Passing Game Propels Bloomfield Past Northwest in OT

BLOOMFIELD – The face of Bloomfield coach Tylon Outlaw was moistened by rain but a few tears of joy that sudden victory usually brings may well have been mixed in.

The Warhawks’ superb senior quarterback Michael Campbell pleaded with a departing television cameraman to turn the lights back on so he could praise his offensive line. Jahmal Gibson-Lindsay spoke emotionally about team love and prayed that his fallen teammate Norvel Stewart was okay.

Even coach Mike Tyler managed a smile although his team came out on the short end of the score.

A great high school football game at the very least, they agreed – one that surely will ignite a long-term rivalry between the neighboring schools. Some said it was the greatest game ever in these parts and few in attendance would disagree.

Campbell threw a dart to Gibson-Lindsay on his knees in the end zone for a two-point conversion Monday night to give Bloomfield a 29-28 overtime victory in a CCC Division III West game on mushy Phil Rubin Field that began three days earlier.

“It came down to they made the last play and we didn’t,” Tyler said. “It was a great job by Campbell and their whole team. A great job by our team. I’m extremely proud of our boys.”

The Warhawks (3-0) were trailing 14-0 with 2:32 remaining in the first quarter on Friday when thunder and lightning forced a suspension. They were a different team Monday.

“We were overly excited when we came out [Friday] and they scored on two mistakes,” Outlaw said. “We showed them on film. They didn’t beat us, we beat ourselves, so we wanted to come out here and play disciplined Bloomfield football.”

The score was tied a 21 through regulation, setting the stage for a decisive shootout where each team gets the ball first-and-goal at the 10.

Northwest (2-1) had the first crack and Anthony Carter scored on third down from five yards away out of the Indians’ tight double-wing formation. Christian Farrell booted the extra point.

Bloomfield netted two yards on two running plays with P.J. Edwards nailing Campbell behind the line on second down. Marcus Andersen and Maleek Riley put the squeeze on Campbell on the next play to force a fourth down from the 8.

Campbell, a gangly 6-foot-1, 179-pound senior, avoided a furious rush and somehow found Trumell Arnum for the score.

The Warhawks elected to go for the win on the conversion try. A delay penalty pushed it back to the 8 but Campbell again avoided the rush and located Gibson-Lindsay to set off a rain dance that neither the Bloomfield nor Northwest faithful will soon forget.

“We had practice on Saturday, we had practice on Sunday and we came out here with a mission to win this game,” Gibson-Lindsay said. “We had a mission, we had a goal and we did it.”

Campbell completed 26 of 44 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns, most of them on short passes to the sidelines that gobbled up 10 or more yards a clip. The Warhawks’ receivers made plays, fighting through arm tackles and taking advantage of the slick surface.

“We have to tackle better in the future and we will,” Tyler said. “You usually don’t lose a game on hitch passes but you have to come up and tackle it solidly. We missed a few, and they have some great receivers and runners.”

Northwest quarterback Tyler Calitri scored the game’s first touchdown on a two-yard run after a high Bloomfield fourth-down snap provided the Indians a short field. A shanked punt led to Northwest’s second touchdown – a 36-yard strike from Calitri to Nick Gaynor.

That’s how Friday ended but a weekend contemplating the game’s resumption clearly inspired the Warhawks.

Trailing by two touchdowns at the start of the second half, Campbell completed 10 of 13 passes for 133 yards in the third quarter.

A six-yard pass to Arnum got Bloomfield on the board. Following a three-and-out for Northwest, Campbell led the Warhawks on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that culminated by Campbell’s five-yard run. The key play was a 22-yard pass to Stewart on fourth-and-7 at the NWC 27.

The Indians answered immediately on a 50-yard run by Calitri for a 21-13 Northwest lead.

A brilliant 35-yard catch and run by Stewart enabled Bloomfield to pull even. Minutes later, the sophomore lay motionless on the ground after sustaining a blow to the head and had to be removed on a stretcher.

Reports came in after the game that Stewart was fine.

Bloomfield 29, Northwest Catholic 28 (OT)

NW Catholic (2-1)    14  0    7  0  7 – 28

Bloomfield (3-0)        0  0  13  8  8 – 29

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

NWC – Tyler Calitri 2 run (kick failed), 7:38

NWC – Nick Gaynor 36 pass from Calitri (Anthony Carter run), 2:32

Third Quarter

B – Trumell Arnum 6 pass from Michael Campbell (Terrance Mitchell kick), 7:51

B – Michael Campbell 5 run (kick failed), :32

NWC – Calitri 50 run (Christian Farrell kick), :07

Fourth Quarter

B – Norvel Stewart 35 pass from Campbell (Arnum pass from Campbell), 4:58

Overtime

NWC – Carter 5 run (Farrell kick)

B – Arnum 8 pass from Campbell (Jahmal Gibson-Lindsay pass from Campbell)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – NWC: Carter 14-88, Gaynor 9-60, Calitri 6-61. Bloomfield: David Campbell 9-20, Michael Campbell 13-8, Travis Thompson 1-3.

PASSING – NWC: Calitri 5-15-0, 63 yds. Bloomfield: M. Campbell 26-44-1, 323 yds.

RECEIVING – NWC: Gaynor 2-37, David Blackwell 1-20, Carter 1-3, Farrell 1-3. Bloomfield: Arnum 11-101, Stewart 5-107, Titus Wittingham 5-59, Gibson-Lindsay 2-36, D. Campbell 2-17, Patrick Modest 1-3.

MISSED FIELD GOALS – NWC: Farrell 33 WR (2^nd quarter); 41 Short (4^th quarter).