[UPDATE: Now with video] Bobcats Take Back Trophy From Wildcats

Brookfield (8-2) and Bethel (6-4) resumed their annual Thanksgiving Day rivalry game and there was more at stake then just a trophy. The Bobcats were looking to secure a top seed and a home game in the opening round of the Class M State Championship playoffs while the Wildcats needed a win to get into the tournament.

Bethel jumped out to an early lead but had no answers for the balanced offensive attack of Brookfield. In a game that was much closer then the final score would indicate, Brookfield came away with a 48-26 win and took back the Gavel-Swanson Trophy that Bethel had won last year.

"We needed to win today," Bethel Head Coach Jason Gill said of his teams quest to return to the playoffs for a second straight year. "We didn't get the win and all the help in the world isn't going to get us in now."

The Wildcats scored on their first three offensive possessions as they converted an interception and fumble recovery into touchdowns for a 19-6 second quarter lead. After Brookfield scored to cut the lead to 19-14 Bethel was on the move again when quarterback Brandon Schmidt went down with a hand injury.  Schmidt, a junior, who is the teams leading rusher with over 1,000 yards on the season had to leave the game and would not return until the second half.

"Schmidt got hurt and that kind of limited our offense a little bit," Gill said. "He was in a tremendous amount of pain and he said 'coach I'm playing.'  He's one tough kid."

The Brookfield defense took advantage of the loss of the key player for Bethel as they forced a fumble at the Bethel 30-yard line on the next possession for the Wildcats.

"We made some adjustments, we changed our defense but I have to tell you that number five (Schmidt) is one heck of a player," Brookfield head coach Rich Angarano said.  To play with a broken finger or broken hand, I can't get over that.  He's as tough as a lion, he showed me a lot of guts."

Bethel's defense forced the Bobcats into a fourth down situation and sophomore Boeing Brown delivered his second touchdown pass to senior Brian Kelly that gave Brookfield a lead just before halftime that they would not relinquish.

A Tyler Heckmann sack greeted the banged up Schmidt on his first play back in the second half.  The Bobcat defense forced a punt and the offense put together a 75-yard drive that culminated with a touchdown run by Kelly for a 29-19 lead early in the third quarter. Mr. Versatile, Kelly, finished with 44 rushing yards and a score, 134 receiving yards and three scores, and an interception, his ninth on the season.

Bethel overcame an interception by Brookfield junior John Varotsis when they forced a fumble deep in their own territory. They put together an 85-yard scoring drive that was aided by a roughing the passer call and a pass interference call.  Schmidt finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to three as the third quarter ended.

Kelly muffed the ensuing kickoff but somehow recovered the loose ball and ran it back to Bethel 46-yard line. Brown then hit Kelly for a 41-yard touchdown pass over the middle to give Brookfield a 10-point lead again with 9:30 remaining in the game.

"That's a heck of an offense and Brown is doing a heck of a job for us," Angarano said. "Our quarterback didn't earn the starting position at the start of the season but he was ready to go and he has matured every game since."

"They did exactly what we thought they would do on offense," Gill said. "They don't do a whole lot but what they do they do very well. They pass the ball very well, they run the ball very well and they are strong up front."

The final dagger was put into Bethel when Schmidt made a bad pitch that was fumbled and recovered by Brookfield senior captain Matt Consalvo at the Bethel 42-yard line. Junior running back Leaon Gordon then found pay dirt as he ran for his second touchdown of the day, breaking the game wide open. Gordon ran for a 70-yard score in the first half and ran for 210 yards on the day.

With 3:35 left in the game, junior fullback Tyler Puglisi finished the scoring when he broke through the line and took off for an 85-yard run.  The run put the Bobcat potent offensive attack at just under 600 total yards in the game.

"We have a lot of offensive weapons, we can hit you with many different things," Angarano said.  "I'm very happy about the way they played, they played great football. We feel good, we knew we were a better football team then we showed early in season."

The Bobcats will wait to see who their opponent is and what their final seed will be but they do know that they will be at home on Tuesday night. Bethel will not be returning to states as their season ended with the tough loss to an old foe.

"I'm proud of the whole team, we had a good season, 6-4 is nothing to shake a stick at it," Gill said of his team that battled injuries all season. "The kids kept fighting, they were working hard.  I'm proud of my whole team." 

Download the movie