First-Time Friendzy

It’s always interesting when two teams face each other for the first time.

That was the case this past weekend when the Ithaca Bombers played host to the Frostburg State Bobcats on the gridiron. The two squads had never faced before and met on the field at Butterfield Stadium to claim the first bragging rights in the series between the two schools.

Frostburg State is located way down in Maryland, a long trip from IC, and certainly features a warmer climate than was the case on Saturday. Despite the sun, it was a brisk and windy afternoon on the South Hill, and it appeared to affect the Bobcats.

The Bombers, though falling behind early, took over the game midway through the first quarter and didn’t allow Frostburg any real shot at a comeback. The Bobcats struggled on the ground, especially after runningback Anton Wade was tossed from the game on an unnecessary roughness penalty. Through the air, they weren’t much better.

However, credit must be given where it’s due. The Bombers played one of their most crisp games of the year. They controlled the tempo both offensively and defensively. When they had the ball, Thomas Bergerstock put on a show on the ground, rushing for 4 scores and close to 200 yards. The offensive line was a big part of that, creating gaping holes to run through and protecting QB Dan Juvan.

Because of their efforts, the five-man squad earned the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week Award, the first time an entire line has won the award.

On the other side, Ithaca’s D made the stops when needed to and ignited some of the physical play with bone-crunching hits and contact.

All-in-all, Ithaca’s 51-24 win over the Bobcats is nothing tremendous, but it was a statement made by IC that even against a more formidable opponent than say…Norwich, the Bombers are a force to be reckoned with. Below, here’s a video I took of Ithaca running out onto the field at Butterfield Stadium. ENJOY!




--Michael Polak