Bulldogs Cap Successful Season Despite Recent Loss

, coached by Athletic Republic President PJ Vande Rydt, finished off a successful season on Saturday with a heartbreaking loss to a talented Nantucket team at .

Despite holding on to a 20-6 lead over the bigger Nantucket team, the Bulldogs fell on a last-minute touchdown and two-point conversion, 22-20.

With the Bulldogs starting the season 0-3, Vande Rydt decided to have the team focus on the fundamentals and created a modern style offense rooted in the basics to help the Bulldogs win four out of their last six games, to finish 4-5 overall.

“The team started 0-3, while in previous years we’ve been undefeated,” said Vande Rydt. “After the first game, I saw how the team was I said ‘Let’s go back to basics.’”

The Bulldogs, in their final home game Saturday, not only relied on basics but they had a few wrinkles up their sleeve that led to some impressive scores against Nantucket.

At the start of the game, while trailing 6-0, the Bulldogs led off with a slant pass to Jimmy Fallon, who scampered seventy-yards to tie the game. After a miss-snap for the extra point, kicker and lineman Russell Vircino picked up the loose ball and made it across the goal line to put the Bulldogs up 8-6.

After a scoreless second quarter, and after hanging on to a two-point lead, Vande Rydt had the kids line up in the wildcat, used famous by the Miami Dolphins against the Patriots in 2008.

Fallon lined up at quarterback and pitched the ball over to starting QB Brendan Patterson, who hit a wide-open James Erickson for a 51-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a comfortable 14-6 lead.

Patterson, in his first year playing quarterback for Westwood, looks to be an impressive prospect for the Wolverines in the future, bringing with him both height and competitiveness.

“Very versatile,” said Vande Rydt of Patterson. “Probably one of the toughest kids on the team.”

Patterson ran the ball well on draws while the Bulldogs were in a spread formation, and showed that he could eat up yards by passing the ball as well as running the ball.

Patterson found Nick Giroux on a play action pass on a 20-yard touchdown play that seemingly gave the Bulldogs the lead for good at 20-6.

But Nantucket came back with an array of receivers and plays out of the backfield to tie the game with just seconds left in the second half.

“My goal was to teach the game and have fun with the kids,” said Vande Rydt. “And make them want to play when they go to high school and we achieved those goals.”

Coach Vande Rydt went on to praise Christian Divincenzo who, ”stepped up”, according to his coach, as well as Brad Sullivan who was an “impact player.”

In the game, Peter Horsfall caught some big passes as well as played a solid game at outside linebacker.

Vircino was also “crucial” at both defensive tackle and offensive guard, as was Patterson at defensive end. Also having an impressive outing was All-Star defensive tackle Danny McKeeney.

Patterson and McKeeney will be playing in a state-middle school all-star game at Westwood High School on Dec 3.

The 34 all-state, all-star program is sponsored by Football University, with more than 150 kids invited to try-out and only thirty-five selected.

“Every kid played and every kid learned, and we had a change from game one to game nine,” said Vande Rydt of the Bulldogs season.