Sports

Football: Chesapeake Overcomes Odds in Playoff Run

The Bayhawks have won seven straight games heading into their Class 2A semifinal game Friday against Lake Clifton at CCBC-Essex.

In many ways, Chesapeake High School's football season appeared over before it even began.

The Bayhawks didn’t even have a head coach until two weeks before practice started in August. They started the season 0-3 and not long after, had three starters kicked off the team due to disciplinary reasons.

But when the regional playoffs get underway Friday, will be right in the mix as the No. 2 seed in the Class 2A North semifinals. The Bayhawks (7-3), who have won seven straight games, will host Lake Clifton at 7 p.m., Friday at .

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“The players just began to buy into what we were preaching, but it took time because we got such a late start,” said Chesapeake coach Rocco Bruno, a Perry Hall resident who took over for .

Chesapeake’s season began with a 21-14 loss at Patterson Mill and a 13-12 defeat to Archbshop Curley on a last-second 40-yard field goal. The Bayhawks then lost, 34-0, to New Town—the No. 2 seed in Class 1A North.

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Since then, Chesapeake has been nearly unstoppable. The Bayhawks have posted two shutouts — 44-0 over Lansdowne and 36-0 over Patapsco — and have not allowed more than 14 points in any game .

“They never got down on themselves and only got stronger when we faced adversity,” said Bruno, who was a longtime youth football coach with the Middle River Renegades before spending the previous two seasons as Archbishop Curley’s junior varsity coach.

What makes Chesapeake’s winning streak even more impressive is that its roster includes just 30 players with most of the starters playing both ways. Due to that and the limited preseason, Bruno employs a basic single-wing offense that relies almost entirely on the running game.

During its winning streak, Chesapeake has averaged nearly 32 points a game, and players like running back/defensive back James Johnson said their confidence has grown with each win.

“It’s hard to believe we’re at the point with everything we’ve dealt with this season,” Johnson said. “To bring in a new coach, start the season 0-3 and lose three starters yet still make the playoffs says a lot about this team.”

Winning at Chesapeake in recent years is not something new. The Bayhawks are back in the postseason for the fourth time in five years. Many of the players were on the roster in 2009 when Chesapeake went 10-2 and upset Eastern Tech—which went on to win the Class 2A state title—in the regular season.

The Mavericks went on to defeat the Bayhawks in the playoffs en route to their title. But, with Eastern Tech now in Class 3A, Chesapeake believes the region and the road to a state title is open to any number of contenders.

“It’s been a great run the last seven weeks and we’re not ready for it to end,” said Chesapeake running back Malcolm Dowery. “We just love this game and believe we belong with any team still playing in the postseason.”

Chesapeake linebacker James Piatrowski agrees.

"After the start we got off to, we appreciate being here that much more," he said. "I don't see any reason we can't make a run at a state title now."


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