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Brooks falls in heartbreaking fashion

Saturday, November, 21 By Bill O'Connor
Correspondent

BEVERLY — Brooks head coach Alex Konovalchik called it “one of the most difficult ways to lose a game.”

That was an understatement.

Leading Pingree 6-0 in the New England Prep Clark-Francis Bowl, Brooks was in the process of running out the clock with 2:09 left in the game.

Facing a 3rd-and-12, the Brooks running back bolted toward a possible first down but took a monster hit which jarred the football loose.

Highlander ball on the Brooks 35 yard-line.

Eight plays later, Pingree quarterback Brendan Oliver found wide receiver Kyle Jamerson in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left. Jack Williamson’s kick gave Pingree the improbable win.

“Certainly, one of the things we’ve done a good job with all year is not putting the ball on the ground,” said Konovalchik. “We didn’t do that today, and it cost us.”

Brooks put the ball on the Endicott College turf six times — but it was only the final fumble Brooks failed to recover.

“Six times,” said Pingree head coach Chris Powers. “If your playing the odds it’s gotta bounce your way sooner or later, and at the right time in the game we came up with it. Our mantra all year was ‘Make Plays.’ And when we needed a big play, we came up with it.”

Brooks gained 188 yards on 41 carries, controlling the clock and the game for the better part of the afternoon. It wasted little time securing a lead, with BYU-bound Jordan Johnson hooking up with wideout Jason Buco of Methuen for a 37-yard touchdown pass on Brooks’ first possession of the game.

But the kick was blocked.

From there, the Brooks defense dominated, holding Pingree to just 88 yards of total offense in the first half while registering five sacks on Oliver and intercepting him twice during key possessions in the second half.

“My heart is just down in my toes,” said Brooks sophomore defensive back Tucker White, who had a first-quarter interception. “I have a couple more seasons left, but I feel sorry for the seniors, to lose your last game like this, it’s tough.”

Johnson said, “It came down to the wire, but we have to pick our heads up and celebrate our season.”

Indeed, it was only two years ago that Brooks was 0-8. The 7-1 regular-season record was the school’s best since the 1983 team went 7-0.