Bridgewater-Raynham.
"We scored 50 points and we scored two (touchdowns) on defensive turnovers, but we're still not where we have to be," Deschenes said.
"In order for us to get to where we need to be, we still have to play better."
One area of improvement might be for the Bombardiers to have a better understanding that the game does not end at halftime, even if they have a big lead.
Attleboro was up 35-8 at the break Friday, scoring three touchdowns in the last 6:25 before intermission. And even though there was never a doubt that winless
Durfee (0-4) would find its way back into contention, the Bombardiers still surrendered 176 of the Hilltoppers' 320 rushing yards in the second half. "In order for us to keep moving forward,
we have to keep working and keep getting better defensively," Deschenes said. "I credit Durfee ... those kids played very hard tonight, and they're not a team that's going to mail in a ball game."
Fortunately, the Bombardiers had taken care of business earlier in the game.
Attleboro scored on its first two possessions, on a 39-yard counter by J.J. Jolaoso with 8:20 left in the opening quarter and a 16-yard sweep by Matty Campbell and his two-point conversion rush with 4:02 left.
The Attleboro defense also turned in a goal-line stand early in the second quarter, and Campbell's 85-yard sweep around right end made it 21-0 with 6:25 left in the half to complete the 99-yard possession in just 1:19.
Durfee struck back with a 34-yard TD run by senior Ryan Alves (10 carries, 116 yards), but Attleboro got those points back and more in short order.
First, Ryan Araujo (just back from a bout with chicken pox) returned the kickoff 62 yards to set up Nate Robitaille's perfectly-thrown 29-yard pass to A.J. Hoose in the right corner of the end zone with 2:32 left.
Then, two plays into Durfee's next possession, Campbell (eight carries, 146 yards) intercepted a Cory Burns pass at the Durfee 37 and rambled in for the score with 3:19 to go, creating the 35-8 halftime bulge.
Attleboro had only four offensive plays in the third quarter, but one defensive touch turned into another seven points. On fourth-and-8 from the AHS 17, Burns' over-the-middle pass was picked off by Robitaille at the 10,
and the speedy junior burst through traffic and cruised to the end zone along the right sideline, a 90-yard return for a 42-8 lead with 54 seconds left in the quarter.
Those who like to see scoring must have been thrilled with the fourth quarter. Durfee's Brett Duarte scored on a 26-yard run on the first play after Attleboro lost a fumble, but the Bombardiers' Money Singh (four carries, 63 yards) set up his own 2-yard run with a 32-yard scamper to make it 50-14 with 6:26 left.
Duarte broke a counter play for 68 yards and a score with 6:08 left, after which things finally calmed down.
"If you score 50 points, you should be happy," Deschenes said. "But as a coach, and I think our players know it, they can be better. We just have to tighten things down and get a little more disciplined, especially going into Bridgewater-Rayham next week."
BY PETER GOBIS SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Saturday, September 26, 2009 2:21 AM EDT
Attleboro Justin Harris (54) hits New Bedford quarterback Nate Lewis (16) just as he pitches the ball.
Wild night at Tozier-Cassidy
ATTLEBORO - You just knew that this would be a weird one, what with three touchdowns scored within the first minute of play.
You just knew that after the Attleboro High Bombardiers and New Bedford Whalers combined for six touchdowns and 42 points in the first quarter that it would be a long and drama-endearing saga at Tozier-Cassidy Field.
For three hours, the Bombardiers and Whalers battled it out - and while New Bedford scored last, the Whalers never took the lead.
The Bombardiers prevailed in one of their wildest games ever in history, 50-42. What?
For the Bombardiers, senior Matty Campbell rushed for 216 yards, caught a pair of passes for 99 yards and scored three times; junior quarterback Nate Robitaille completed six passes for 251 yards for three touchdowns,
two of which were hauled in by senior wide receiver A.J. Hoose.
For the Whalers, junior quarterback Nate Lewis uncorked 34 passes (without being intercepted) and completed 16 throws for 201 yards and senior tailback Jon Williams rushed for 97 yards, caught three passes for 59 more yards and scored four times!
New Bedford tied Attleboro three times (at 6-6 and at 14-14 in the first quarter; and at 28-28 in the third quarter).
Impressively, the Bombardiers responded every time - Hoose collecting a 67-yard scoring strike from Robitaille, then a 53-yarder for six more points; and Campbell
bulled into the end zone for his third touchdown on a 33-yard gallop with just over five minutes left in the third quarter.
Most importantly, the Bombardiers drove 72 yards on 13 plays, taking a 14-point (42-28) lead when J.J. Jalaoso scored on a 12-yard run 14 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Then AHS marched 69 yards on nine plays on its very next series, Robitaille finishing off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run behind the blocking of running back Tim Reading.
"We knew that it would be a track meet," related AHS coach Kevin Deschenes, his Bombardiers totaling over 500 yards of offense - impressively too without a turnover.
"They (New Bedford) have good athletes in the skill positions. We just had to try to keep them in front of us, to somehow cage them."
And wouldn't you know it, the Whalers cut their deficit to eight points with just under two minutes left - taking advantage of an AHS roughing the passer penalty, negating a New Bedford turnover.
Fortunately for AHS, the ensuing Whaler onside kick was recovered by James Colbert.
How wild was this one? On Attleboro's very first play, Robitaille tossed a screen pass to Campbell on the left, who bolted past four Whaler defenders at midfield and scored on a 64-yard aerial excursion.
How wild was this one? New Bedford's Dagnir DePina hauled in the ensuing Bombardier kickoff and traveled 85 yards into the end zone for a Whaler TD.
How wild was this one? On the very first play of the very next AHS series, Robitaille and Hoose combined on a laser-like pass, the Bombardier senior tight end dancing away from two Whaler defenders inside the 20-yard line for a 14-6 AHS lead with just 52 seconds played!
How wild was this one? DePina bolted 54 yards with a fourth quarter kickoff to the AHS 33-yard line. But a Whaler holding penalty negated the gain, marching the ball back to the Whaler 14-yard line. So what?
The Whalers then drove 86 yards on 12 plays, Lewis completing five passes to make it 42-35 with seven minutes to go.
"The kids did what they needed to do," added Deschenes of the extremes to which the AHS defense was stretched and tested. "They got the job done, they won - that's what's important."
BY PETER GOBIS SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Friday, September 25, 2009 2:20 AM EDT
Kevin Deschenes (center) and Attleboro High will try to contain New Bedford this evening. (Staff photo by TOM MAGUIRE)
AHS looks to go 2-1
Everywhere he looks, Kevin Deschenes and his staff of assistants with the Attleboro High football program wonder where they can gain an edge over the Whalers of New Bedford High.
The Whalers, averaging 6-foot-1, 240 pounds on the line, are across the board bigger than the Bombardiers.
After watching the Whalers beat Bishop Stang (29-0) and tie Silver Lake, in person and on game film,
the AHS coaching staff how they can put Bombardiers in position to offset some of the blinding New Bedford speed on the field. A simple solution?
Don't let the Whalers gain possession of the ball, at least not that often.
The Bombardiers host the Whalers in a non-league game at Tozier-Cassidy Field tonight, both teams looking for their second wins of the young season.
"They'll be tough, we'll have our hands full," said Deschenes of the challenge. "They have five starters back on offense. They're big up front, they have speed and they have speed on the edges.
I know how fast they are, seeing some of those kids run track. Defensively, we just can't give up big plays and we have to keep them in front of us."
However if Matty Campbell and Ryan Araujo can keep running, churning the ball up field and move the first down markers, New Bedford won't have those chances to exploit its athleticism.
"Matty had a great game (against Stoughton last week and Ryan had a very good first half," said Deschenes of AHS establishing possession and time management.
"We still have to try to get our passing game going to keep them (New Bedford) honest," said Deschenes. "We have to mix it up a bit, we've done a pretty good job with it. We have to execute better and we have to be a bit cautious about them."
Attleboro, Campbell steamroll Stoughton
BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Friday, September 18, 2009 12:40 AM EDT
Matty Campbell (25 ) brushes aside a Stoughton defender on his way to a touchdown.
ATTLEBORO - It would be easy to say, "what a difference a week makes" for the Attleboro High School football team.
It would be more accurate to say, "what a difference a half makes."
Struggling offensively and defensively and tied with Stoughton (14-14) at intermission Thursday night,
the Bombardiers erupted for 20 unanswered points and outgained the visiting Black Knights 219 yards to 19 in the second half to take a 34-14 triumph at Tozier-Cassidy Field.
"I think it was a holdover from last week," AHS coach Kevin Deschenes said, alluding to last Friday's 33-24 loss to Franklin.
"We still weren't happy with our defense and our offense let some things go. But the kids regrouped, and within the first few minutes of the third quarter, they decided they were going to play some defense."
Stopping Stoughton's first possession of the second half at midfield after seven plays was one key to victory. Unleashing Matty Campbell was the other. Campbell, the 6-foot-1,
225-pound senior running back, gained 222 yards (171 in the second half) on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns to leave Stoughton (0-2) in the dust.
He started the revival with a 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the Bombardiers' first post-intermission drive.
He added TD runs of 2 and 14 yards in the fourth quarter, crossing the goal line with several Stoughton defenders trying in vain to pull him to the ground.
"I do my workouts in the summer, and my linemen just block for me and give me that hole," Campbell said.
As dynamic as his performance was, there were other strong efforts earlier in the game that proved Attleboro was not just a one-man team.
Junior Ryan Araujo scored the Bombardiers' first two touchdowns on runs of 10 and 17 yards, contributing 32 of his team's 308 rushing yards, and added extra points on four of the five touchdowns,
"Ryan Araujo's a really good back," Campbell said. "He helps to free me up all the time because they'll key on him after a while, and then things are open for me."
Araujo's first score came with 3:28 left in the first quarter, ending a six-play, 61-yard drive.
Stoughton tied the score on the 11th play of a 75-yard march, on a 16-yard option to the right pylon by quarterback Willy McNamara,
but the Bombardiers responded with another sustained drive of nine plays and 84 yards, with a 32-yard pass from Nate Robitaille to Campbell setting up Araujo's 17-yard scoring run.
Stoughton worked some fourth-down magic when McNamara found Matt Green on the right sideline for first down at the Attleboro 14, then the Knights ran basically the same play to pull within two points with 43 seconds left in the half.
McNamara threw to the same side to Alex Fernandes for the tying conversion.
The Knights appeared to be driving again at the opening of the second half, but a big stop by senior Derek Davis and a key pass deflection by junior Stephen Pike turned the tide of the possession, and even possibly the game.
After Campbell's 75-yard run, he carried on eight of the nine plays in a drive ending in his 2-yard TD run two plays into the fourth quarter. Then, after a Stoughton three-and-out,
a 20-yard pass to Tim Reading set up Campbell's 14-yard burst for the final score with 3:49 to go.
The Bombardiers (1-1) entertain New Bedford a week from tonight.
By Paul Teves: Saturday, September 5, 2009 : Attleboro standout all about team
No ‘I’ in Matt Campbell
ATTLEBORO -- Any conversation with Attleboro’s Matty Campbell, the three-year, two-way starter who has helped spearhead the Bombardiers’ football resurgence in recent years, is always redirected toward team accomplishments.
Recently, Campbell spoke of some of career highlights and - not surprisingly - focused on Attleboro’s 9-2 record in 2008 and the long-awaited victory over rival North Attleboro on Thanksgiving Day. The holiday celebration was the first in 14 years for the Bombardiers.
“I really don’t care how I do. All I want is for our team to be successful,” said Campbell, whose squad missed out on the postseason a year ago. “All I want to do this year is make it to the playoffs.”
It would sound cliche coming from another player, but the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Campbell earnestly believes that team comes first.
“He is a role model and epitomizes everything that you want in a player,” Attleboro coach Kevin Deschenes said. “He is extremely humble and is always the first to shift the focus off of him, and is the first to give the credit to someone else.”
Campbell, a standout three-sport athlete, remains humble despite considerable interest from college programs such as UConn, UMass and Northeastern. Deschenes credits Campbell’s nature to a strong family presence.
“You look at the ‘me, myself, and I’ attitude that some teenagers have today, but that is not the case with (Matty),” Deschenes said. “He is extremely mature for his age, and that has a lot to do with his parents and the special bond he has with his sisters.”
Campbell draws the greatest inspiration from his 14-year-old sister Morgan, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
“Seeing what Morgan goes through helps keep me grounded,” Campbell said. “It makes me realize just how lucky we are to be out here and it has inspired me to do everything I can to help kids with disabilities.”
Win or lose, Campbell always seeks out his family first following games for hugs and support.
Campbell is also hoping to display his maturity on the field as well this season as he tries to help a young Bombardiers squad reach the postseason.
After being surrounded by a strong group of senior leaders when he first took the varsity field as a sophomore, Campbell is hoping to do the same for this year’s group.
“I feel like it is my turn,” Campbell said. “I am going to strive to be like last year’s captains because they did such a great job of leading that team. Both my sophomore and junior year I had the benefit of having great leaders around me.”
If Campbell can impart his on-the-field instincts to some of his young teammates, the season will undoubtedly be a success.
“He knows the game,” Deschenes said. “He understands what’s happening on both sides of the ball. “We tell the kids that he is the one they need to watch and aspire to be like. He is such a student of the game.”
Herald’s Dandy Dozen
By Herald staff / Division 1A
Saturday, September 5, 2009
1. Matt Campbell, Sr., RB, 6-2, 220, Attleboro: Rushed for more than 1,000 yards in helping lead the Bombardiers back toward to the top of the Old Colony League.
2. Doug Crook, Jr., Soph., QB, 6-2, 185, Barnstable: Set school records for passing yards (1,927) and touchdown passes (15) as a freshman.
3. Chris Unis, Jr., TE, 6-2, 220, Gloucester: The younger brother of former Fishermen great Jim Unis, we can see the junior blossoming into a dominant two-way player this season.
4. Patrick Crosby, Sr., OL, 6-3, 285, Lincoln-Sudbury: Has all the basic skills schools are looking for in a lineman.
5. Joe Donovan, Sr., RB, 5-10, 180, Braintree: Surpassed the 1,000-yard mark as a junior.
6. Mike Grandfield, Sr., QB, 6-5, 180, Dartmouth: Proved he could handle the position when Sean Sylvia went down with an injury last year.
7. Danny Murphy, Sr., OT, 6-3, 260, Weymouth: The anchor of an experienced Wildcat offensive line.
8. Jarrett Ober, Sr., DT, 5-8, 200, Acton-Boxboro: Typical undersized Colonial lineman who simply makes all the plays.
9. Conor Ressel, Sr., RB, 6-0, 195, Gloucester: Despite sharing the running back duties a year ago, Ressel rushed for nearly 700 yards and 18 touchdowns.
10. Irvin Scott, Sr., QB, 6-1, 180, Brookline: Tends to get overlooked because the team has struggled in recent years, but the talented Scott can play for anyone.
11. Zach Smerlas, Jr., DT, 6-0, 265, Lincoln-Sudbury: Warriors coach Tom Lopez plans on utilizing Smerlas on both sides of the ball.
12. Abou Toure, Sr., RB, 6-2, 220, Framingham: When Toure is on, there are few better running backs in the state.
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FARINELLA: Rivalry kicked up a notch
Those of you who've read this space for a while know that I've been doing this gig for a long time. Sometimes, in fact, it feels a lot longer than it actually has been.
But then there are times when the sun is out, the weather is perfect, the game is exciting, the result is satisfying and I feel as if I could do this for another 30 years if the journalism gods are willing.
Thursday was one of those days.
I've seen a lot of Thanksgiving Day football games over the years, and I'd be lying to you if I said I remember something about every one of them. I can guarantee, however, that it wouldn't take much to shake some of those memories loose from beneath whatever nook or cranny of my brain where they might be buried.
I don't think it's going to take that much effort to remember the game I covered on Thursday. Was Attleboro's 12-10 victory over North Attleboro the best Thanksgiving game I ever covered? Probably not. I don't know if I could come up with the best on short notice - although Norton's 1985 victory over West Bridgewater in the snow and rain would rate highly because the conditions were just plain ridiculous and the stakes were high for the Lancers, seeking their first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
But in this year's resumption of the AHS-North game, two evenly-matched teams were playing for pride and the restoration of a heartbeat in a rivalry desperately in need of a shot of adrenaline. And both teams delivered.
Thirteen years is a long time. I had just entered my 40s the last time Attleboro had won on Thanksgiving; some of the athletes I'm covering this year were still in diapers when that happened. To the seniors of this year's teams, in North Attleboro they knew nothing but victory, and in Attleboro, nothing but defeat.
That's not the course for a healthy rivalry to take. Indeed, until the last few years, it was beginning to look as if only one of our local rivalries, the Mansfield-Foxboro series, was still healthy and vital.
But Seekonk has now won three out of four in a series that was dominated for 16 years by Dighton-Rehoboth. King Philip stopped a four-game losing streak to Franklin this year. Norton, in winning its first Tri-Valley League title since returning to the league in 2002, also posted its first victory over Bellingham since the series was revived (and since Norton's last win by a point in 1969).
And when Mike Barry took a knee at his own 32-yard-line to run out the clock Thursday at Tozier-Cassidy Field, the last of the long winless streaks went by the board.
For those who believe that Attleboro, as a small city, does not celebrate its football victories as vigorously as some of our smaller towns, the example to convince you otherwise was there to be seen as the Bombardiers fell to their knees and bade farewell to the weight of 13 years of frustration when the clock ticked over to 0:00.
People cheered and hugged and danced about in the stands as they accepted the almost-unbelievable notion that victory could be celebrated in a shade of blue as well as red.
One of the happiest sights was that of Attleboro coach Kevin Deschenes hugging his players as realization set in. Perhaps nobody in our area has worked as long and as hard to accomplish something as Deschenes, and often without the appreciation of those who were content to sit back and complain about Attleboro's fortunes from behind the curtain of anonymity.
That curtain has now shifted a few miles to the north. Already, at least one anonymous individual, presumably an adult, has cast aspersions upon the North Attleboro coaching staff on our Web site, claiming that his town does not "tolerate" defeat on the holiday. People take these games far too seriously sometimes. It's good to approach the games with a certain level of commitment and seriousness, but it's equally good to leave behind the rancor and anger that may accompany defeat once the game is over.
Surely, Thursday's result may have been a bitter pill for some from North Attleboro to swallow, as accustomed to victory as they are in that community. But even the most hard-core Rocketeers will understand at some point that total domination of a series, while desirable, isn't necessarily good for the spirit of the series.
And I wouldn't be surprised if many red-clad rooters, despite their short-term disappointment, may secretly be glad that competitiveness has been returned to the rivalry. Simply stated, a healthy respect for one's opponent and his capabilities is a good thing.
It's also more fun.
BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
ATTLEBORO - It took a truly amazing finish to keep a memorable season on track.
A high punt snap and Matty Campbell's 14-yard return of the recovery with 42 seconds left to play propelled the undefeated Attleboro High School football team to a thrilling, 26-21 verdict over Bridgewater-Raynham in the Old Colony League opener for both teams Friday night.
Campbell, the burly junior running back and linebacker, was part an onrushing horde of Blue Bombardiers who saw a miracle in the making at Tozier-Cassidy Field when the punt snap sailed out of the grasp of B-R quarterback and punter Kevin Bumpus, standing near his own 25-yard-line. It skittered away and Attleboro won the race to it.
"Maz (linebacker Nick Mazurkiewicz) made a really great hit on that play," Campbell said. "So the ball just came out and I was the one to get it. I was the lucky one."
Having already scored two touchdowns, on a 70-yard pass from Mike Barry with 4:34 left in the first quarter and a 1-yard run with 3:22 left in the third, Campbell (124 all-purpose yards) scooped up the ball at the 14 and was not going to be caught, putting the Bombardiers (5-0, 1-0) back in front for the first time since 4:50 left in the first half.
But the Trojans (2-4, 0-1) still had life in them, helped in part by a celebration penalty assessed to Attleboro on the Campbell touchdown. Taking over on the Attleboro 45, Bumpus completed a 44-yard prayer to John Dunmore at the AHS 12 and tried to go to him again in the left corner of the end zone, but Attleboro's Mike Reardon swatted the ball away as time expired.
"We've all come together as a team," Campbell said. "We're playing together as a family."
Attleboro seemed poised to run away with the game from the start, scoring first on Tyler McCarthy's 73-yard sweep around left end just 20 seconds into the game. But the Trojans responded 41/2 minutes later on a pass from Bumpus to Sean Reagan in the right corner of the end zone from 6 yards out, ending an eight-play drive.
Barry (8-12, 170 yards, one TD, 137.5 NFL passer rating) found Campbell over the middle just two plays later to put the Bombardiers back in front with 4:34 left, but B-R's Jake Williams (29 carries, 188 yards) broke a draw play for 44 yards with 4:50 left in the half to send the teams into the lockers tied at 14-14.
Williams carried on five of the six plays in B-R's half-opening scoring drive, gaining 49 yards including the last 12, off right tackle, for a 21-14 lead. Barry quickly responded, completing passes of 25 and 15 yards to Ryan Araujo to set up Campbell's 1-yard TD run on the ensuing AHS possession, but the Trojans blocked Araujo's PAT to preserve a one-point lead with 3:22 left in the third quarter.
McCarthy's interception with 8:31 left in the game gave Attleboro a chance to reclaim the lead, and the Bombardiers drive methodically from their own 25 to the B-R 21. But the drive stalled when a pass interference call on a throw to Araujo was inexplicably waved off on third-and-9 at the 21, then Barry's next throw to him was tipped away by B-R's Mike Chicoine.
The Trojans got the ball with 3:17 left and managed one first down, but a curious bootleg call for Bumpus on third-and-6 at the 36 gained just 3 yards, forcing a punt - and the rest was nothing short of miraculous for the Bombardiers.
"It's been a long time coming," AHS coach Kevin Deschenes said. "The kids never gave up. That's why we tell them to play 44 minutes of football. We took advantage of an opportunity that they gave us, and we made the most of it."
The Campbell recovery and return was Attleboro's third scoop-and-score touchdown of the season.
"It's just a first step," said Deschenes. "We've got Taunton coming next week and they're very good. It's going to be a challenge every week we just knew we had to rise to the next level."
