Bellarmine's varsity football team posted an impressive home opener on Friday night, defeating the Crushers of Napa's Vintage High School 21-13 in front of an excited crowd of students and parents.
The Crushers scored on their opening drive to go up 6-0. While the Bells moved the ball well on subsequent possessions, it wasn't until the 2nd quarter when they would break through. Aizon Henry '20 gave the Bells the lead after scoring on a 6-yard run. On the next drive, quarterback Wade Smith '22 completed a 25-yard pass to Ben Richards '20, after which Adam Hayashi punched it in from one yard out to put the Bells up 14-6. Dominic Guttadauro's interception gave the Bells another chance in the 2nd, which they capitalized on when Reese Burrill '21 scored on a one yard dive. With that flurry of scoring and strong defense, the Bells took a 21-6 lead into the half.
In the second half, the Bells held the Crushers to just one score, and finished with a 21-13 victory. The Bells have a bye this week before opening league play on September 27th against the Monarchs of Archbishop Mitty. In addition to the opening of league play against these crosstown rivals, the game is also Bellarmine's alumni tailgate, so it's sure to be a packed crowd at San Jose City College.