Brookstone takes home the Broocelli Jug

Brookstone seized the Broocelli jug with authority from Pacelli on Friday night in the annual rivalry game between the two crosstown private schools.

The Cougars used an effective running game and a swarming defense to blank the Vikings 14-0 at Diemel Field.

"We played hard on every play and fought to the end," said Brookstone coach Scott Pethtel, after receiving numerous hugs from players, parents and other well-wishers. "We played with passion and class tonight."

Brookstone senior Culver Norred was the first Cougar to hoist the red, white and blue jug. He carried it to his teammates who passed it around before it eventually got to Pethtel.

"It feels good, real good," said Pethtel. "Let's enjoy this

while we got it."

The Cougars snapped a two-game losing streak to the Vikings and moved to 5-3 on the season, 5-1 in Region 4-A. Pacelli dropped to 5-3, 3-3 in region.

Brookstone, ranked No. 12 in the latest Class A power rankings, helped their chances in the run to the playoffs, which includes the top 16 teams. Pacelli, ranked No. 13, moved to the bubble in the playoff outlook with two games remaining to play.

Leading the offensive charge for the Cougars was senior running back Sam Ndem, who rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries. Ndem scored the first Brookstone touchdown in the second quarter on an 8-yard run.

Shortly after the defense forced the Vikings to punt, Josh Long broke through the line on 4th and 1 and scored the second Cougars touchdown on a 24-yard run.

That was all of the points that the Brookstone defense needed to secure the win.

Pacelli's senior running back DeAndre Bowman was held to 19 yards rushing on 11 carries. For the game, Brookstone totalled 251 offensive yards, while Pacelli managed 195 yards.

Pethtel praised his offense and sophomore quarterback Russell Blanchard, who rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries, and passed for 14 yards on 2-of-4 attempts.

"Russell is getting more comfortable with the reads and deciding when to keep the ball and when to dish it," Pethtel said.

Defensively, the Cougars routinely crashed through the line wreaking havoc in the backfield and putting Vikings quarterback Tre Sudberry on his heels. Sudberrry finished with 40 yards passing on 6-of-14 completions. He also rushed for 55 yards on 10 carries.

Norred and Sam Lowe both had sacks for the Cougars, who as a defensive unit did a good job gang tackling.

"We shut them down in the first half and then gave up a little in the second," Pethtel said. "I thought our guys did a good job corralling their ball carriers."

After the game, the Brookstone players lined up and shook hands with the Pacelli players before running to grab the Broocelli jug from the Vikings bench.

"This is a classy football team that plays hard and plays with great sportsmanship," said Pethtel. "I respect them."

Friday at Diemel Field

Brookstone 0 14 0 0--14

Pacelli 0 0 0 0--0

Second Quarter

B--Sam Ndem 8 run (Matt Taich kick), 7:53

B--Josh Long 24 run (Taich kick), 3:09

Team records: Brookstone 5-3, 5-1 Region 4-A. Pacelli 5-3, 3-3. Next: Brookstone, home vs. Dooly County, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m. Pacelli, home vs. Hawkinsville, Oct., 30, 7:30 p.m.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Brookstone takes home the Broocelli Jug ."