Bridgewater, Va.- On Sept. 6, Bridgewater College broke big plays and battled to the final drive, but turnovers told the story in a 32-27 loss to Stevenson in their first football game of the season at Jopson Athletic Complex.
“There was a lot of energy in the stands and on the field,” Drew said, a junior at Bridgewater College.
The Eagles built an early 14-0 lead, aided by what Jarvis Haren of WHSV said on Sept. 4 is “a returning strong group from the 2024 season,” but were interrupted by four turnovers and a pick-six just before halftime. This shifted the momentum firmly in Stevenson’s favor.
“I think it just shows the old saying of a few bad apples can spoil the bunch,” head Coach Scott Lemn said.
Despite having over 400 total yards, the Eagles’ errors were too much to overcome, and this loss will impact their standing in conference play moving forward. The loss drops Bridgewater to 0-1 with another major challenge ahead as they prepare to face No. 4-ranked Susquehanna next weekend.
“Really, the message is we’ve got it, but we’ve got to be about Bridgewater,” Lemn said, “And those things that we messed up on, we’ve got to be able to correct.”
Per a game recap from the Bridgewater Athletic Website on Sept. 6, Quarterback Jaicere Bateman led the Eagles with 326 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Two were received by Ian Browne. He finished with 123 receiving yards and added a rushing touchdown. On defense, Aaron Nice, returning to the lineup, had a team-high 9 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss.
“This shows what our potential is moving forward into the games,” James said, a Bridgewater football player.
The game also presented some strange and crucial moments: a trick-play touchdown and a blocked extra point. Additionally, neither team had more than 100 rushing yards, but both teams pushed the ball effectively through the air.
Bridgewater dominated early, but Stevenson answered with 26 straight points, capitalizing on BC’s negative plays. The Eagles tried for a comeback late, cutting the lead to five with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Tate Leach, but a dropped fourth-down pass on their final drive ended that attempt.
The Eagles now face a short turnaround before heading to No. 4 Susquehanna, one of the top teams in the nation. The team will need to fix ball security and maintain better composure under pressure in the short preparation. This will be critical for BC’s chances to come out with a win.
This game was a missed moment for Bridgewater to pick up a key win in a competitive season. The turnovers and big plays exposed issues the team must address.
“Our team has a resilient attitude, not just a mindset based off the score,” Lemn said. “It’s a mindset of the character and men that they are, and I never doubted.”
