New Bedford Hands Red Raiders Huge Loss

History, as it's been said, has a way of repeating itself.

The Barnstable High School Red Raiders football team has never truly fared well at Dr. Paul F. Walsh Field in downtown New Bedford, as it went into last night's non-league tilt against the host Whalers carrying a lifetime 3-13 road record. That record now stands at 3-14 (BHS, road) since the two teams first met 83 autumns ago in 1928 and 20-9-2 overall for the Whalers.

Down 17-7 in the third quarter, New Bedford pigpiled on 24 points the rest of the way with a confident 31-17 win over its guests. The Whalers now stand at 3-2 on the season while Barnstable falls to 2-3 with a remaining schedule that promises to be no less difficult.

Senior quarterback D.J. Crook dislocated his thumb on his throwing hand in the fourth quarter and may be lost for next Friday night's game versus the undefeated Dartmouth High School Indians (5-0). Special teams phenom Tedaro France, who had three kick returns last night for 73 yards in total, was reportedly ejected near the end of last night's game for having words with the New Bedford sidelines after being tackled. France may be forced to take a two-game suspension due to Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules.

In essence, New Bedford senior quarterback Myles Medeiros was a portrait of poise throughout the evening, as he went 15-21 in the air for 208 yards and three touchdown passes. He also had six carries for 63 yards rushing, averaging over 10 yards per carry. He threw no interceptions.

Before being relegated to the sidelines with an injury in the fourth quarter, Crook was 13-19 passing for 139 yards and no touchdown passes. As of Saturday morning (Oct. 8), Crook remained tied with Everett High School quarterback John DiBiaso at 74 career touchdown passes as both QBs vie for the state record of 85 (Tom Colombo, Brockton). DiBiaso plays today (Oct. 8) versus Taunton.

The Barnstable defensive line unit of Bob Silva, Josiah Dulak and the estimable Jason Frieh played perhaps its best game of the 2011 campaign, time and again stopping virtually every running play up the middle or nearby. The trio held speedy New Bedford running back Marcel DePina to 12 carries and 11 yards rushing, an amazing feat considering DePina had 141 yards last week versus Bridgewater-Raynham. But where DePina may have failed running it up the gut, he succeeded in receiving passes from Medeiros to the tune of six receptions for 90 yards, a touchdown and a two-point PAT conversion.

The real bull of the New Bedford offense, though, was Mike Rapoza who battered and rammed his way through a seemingly helpless Barnstable secondary throughout the evening. Rapoza caught four passes for 48 yards, passed for one touchdown on a fake field goal, passed a two-point PAT and rushed for 10 carries and 95 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown. He also kicked one extra-point.

Barnstable's Theo France would have had well over 100 yards rushing had it not been for a 68-yard touchdown run called back due to a Barnstable penalty, one of eight infractions the Red Raiders suffered through the evening. Instead, the senior tri-captain had to settle for 11 carries and just 73 yards and one touchdown score. He remains, however, on track for a 1,000-yard season with 584 yards rushing in five games.

Barnstable sophomore Hayden Murphy, who played at least three different positions on the night, was a portrait of efficiency, catching one pass for a six-yard gain, rushing the ball out of a wildcat formation one time for a 30-yard score and making one tackle on special teams. Red Raider wideout Dylan Morris, a junior, caught seven passes for 85 yards in a stalwart effort, as well. With Crook injured early in the fourth quarter, Barnstable had to think quickly about what it would do to counter a New Bedford defense that made quick reads in the middle and closed fast on open-field tackles.

First-year head coach Chris Whidden opted to switch junior Nick Peabody from his spot at wide receiver to quarterback, in Crook's stead. Peabody made a gallant effort in the attempt, going 3-7 for 71 yards, but on his team's second to last possession of the game, he took a vicious, 15-yard loss when a duo of Whalers sacked him simultaneously in the BHS backfield, fumbled and New Bedford went in for a quick score, its final score of the game.

In essence, New Bedford did not underestimate the visiting Barnstable Red Raiders and played accordingly as opposed to top-ranked Everett High School which last week wheeled into Hyannis with a sort-of laissez-faire compliance, but still left intact with the win. With a full host of opposing team scouts in the New Bedford stands last night, eyeing and taking notes of everything Barnstable did - and did not do - it stands to reason that the Red Raiders will have their work cut out for them this week and beyond.

Remaining on the schedule is top-ranked Bridgewater-Raynham, undefeated Dartmouth (5-0), the unrelenting Plymouth North Eagles and top-ranked Mansfield.

Barnstable Draws First Blood

It did not take but 0:51 seconds into the first quarter last night for Barnstable to show New Bedford how deadly its offensive weapons can be.

Ripping off three straight first downs, Barnstable marched quickly downfield after the opening kickoff, scoring on its third play of the game on a 47-yard Theo France touchdown run. Sophomore Tom Mullen connected cleanly on the PAT kick once again and at 10:09 the score was Barnstable 7, New Bedford 0. Mullen's kick made him a perfect 21-21 on the season thus far on PAT kicks.

But where Barnstable struck paydirt quickly, New Bedford succeeded in clock control, chewing up valuable time as it chipped and clawed its way downfield. In just over six minutes of possession in the first quarter, the Whalers battered their way to a touchdown largely on the back of Mike Rapoza, who scored on a seven-yard run at the 3:53 mark, then booted the PAT through the uprights to make it 7-7.

Barnstable then tore a page out of New Bedford's playbook and chewed up the rest of the first quarter working its way into enemy territory and amassing 15 plays in all. Heading into the red zone, it appeared Barnstable would jump back on top when Theo France fumbled on the QB exchange and New Bedford defensive lineman Tirellio Pires pounced on the loose ball to put a damper on the Red Raiders' surge.

But Barnstable's defensive front line came into this affair with fire in its collective eyes, and it wrecked havoc on the Whaler running game in the middle. But on the outside and in the passing lanes, it was not quite the same as New Bedford marched its way into the red zone only to have a Marcel DePina touchdown nullified on an illegal motion call. Ultimately forced to attempt a field goal from the 15-yard line, Barnstable's Sam Holway and Jason Frieh combined to block Mike Rapoza's attempt and regain possession for the Red & White.

Ultimately, the end result would be Tom Mullen's first field goal of the season, a 27-yarder that made it 10-7 heading into the half.

Coming into the second half, New Bedford looked more exhausted than recharged and Barnstable capitalized, opting to go to a Wildcat Formation with Theo France and Hayden Murphy in the backfield. Murphy took the snap and blew by a host of stunned New Bedford defenders up the middle, ran freely like the wind in the open field, then carried two Whalers on his back into the end zone. Mullen made his 22nd PAT kick of the season (22-22) and the Red & White enjoyed a commanding 17-7 lead with 7:42 left in the third quarter.

Things Get Interesting

But that would be the last time that Barnstable truly appeared in control of its own destiny.

Following Murphy's touchdown, New Bedford took over possession at its own 17-yard line, converting on a 3rd and 6 for 24 yards, a 4th and 5 for 10 yards, a 3rd and 4 for 17 yards and then on a key 3rd and 9 received an opportunistic interference call that gave them a 1st and goal situation. The entire 7:42 balance remaining in the third quarter had elapsed and thus began one of the wildest fourth quarters of high school football play in recent memory.

On 3rd and goal, Medeiros threw an incompletion and in came Rapoza to attempt a field goal. Barnstable's defense seemed mesmerized by its own previous field-goal-attempt blocking success and Rapoza jumped at the chance. Instead of launching a boot, down 17-7, Rapoza opted to take the snap and loft a perfect pass into the end zone to a wide open Kevin Nunes to make it 17-13. With Barnstable on its heels, New Bedford opted for the two-point PAT and it succeeded with Rapoza hitting Tyler Reed on a quick but high pop pass in the middle to make it, 17-15. It would prove to be the last time Barnstable enjoyed a lead in the game.

On its ensuing possession, with 10:51 left in the game, Barnstable went three and out, punting on 4th and 2 from its own 34-yard line. Devin Broadley's offering sailed for 40 yards, so it appeared New Bedford would have to make its next offensive attempt beginning from its own 26-yard line. The strategy was not misplaced.

Regardless, things on the Whaler turf began to grow increasingly strange. On 2nd and 10 marching into Red Raider territory, Medeiros let fly a missile down the middle of the field but the only man open was Barnstable safety Kevin Hardy who made a spectacular diving catch for an interception only to have one of the referees say the ball hit the ground before he caught it. Instead of saving the day for the Red & White, New Bedford received another life on 3rd and 10.

The hosts did not fail to take advantage of the huge momentum shift in its favor.

Medeiros, blessed all night with superior pass blocking protection from an offensive line that average 235 pounds apiece, stepped up and nailed Marcel DePina on the ensuing play for a 38-yard touchdown strike and a 21-17 Whaler lead. Medeiros then located Jared Wood in the corner of the end zone who simply leaped into the air above the Barnstable coverage and snagged the offering for the successful two-point PAT. With 6:08 remaining, New Bedford enjoyed a sudden, 23-17 lead.

With Nick Peabody now in at quarterback for an injured Crook, the junior made an honorable effort in trying to lead the Red Raiders in a comeback. Peabody found Hayden Murphy open for a six-yard gain, but then things began to sputter. An incompleted pass on 2nd and 4. A False start penalty. A 68-yard touchdown pass to Theo France nullified on a holding call which really appeared to be a Barnstable wide receiver virtually tackling his defender in the open and opposite side of the field from the play.

The play, and adjoining infraction call, caused the officiating crew to delay the game nearly a full 10 minutes as it hemmed and hawed about what to do. The chain gang moved back and forth, it seemed, from one field position to the next. Coaches argued and inquired. Fans grew restless, some screeching at the referees from the tops of their lungs along the sidelines. Tempers flared. Confusion set in. But finally, with a 3rd and 20 situation agreed upon for Barnstable and 5:15 remaining in the game, the game resumed. As Peabody got ready to take the snap from center Tom Grimmer, New Bedford called time out.

Un-phased by all the drama, Peabody made a miraculous, under-pressure cross-field pass to Tedaro France who redeemed himself on the earlier penalty for a 55-yard gain. Poised to strike, Peabody completed another pass near the goal line only to have that play nullified by an illegal chop block. Still un-phased, Peabody then found Dylan Morris (7 rec./85 yards) for a 10-yard gain to bring up 3rd and 13. An incompleted pass brought up 4th and 13 with 3:34 to go. With Morris open in the middle, Peabody's pass bounced into the night off of Morris's chest. It would prove a portrait of frustration for the visiting Red & White.

Still ahead 23-17, New Bedford chewed up another two minutes or so of the 4th quarter, but ultimately had to punt it away as the visitors made a valiant attempt to regain possession, which they did and in good field position at their own 40-yard line.

But a false start call made it 1st and 15 and then, for all intents and purposes, the end truly came even though there remained 1:41 in the game. Dropping back deep to pass, Peabody stood alone 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage and was sacked quickly and hard by a duo of Whaler defenders, the ball knocked loose from the junior QB's grasp.

But Barnstable still did not quit.

With New Bedford on the BHS 18-yard line and 1st and 10, DePina was tackled hard in the backfield for a loss of one. One 2nd and 11, again DePina was dropped for a loss, this time for minus three yards. On 3rd and 14, DePina's number was called once again and he recouped six yards on the ground to bring up 4th and 8.

Yes, 4th and 8.

Medeiros. a picture of poise throughout the night, found Jared Wood wide open in the corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown. New Bedford led, 29-17. As if that was not enough, the Whalers opted for the two-point PAT and succeeded, with Medeiros hitting DePina for the two-point PAT and a 31-17 victory.

All totalled, Barnstable committed or was called for 8 infractions for a total loss of 80 yards on the night.