The 5-0 Braves and hungry Bear fans were met with Carolina Blue-clad Bears at Berlin Stadium before the Homecoming matchup.
“You’re usually looking at a five-year rotation for uniforms and this is year six. Knowing that we were going to have a big crowd, it was a good unveiling for the week of Homecoming, in a spirit kind of way,” Mark Nori, head coach of Berlin’s football team, said.
The jerseys were revealed to the team by the coaching staff a few days before the big game. Assistant coach, DeLano Madison, was presented to the group dressed in the full uniform during a team meeting.
“To have them revealed to us before the ‘Tangy game was special and I’ll remember it forever,” Dominic Giannetto, senior offensive lineman, said.
While the jerseys gave the team a “boost of swagger and excitement”, they don’t get credit for the Bears’ impressive performance.
“When it comes down to it, it’s just about players making plays,” Nori said.
That’s exactly what the Bears did. Olentangy put seven points up on the board with 48 seconds before halftime. Berlin’s offense took the field determined to regain the lead. As they jumped closer and closer to the endzone, senior kicker Spencer Conrad warmed up on the sideline, as the Bears hoped to put at least three more points on the board. Senior quarterback Harrison Brewster did the team one better and put the ball in the endzone with 17 seconds left in the half.
In the third quarter, Junior Alejandro Aguilar went on a 99-yard run, for a touchdown off a kickoff return. Those seven points set the pace for the rest of the game and Berlin kept the lead for a 27-20 victory.
Berlin will hold on to their winning streak in this rivalry and the Big Blue Hammer will stay in Bear Country for another year.
