Brady, with local help and head coach, takes another title
BY JERRY LIPTAK
Superior is a word seldom seen in accurate sports stories. But to be accurate, there’s no better word to describe Bishop Brady’s 2006 performance on the gridiron.
In Division V football, there was Brady. Period. Following a 49-21 win over No. 2-ranked Franklin on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Memorial Field in Concord, the Green Giants ran their winning streak to 22 in a row, completing a second-straight 11-0 campaign.
“I’m not worried about streaks,” said Brady’s head coach, Greg Roberts of Bedford. “I’m concerned about playing good football. Today, for the most part, we did.”
And that good play was led, in part, by two locals – senior tri-captain and quarterback Mike O’Keefe of Concord and freshman wide receiver Eric Feehan of Bedford.
The pair connected for two touchdowns, a diving catch by Feehan in the corner of the end zone for a 6-0 lead, and a late-first-half strike as the locals took a 28-7 edge into intermission.
“That catch he made in the corner – wow,” said Roberts. “That was all determination. And from a freshman …”
O’Keefe and fellow tri-captains – star running back Jordan Smith and hard-hitting linebacker Kosmas Smirnioudis – finished their careers in style.
The Tornadoes, though, stirred things up a bit in the second half, pulling within 28-13 and then 35-21 in the third quarter.
In both instances, however, Smith responded, breaking six tackles en route to one score, then gaining most of the yards on a quick drive that effectively put the game out of reach.
Another senior, Ryan Spain, added one rushing score in each half.
In fact, in the air and on the ground, offensively and defensively, Brady was superior.
“We seemed to have an answer for their big plays,” said Roberts matter-of-factly.
With Neighborhood players like Feehan and fellow freshman Mike Bachner of Bedford; sophomores Zack Roever of Bow, Tom Ilaria of Bedford and Nick Baker of Bedford; and junior Dan Carbonneau of Bedford, the Brady coaching staff can continue to preach what Roberts has said: “Every play is an opportunity to be good.”
But the 2006 team’s accomplishments will be difficult to match. Following a tight 10-7 win at Gilford on Sept. 7, the Green Giants put up 338 points in their last seven regular-season games, allowing just 52 and shutting out four teams.
The postseason was more of the same, a 42-3 win over Campbell and one final superior effort Nov. 18.