Bucs muzzle Huskies in homecoming game

Photos by Chris Anderson

By Bob Kopp

BDR Sports Correspondent

BELVIDERE – The smallest school with the biggest heart in the NIC-10 did it again as expected.

Knocking the conference’s largest school off its undefeated pedestal before a packed homecoming crowd, Belvidere followed last week’s 14-7 thumping of now previously undefeated and second largest school in the conference Hononegah with another convincing 21-14 win over Harlem.

Both games were never in doubt.

The Bucs are playing as expected as knowledgeable fans who have watched them play together since third grade on the fields of Belvidere Junior Tackle Football will attest.

The only “upsets” in this edition of Belvidere High School Football were two early loses to teams that caught the Bucs before Head Coach Chuck Leonard and his staff made necessary adjustments after pre-season injuries to several key players including consensus all-conference senior captain linebacker Tyler Bruneau.

BDR subscribers are not surprised.

On Sept. 19: “The Bucs look primed to put hints of better days in the rear view mirror with another push to the playoffs.”

On Sept. 26: “It will not be an upset if the host muzzles the Huskies.”

Friday night lights featured a battle of the NIC-10’s premier junior quarterbacks Austin Revolinski and Huskie Trent Willey with the Buc winning their first encounter in unquestionable fashion. While Willey showed flashes of potential attracting D-1 attention, Revolinski dominated the evening’s statistics as he led all rushers with 166 yards and connected on 11-17 from the air for 102 yards.

Harlem struck first with senior Ethan Martin on the receiving end of Willey’s 22-yard TD toss.

Revolinski retaliated in the second quarter with a perfectly thrown dart to senior Justin Robles from 14 yards to tie the score 7-7 at the half.

Action in the third quarter was fast, furious, and ultimately fatal for Harlem.

Late in the third quarter, Revolinski rewarded senior Bryar Gunn’s perfectly run route with a finesse 28-yard scoring pass to take a 14-7 lead.

Harlem answered quickly to knot the score 14-14 on a one yard leap into the end zone by senior Ryan Kelley.

Revolinski then stunned the visiting pack of fans with a powerful, swift, shifty, dazzling, and determined 34-yard run to pay dirt as the quarter wound down to post the final score 21-14.

The fourth quarter was all Bucs as the defense continued its expected nasty stinginess of the last eight quarters of action and muzzled the Huskies.

It was another example of “Chuck Tough” Belvidere football.

BHS may be the smallest school in the NIC-10, but it proved again that it has the biggest heart; or as legendary BJT coach Chuck Pete says, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight that matters most but the size of the fight in the dog!”