WATERTOWN- Tabor Academy dominated Buckingham Browne & Nichols 42-6 to win the NEPSAC Group B regular season title at Grove Street Field Complex Friday night.
“We’re just so fortunate to have so many kids and coaches that love each other and love
football. This week the attention to detail, the effort, and overall effort was second to none” said
Tabor head coach Jeff Moore. “I say to our guys all the time, ‘be the toughest team to play
against for 48 minutes.’ Our defense is tenacious, and our offense stepped up when it needed
to.”
The Seawolves (8-0) got revenge for last season’s regular-season title game against the Knights (6-2). Junior quarterback and Michigan commit Peter Bourque led the onslaught with four total touchdowns (one passing and three rushing). He went 12/18 for 177 yards in the air and 177 yards on 13 attempts on the ground.
Tabor could not have gotten a faster start when Peter Bourque heaved a bomb perfectly in
stride to receiver junior Kaiden Drinkwater for a 71-yard touchdown to go up 6-0. BB&N fumbled on their next possession to give the Seawolves great field position. Five plays later, sophomore
running back Lucas Fickeisen increased their lead by punching in a run from 10 yards out. A
successful two-point conversion followed to make it 14-0 halfway through the first quarter.
After a Knights three-and-out, Tabor once again moved down the field and Fickeisein found the end zone again on a nine-yard run to close out before the first quarter ended.
BB&N showed life and made the most out of a Seawolves fumble on their 21-yard line. On the ensuing drive, senior QB Damon Taylor connected with senior receiver Sam Kelley on a 10-yard pass to make the score 21-6. Unfortunately for the Knights, this would be as close as it got.
On the next drive, Bourque scored a one-yard rushing touchdown to make it 28-6 to end the first half.
Picking up right where he left off, Bourque took the fourth play of the third quarter 77 yards
on a designed run to make the score 35-6. Bourque would later add a nine-yard rushing touchdown to push the score to 42-6.
“It meant the world to win this game,” Bourque said. “Since last year, I’ve had a sour taste in my mouth. They’re a great team, but we came out and won, and I’m thrilled. Our o-line is one of the best in the country, and they create huge holes and gaps for us to run through.”
This victory clinched an undefeated regular season for the Seawolves and gave them the right to host their bowl game next week. Coincidentally, that will come against the Knights.
