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Tiger Football Now 3-0...Turn Back MMU 18-12 /Bullock Returns to Booth

Tuesday September 21, 2010

By Mike Cameron

    The home opener for the 2010 edition of the MUHS Tiger Varsity football team on Friday night September 17th, 2010 gave head coach Dennis Smith an opportunity to see if his team could handle adversity, a determined opponent and turnovers.  The Tigers were able to do all three and more to fashion a come from behind 18-12 win over the Cougars of Mt. Mansfield Union High School and remain undefeated before a big crowd at Doc Collins Field.

    Inspired moments was the theme in this one and began even before the ball was teed up for the opening kickoff. 33 year veteran broadcaster Dick Bullock, the Dean of Vermont Sportscasters returned to the radio booth even while he continues to battle health issues. Dick known to his friends as the “Commander” was at ease and at home with his fellow broadcasters and got in some solid analysis and play by play.  Our personal best wishes and prayers continue for Dick every day.

    MMUHS was not in awe of Middlebury at all.  A new program that just recently was able to put the finishing touches on a new home field in Jericho, the Cougars came in big and confident.  They had defeated Division 1 State Champ Essex in an OT shoot-out earlier in the season.  They were well prepared and motivated.

    An early Tiger fumble put MMU in business deep in Tiger territory early in the first stanza.  Mike Williams ripped off tackle behind a big offensive line surge and carried the ball 8-yards to pay dirt.

    The 2-point extra point play was foiled  by Middlebury.  MMU was up 6-0.  The Tigers understood the situation.

    In the second quarter with his team trailing 6-0 Middlebury two-way senior Jerry Hoffman made a big stop causing a MMU recovered fumble near the Cougar 20.  The ensuing 4th and long saw a high snap and the ball was covered at the MMU 19-yard line.  The Tigers went to Marshall Hastings for a quick 8 and then a busted play lost a couple.   Quarterback Brendon Burell (4-8) then made a nice play action fake to Hastings and threw to him in the end zone.  It was a perfect strike as Hastings had found a spot and grabbed the ball.  It was now a new ball game 6-6.  The Tigers however could not convert the extra point.

    A struggle continued for the rest of the half.  Each threat being countered by a penalty or a fumble.  The ball ended on the ground 8-times in the contest and recovered by the team in possession most of the time.  Big plays in the secondary continued to be the order of the evening by Jerry Hoffman and time and time again he produced big hits and suffocating coverage that frustrated MMU.  Hoffman did this without drawing one flag, a tribute to his skill.  But he would be the first to assign credit to his teammates in this stalemate type of a ball game.  Both teams needed a big play to gain the momentum.

    The third quarter was a stand off.
Early in the 4th quarter Hastings raced 20-yards for a score and again the point after attempt remained a mystery for the locals.

    Trailing 12-6  MMU got their horses moving and Nate Tomlinson burst through for 22-yards and a TD to tie the score at the 2:02 mark left in the game after a 91 yard drive.  The point after could have been the game winner but it was kicked wide.

    With the possibility of an overtime tiebreaker looming on the horizon, the Tigers got their troops rallied and began to make some moves to win it in regulation.  Jerry Hoffman ran the ensuing kickoff back into Cougar territory and bobbled the ball but recovered his own miscue.  Burell kept a cool head and methodically moved his team closer to the goal line....big Steel White continued to wedge out the tough dirt when it had to be done in key situations.  At  the 15-yard line Burell went for the score and threw another laser to Dillon Robinson for a go ahead score and the game winner.  The point after again was missed.  Tigers Take it 18-12.  They will host Brattleboro in the annual homecoming game on Friday night, September 24th 2010 at Doc Collins. 

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