DANVILLE, Ky. (BC Athletics) – The Bridgewater College football team fell to Centre 45-0 on Saturday night.

Bridgewater won the toss and chose to receive. A sack on the first play from scrimmage set the Eagles back and forced a punt. Centre took the ball off the punt and moved the ball forward, but a false start stalled the early momentum for the Colonels. A broken play moved Centre to third-and-manageable, and BC forced a fourth-and-one in no-man’s land for Centre. The Colonels went for it and gained 19 yards on a rush and went inside of the BC 10 yard-line. Two plays later, Trimble called his own number and punched it into the endzone from seven yards out. The PAT was true, and it made it 7-0 with six minutes gone.

The Eagles looked to move the ball, but a false start backed them up. An eight-yard hookup from Parker Burke to Brandon Anderson made it third-and-manageable, but a sack forced another punt.

Centre got the ball back and converted on its first third down of the series, but a stop behind the line on the next play by Oscar Whitely stalled the momentum. Centre was caught in no-man’s-land again and elected to go for it on fourth down and seven at the BC 40-yard line. Trimble completed his pass, but a tackle by Joey Strong forced a turnover on downs.

BC got the ball back and got to work. A pass interference penalty moved the chains for the first time for BC, but the Eagles faced another third down shortly after. The Eagles offense erupted with its back to the wall as Wyatt Jervis snagged a screen pass from Burke and broke free for a gain of 30 yards down to the Centre 22-yard line. Another penalty marker and a stand by the Centre defense forced a field goal. Shane Glenn lined up from 43 yards out, but it was blocked, and the Colonels went back to work.

With a short field, Centre marched down the gridiron. The home side faced a fourth down and converted with a gain of 14 to the BC eight-yard line. After offsetting penalties, the Colonels punched it in as Sansbury’s rush extended the lead. The PAT was good to make it 14-0 with five minutes gone in the second frame.

BC got the ball back and moved the chains a pair of times after completions to Jalin Quintanilla and Zain Queen to move the ball across midfield. A pair of incompletions followed and forced a punt. Centre marched down the field again and got to within the BC 22 and faced another fourth down. The Bridgewater defense answered the call as a tackle by CJ Milazzo stopped the drive and forced a turnover on downs.

BC did nothing with it as the sides traded punts. Centre got the ball back right before the half and worked down the field before Johnson nailed a 36-yard field goal to make it 17-0 at the half.

The Bridgewater defense opened the second half with a stand as it forced a three-and-out. The offense got to work and moved the ball down the field. The series was highlighted by a flea-flicker from Burke to Anderson, who made a one-handed grab and moved the chains. BC got down to the CC nine-yard line and brought out the field goal unit on fourth down. The Eagles looked to get points on the board and attempted a fake field goal. The pass by Aiden Grefe on the fake was picked off, and taken back the distance by the Colonels for a pick-six. The PAT was true to extend the lead.

BC looked to get back to work once more, but miscommunication led to a fumble recovered by the Colonels. Centre jumped back on the field and its offense cashed in four plays later as Trimble connected to Tarter from seven yards out to make it 32-0 after a two-point conversion.

BC’s next series went backwards after relentless pressure up front by Centre. The Colonels added to the tally again just before the end of the quarter as Gaiser made a house call on a 35-yard rush to make it 39-0 after the PAT. The two sides traded punts until Centre got the ball back after a Grefe boot. The Colonels wasted no time padding the lead as a 38-yard dot from Carson to Etienne made it 45-0, and the PAT was no good.

The Eagles offense found some rhythm late as Brock Miles came into the game and found Derrick Moore for a gain of 53 all the way to the Centre seven-yard line. A fumble on the next snap handed the ball back to the Colonels deep in their own end. The BC defense forced a punt on a three-and-out and got the ball back, but the damage was done.

The BC offense found success through the air as Burke and Miles combined for 240 yards passing. Quintanilla led BC with 57 yards receiving on four catches. Defensively, Strong and Whitely tied for the team best with 10 tackles. Whitely also tallied a pair of tackles for loss.

The Eagles are back in action as they open ODAC play at No. 25 Randolph-Macon on Saturday.

— BC Athletics —