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Email: "Bruins beat Hawks for a trip to Super Six"
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WELLSBURG — Last May, Brooke coach Tom Bruney removed a photo of Wheeling Island Stadium from the Bruins’ weight room and placed it in the team’s locker room. Bruney, who had just accepted the job as Brooke’s new coach, wanted his players to see it everytime they walked in and out. ‘‘We talked early on that we don’t want to follow anyone else’s trail, we wanted to blaze our own and that’s what we’ve done,’’ Bruney said after watching his team defeat University, 32-15, in a West Virginia Class AAA semifinal Saturday night at Brooke Memorial Stadium ‘‘(The players) had heard the stories about the past, seen the highlights and had been a part of that from a distance. And now they’re writing their own history.’’ And there’s one more chapter to be written. That will happen when the Bruins face South Charleston at Noon on Saturday for the W.Va. Class AAA championship at Wheeling Island Stadium. The Black Eagles, seeded No. 2, edged No. 3 seed and previously unbeaten Bridgeport, 28-25 on Saturday in the other semifinal contest. It will be Brooke’s first state title game appearance since 1992 and its first since the Super Six moved to Wheeling in the mid 1990s. ‘‘We got an invitation and we’re going to the dance,’’ Bruney said as his team celebrated with friends and family on the field. ‘‘I suppose in a couple of minutes it will hit me but we’re going to the dance. That’s all I can say.’’ Bruney changed the culture of the Brooke program when he arrived. But after Saturday’s victory, the first-year coach was quick to point out everyone else’s role in the success. ‘‘This has been one giant team effort,’’ he said. ‘‘The best part about this season was the team chemistry that developed. I’m so proud of these kids and the coaching staff.’’ Cotey Wallace threw for 195 yards and ran for another 94, sending him past the 2,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing plateaus, respectively, for the season. Junior Joe Dinardo was the beneficiary of most of Wallace’s handywork, hauling in five receptions for 137 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the first quarter that took the wind out of the Hawks’ sails early. ‘‘Those two plays really set the tempo for the game,’’ Bruney said. ‘‘Because there was no rain (unlike when the Bruins defeated the Hawks 27-0 on October 9), we were able to throw the ball. That night we threw it three times. (Saturday) it was more than three and it was very effective for us.’’ University coach John Kelley agreed. ‘‘Cotey is phenomenal and we couldn’t stop him,’’ he said. ‘‘We got ourselves in a hole early and we couldn’t get out of it.’’ University (9-4) wasn’t helped by five turnovers (two fumbles, three interceptions), including one that aided in a 20-point opening quarter for Brooke. It took the Bruins a little more than 2 minutes to get things going. Runs of 11 and 12 yards by Wallace, along with an 11-yard jaunt by Ryan Lazear, set up an 8-yard run by the latter that capped an opening five-play, 52-yard drive that gave the Bruins the early lead. Rusty Kocher’s extra-point attempt failed and the scored remained 6-0. University started from it’s own 30. Three plays in, running back Micah Wilson fumbled and the ball rolled to midfield where Brooke’s Devon Freshwater pounced on it. On the next play, Wallace found Dinardo all alone down the left sideline. Dinardo hauled in the pass at the 25 and dashed into the end zone for the score. Wallace found Shane Paesano for the 2-point conversion and Brooke led 14-0. The Bruins started their next possession deep in their own territory, but a 47-yard run by Tim Morris brought the ball to the University 25. Later in the drive, faced with a 4th-and-21 from the 25, Wallace dropped back and lofted a pass into the end zone. Dinardo leaped up between two Hawks defenders, grabbed the ball, juggled it a bit, but maintained control as he fell down on his back for the score that helped give Brooke a commanding 20-0 lead. The Hawks started their ensuing possession inside Brooke territory and took advantage. Five consecutive runs got University to the Bruins’ 13 before Wilson ran it in on the next play to help trim the lead to 20-7. University got the ball to open the second half, but fumbled the ball away on its second play. Again, Brooke responded quickly. Wallace found Dinardo again, this time from 29 yards out, and the lead jumped to 26-7. Hawks quarterback Travis Maraney was intercepted by Brooke’s Zach Hartman and Michael Koscevic on University’s next two possessions, thwarting any thoughts of a comeback. Lazear scored on a 5-yard run with time running out in the third quarter to seal the triumph. ‘‘Back when I was an assistant coach everyone looked at the Brooke program and idolized the Brooke program,’’ Bruney said. ‘‘Everybody wanted to be Brooke. ‘‘Now, here we are almost 20 years later, and Brooke is back again. We’re very proud of that.’’

 

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