Bristol football beats Morrisville for 16th straight time

Bristol, Pa. >> Just like its season as a whole, John Greiner’s Bristol High football team did an excellent job of taking care of business in a 30-6 victory over Morrisville on Thursday morning.

Other than two games in which it was clearly overmatched, Bristol (9-2) was able to accomplish all that could be expected of it this year. As a result it was just the third time in history the Warriors managed to post nine victories during a season and more domination of Morrisville in the 87th version of one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalries in the state.

For the second straight year, scrappy Morrisville (4-7) came to play and used some physical defense to keep the game scoreless through the first quarter.

For the 16th straight time, however, it wasn’t enough as Bristol continued a winning streak against the Dawgs that dates all the way back to 1998 to take a 51-34-2 lead in the series.

“I’m very proud of this group,” said Greiner, whose team lost only to New Hope in the regular season and long-time power West Catholic in the playoffs. “These guys did an awesome, awesome job this year. They represented the community very well and did everything we asked of them.”

After a first quarter in which a muffed punt helped keep Bristol’s offense off the field, the Warriors started taking control by driving 61 yards and scoring on a 10-yard pass from Samir Brisbon to Khan’dre Harris. On the play Brisbon showed his athletic ability by rolling right before scrambling back across the field to connect with a wide-open Harris.

Although Morrisville’s defense played well in the early going, its offense was not able to gain any footing until the second half. Despite this the Dawgies decided to roll the dice and go for a first down on a fourth-and-five play from their own 23 hard line midway through the second quarter.

This backfired when a running play lost three yards and it wasn’t long before Bristol scored its second touchdown on an 11-yard run by Deshawn Cortez.

With the score 12-0 at halftime, any thoughts the second half might somehow be different were quickly dispelled when Bristol opened the third quarter with a 10-play, 59-yard drive culminated by a 33-yard TD pass from Brisbon to Cortez down the right sideline.

Following a punt, Bristol then quickly struck again on a 40-yard touchdown bolt up the middle by Bell. A senior, Bell failed in his attempt to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight year, but did finish with 106 yards on 17 carries and later completed the scoring with an 11-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

Led by lineman Danny Collins (270 pounds), the Bristol defense was outstanding and came very close to a shut out. The only Morrisville score – a 1-yard sneak by junior quarterback Felix Feliciano – came after Bristol fumbled the ball away on its own 1 yard line in the fourth quarter.

Morrisville was never able to establish much of a running game and was just 5-for-11 through the air for 79 yards. Most of that yardage came on one play when Feliciano threw a 61-yard pass to freshman Mekhi Crooks.

With its smallest squad in terms of numbers in memory and a lot of key seniors, just where Bristol will go from here is unclear. No matter what happens the 2017 team will most definitely be remembered as one that got the job done.

Morrisville (4-7) 0 0 0 6 — 6

Bristol (9-2) 0 12 12 6 — 30

First Quarter

Second Quarter

B — Harris 10 pass from Brisbon (pass failed)

B — Cortez 11 run (run failed)

Third Quarter

B — Cortez 33 pass from Brisbon (pass failed)

B — Bell 42 run (run fialed0

Fourth Quarter

M — Feliciano 1 run (run failed)

B — Bell 11 run (pass failed)