BYFIELD — They always say that when you don’t succeed, try and try again.
While things were a struggle for Bo MacCormack and his BB&N teammates early Saturday, the Knights have always remained steadfast in their approach, and it paid off again.
The junior halfback racked up 32 carries for 170 yards and three total touchdowns, as BB&N remained perfect on the season with a 43-27 victory over ISL rival Governor’s Academy.
“The Governor’s football program is always tough,” said BB&N coach Mike Willey. “They will never quit. They are a great, great program. So, hats off to Jim O’Leary and his team today. I think we challenged our guys to play really tough on both sides of the line. The linebacker spots, the fullbacks, the tight ends … I think those guys played great, and when we needed plays, big plays, the quarterback and the receivers all came up really big.”
While this bout ultimately turned into a shootout as time progressed, BB&N (3-0) found itself in a defensive slugfest early. Governor’s Academy relied heavily on its ground game with the hopes of slowing the tempo down. The Governors methodically moved down the field on an opening drive lasting 5:36, capped off by a 9-yard touchdown scamper by senior quarterback Nick Berglund. Facing a rare predicament, the Knights were suddenly trailing, 7-0.
“We knew it was going to be a physical battle,” said BB&N quarterback Henry Machnik. “They love to just run it up the middle all day, just drain the clock. They just have a lot of slow drives, so it’s hard to keep the offense up-tempo. (Tried to) keep a good mood on the sidelines, being there so long. We just stuck to it. We knew once we got our shot, we’d have to take advantage.”
So that’s precisely what the Knights did. After Machnik set things up with a 61-yard rush, he connected with senior wideout Brett Elliott for a 21-yard touchdown strike, knotting the score at 7-all with 4:48 left in the opening frame.
Governor’s regained the lead on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Berglund to Hunter Kingsbury on the opening play of the second quarter. However, as was seemingly the case all afternoon, BB&N responded. MacCormack corralled the ensuing kickoff, then weaved his way through traffic for an 80-yard touchdown return as the Knights tied things again at 14-14.
With 1:05 to go in the half, Machnik powered his way to pay dirt with a goal line sneak, as BB&N seized its first lead at 29-21, an advantage the Knights would never relinquish.
“Bo and Henry both played tremendously,” Willey said. “They both carry a lot of load for us, take a lot of strain for our program. They were just lights out today.”
While Governor’s pulled as close as 29-27 with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Berglund to Corey Aubuchon with 11:49 left in regulation, the Knights simply proved too formidable. Machnik found Sam Kelley for a 25-yard touchdown toss with 2:17 left, sealing the victory.
Machnik finished with 67 yards and a pair of touchdowns passing, while adding 10 carries for 120 yards rushing and a third score in the win.
“Every game’s a Super Bowl,” Willey said. “There’s no easy team that we play. There’s no one who is going to give it to you. I was proud of how we performed today.”
