ORR wins tie-breaking Thanksgiving game against Apponequet
Nov 28, 2019
Wednesday’s game saw a lot of physical play from both teams. Photos by: Kenneth Borges.
The rain wasn’t enough to stop the Bulldogs on their Thanksgiving game.
The Seniors pose for a photo after their last game.
Jackson Cote holds on to the ball.
ORR and Apponequet fought a back and forth battle to break their tie this season.
Special recognition was given to seniors for their final game.
MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional High School football team persevered in the face of rain, lightning, and a tough opponent to win the 2019 Thanksgiving game against Apponequet on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
The ORR Bulldogs were no strangers to this year’s Apponequet team going into the holiday matchup. The Lakers handed ORR their lone regular season loss early in week two, but ORR avenged that loss in playoff action on Nov. 2.
The two teams seemed to be at a stalemate early into their tie-breaking contest.
The first score of the game didn’t come until early in the second quarter, when Ryan Quinlan tackled an Apponequet player behind the endzone, resulting in two points for a safety.
ORR gained momentum as Jackson Cote brought in a touchdown with 5:48 left in the half, and Cam Brezinski completed a two-point conversion.
As the Bulldogs started to expand on their lead, scattered rain showers began to intensify, and officials decided to extend halftime to thirty minutes due to lightning.
After players returned from the locker rooms, and spectators got out of their cars to watch the second half in the rain, Apponequet came back fighting.
The Lakers scored a touchdown with 10:10 left in the third quarter, and made good on their extra point kick.
ORR was unable to respond, and Apponequet kicked a field goal with just under three minutes left in the third quarter to tie the game at 10 points each.
Apponequet’s Kevin Hughes added to his team’s momentum with a touchdown early in the final quarter to establish the Lakers’ first lead of the game.
Not to be outdone on their home field, Old Rochester fired back with a touchdown caught by Dylon Thomas with 8:18 left in play. The Bulldogs failed to complete their extra point, leaving Apponequet with a 17-16 lead.
Cam Brezinski came in clutch in the final minutes of the game. He regained Old Rochester’s lead with a touchdown with 5:58 on the clock, and hammered home the win with another at 2:18, ending the game with a score of 28-17.
As the last game of 2019, the Thanksgiving game was bittersweet for Coach Bryce Guilbeault. With 14 seniors making their final appearance on the field, Guilbeault said he was “sad to see these guys leave.”
Guilbeault added that the team has been successful in each of the four years that this year’s seniors have been playing, losing a total of just seven games.
