Lake Braddock Bruins Postpone Hibernation

A post by "Blake the Megalomaniac" To see more posts click here

In football, just like life, you have to improvise, adapt and overcome.  That unofficial mantra of the U.S. Marine Corps (happy belated birthday to the Corps by the way) seems to be the unofficial mantra of Lake Braddock varsity football.

After an opening night win against Langley in which the Bruins won 38-0 but looked nothing like a team picked to win the Patriot District, the Bruins lost their home opener to a Woodson football team that now has the distinction of 2009 Patriot District Champions on their resume (edit: the Bruins were co-district champions). The Purple and Gold overcame that planetary hit to their egos and used it the following week to beat a solid Westfield football team 10-9.

After a Saturday afternoon nine point win against a T.C. Williams team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 1990 (the Titans did not make the playoffs again this year), the Bruins again had their pride knocked down a peg by their historic rival the Robinson Rams.  In that game, scheduled on Robinson’s homecoming, the Bruins committed foolish turnovers and though they played well enough to win, lost 28-21 (Lake Braddock hasn’t beaten Robinson in nine years).

At that midpoint in the season, the Bruins had 3 wins and 2 losses and were beginning to adapt to the fact that opposing teams weren’t going to roll over for them and that only by being consistent, executing, and not turning the ball over would they right the ship.  After a close win versus Lee high school, the coaches called on some of their improvisation skills by moving talented wideout Peres Nubong from offense, where there just weren’t enough footballs to go around, to defense where he could use his athleticism and speed to help boaster the Bruin secondary.  Now Peres is making the coaches look like geniuses and proving that he’s not simply a cover corner. You want proof – solid hit.

With the regular season complete, a string of 5 wins in-a-row including a route of their little brother West Springfield (42-13), and a host of All-District Awards — the Bruins power into the playoffs this Friday night at home against Fairfax High School looking to postpone hibernation until sometime at the end of December.  The three seed Lake Braddock Bruins have a chance to avenge their only two losses of the season against Woodson and Robinson on their way to what would be a Northern Region Championship, LB’s first since 1995-96 if all goes as planned.

The Bruins boast 4, count ‘em, 4 offensive first-team All-District selections: G-Martin Quan (Senior), T-Khamrone Kolb (Senior, committed to Penn State), WR-Brandon Johnson (Senior), and QB-Michael Nebrich (Junior).

In addition, the Bruins feature 5 defensive first-team All-District selections: DE-Emanuel Adetunji (Junior), DT-Wasim Abassi (Senior), LB-Chris Lavery (Senior), DB-Ross Renzi (Senior), and DB-Thomas Stickford (Senior).

The purple and gold (and black so it seems) is also complimented by a plethora of 2nd team All-District selections including: C-Dylan Evans (Junior), my boy WR-Ali Banihashemi (Senior), RB-Osman Mansaray (Senior), DT-Keli Doe (Senior), and LB-Andrew Weidinger (Junior).

Did I mention Michael Nebrich was also named Patriot District offensive player of the year? No. Well let me do that now, Michael Nebrich was named Patriot District player of the year and as head coach Poythress put it, “He’s easily the most dynamic player in the region.”

The march to a Northern Region title begins for the Bruins this Friday at home against a Fairfax football team that went 6-4 and has won 4 straight.  The game starts at 7:30.  Hope to see everyone there at Richard M. Lewis field. (Update: The game will be held at West Springfield HS)

udothedishes . . .

Related posts:

1. The Pride of Lake Braddock
2. Lake Braddock Senior Impresses
3. Lake Show Done: NBA Just Getting Started
4. Criminal Injustice: Salt Lake City, Utah
5. LBSS Varsity Football Chronicles: Defense
6. Ode to the new American Pastime: Football
7. Amy Tran: Dreadlock’d Olympian
8. Craig Robinson’s Tarnished Legacy featuring Barack Obama
9. LBSS Varsity Football Chronicles: Offense
10. “The heck with it, I’m droppin’ my mittens”

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