Bonac football is on a three-game winning streak, and there’s no better time for it than now, as the team heads into the Division III playoffs. In Saturday’s 31-17 win against Rocky Point, the Bonackers pulled out all the stops, including the school pep band.
But the score didn’t tell the whole story, Jaron Greenidge, the head coach, said over the weekend. The Bonackers did not soar to an easy win against the Eagles, but pushed and changed tactics throughout a game in which they were down or tied for much of it.
“The score did not necessarily show how close the game was,” Greenidge said. “It felt like a competitive game.”
The Eagles came out strong, scoring just five minutes in. Bonac didn’t answer until the end of the first quarter, tying things up before Rocky Point answered a few minutes into the second quarter. “It definitely looked shaky in the first half,” the coach said.
In the last 13 seconds of play before halftime, Bonac scored after a contested intentional-grounding penalty, tying it up at 14-14.
But the coaches reached for more. “We made some adjustments at halftime and the boys responded well,” Greenidge said.
It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Bonackers pulled ahead with a field goal from the 27-yard line. With two minutes left in the third, they scored again. An Eagles field goal at the end of the third accounted for the last of their points. “Our defense did a great job the second half,” Greenidge said.
Halloween celebrations didn’t stop fans from filling the bleachers, and the energy was high.
“Offensively, I felt we were in control the whole day,” the coach said. “Our punter didn’t punt the ball a single time — any time our punter doesn’t set foot on the field, it isn’t a great day for the punter, but it’s a great day for the team.”
The name of the game was Stern — the twin brothers, juniors Billy and Wiley, with Billy, in particular, the team’s quarterback, setting himself apart.
“I thought Billy Stern had an amazing day. He went 22 of 26 with 242 yards and three touchdowns,” Greenidge said. “He was poised in the pocket; he made the right decisions. He checked out of a few plays we called for him, and they ended up being touchdowns. That’s him taking ownership of his role and starting to feel comfortable and confident.”
And Wiley was no slouch, with seven receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson Ronick, a senior running back and linebacker, had 12 rushes for 74 yards, along with five receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson Carney, a senior wide receiver and defensive back, had seven receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.
Jason Menu, the offensive and defensive line coach, established a successful defense against the Eagles’ misdirection offense. And while special teams had no big showing that day, assistant coach Kelly McKee was “very well prepared this week,” Greenidge said.
The Bonackers will be at West Islip, the number-three seeded team, tomorrow night at 6 for their first postseason matchup.
