By Paul Pysh

For D9Sports.Com

BROOKVILLE – The Bradford Owls (2-4), playing their first home game of the season after five straight on the road, gave a hometown homecoming crowd a lot to cheer about in coming from behind to defeat the Brookville Raiders (4-2) 33-27.

Brookville opened the scoring with a 9 play 59 yard drive, capped off by a 30 yard run by Quarterback Cole Cook. Brent Puller's extra point try was good and the Raiders led 7-0.

After holding the Owls on downs, the Raiders went 69 yards on only two plays, the second a 64 yard touchdown pass from Cook to wide receiver Corey Santoriello. The extra point was good and Brookville had a 14-0 first quarter lead.

Then the fireworks began.

Midway through the second quarter, Bradford held Brookville on downs, forcing the Raiders into a punting situation. Puller launched a beauty that was field by the Owl's Sean Colligan. Bradford set up a return up the right side and Colligan returned the punt 58 yards to the Raider 30. Three plays later, Sean Hrizdzak went off left tackle for 17 to cut the Raider lead in half after a successful extra point by Kyle McFarlane.

Later in the second, Bradford scored at the 3:39 mark on a 58 yard run down the left side by Hrizdzak to make the score 14-13 Brookville. The Raider special teams came up big and blocked the attempted extra point by McFarlane.

The Raiders were called for an illegal block on the ensuing kickoff and started a drive at their own nine. Eleven plays and 91 yards later, Cook hit Santoriello on an 11 yard pass in the right corner of the end zone. The extra point was good and the Raiders led 21-13 with 59 seconds left in the game.

But the Owls had an answer.

Nick Heschke's kickoff floated out of bonds at the 20, so Bradford took over on their own 35 yard line. It only took 5 plays for the Owls to travel the 65 yards, scoring on a 15 yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jake Long to Sean Colligan. Colligan made a terrific diving catch in the left side of the end zone while dragging his feet to stay in bounds. Hrizdzak scored the two point conversion with an up the middle run to tie the score 21-21 at halftime.

Momentum continued to mount on Bradford's side as Colligan scored on a 35 yard run in the third quarter. The extra point snap was low and bobbled and the Raiders buried the holder for no point. Bradford led 27-21.

The Raiders answered with a third quarter score of their own to know the score at 27-27. Fullback Bill Morrison scored from 10 yards out to complete a 56 yard drive. The extra point was wide to the left.

Then, at the 8:06 mark of the 4th quarter, Bradford scored on a 1 yard plunge by Long. Again, the Raiders blocked the extra point. Bradford now led 33-27.

On the Raiders next possession, Bradford intercepted a Cook pass at the Raider 41. Facing a 3rd down and 10 at the Raider 21, Long lofted a pass to a wide open tight end Race at the Raider two, but the Raiders Brent Puller slammed into the tight end and jarred the ball loose for an incompletion. On 4th down the Owls were called for holding an managed only 10 yards on 4th and 18, turning the ball over to the Raiders on downs.

Brookville managed to march to the Bradford 20 where the Raiders faced a 4th down and 2 yards to go with 1:03 left on the clock. Fullback Bill Morrison ran the ball up the middle but came up a yard short. Bradford ran out the clock and sent a huge homecoming day crowd home happy with the Owls second straight win of the season 33-27.

Brookville had 427 total yards to Bradford's 289. All but 15 of the Owls yards were on he ground while the Raiders delivered 258 yards passing and 169 on the ground. Cole cook was the Raiders leading rusher with 65 yards while Sean Colligan led Bradford with 118.