LATROBE, Pa. - After a scoreless first half, junior quarterback Willie Logan threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter to get the offense rolling before rushing for an additional score in the fourth quarter as the Bridgewater Eagles football team earned a 23-7 victory over St. Vincent in the season opener.
The Eagles defense forced four crucial turnovers on the afternoon as Bridgewater won their eighth straight season opener in front of 740 fans at Chuck Noll Field.
Bridgewater had a number of opportunities in the first half but a number of untimely penalties stalled out the offense, while the defense was up to the task as the game was held at a scoreless deadlock after 30 minutes of play.
The game remained scoreless through the first seven minutes of the third quarter before Logan aired a pass out to Jayme Perry down the Eagles' sideline and Perry did the rest going 41 yards to the endzone to break the deadlock and hand Bridgewater a 7-0 lead.
Following an interception from linebacker Andrew Palmer, the Eagles needed just three plays before Logan connected with Nick Wimeron a nine-yard pass to put Bridgewater up 14-0.
St. Vincent wouldn't go away quietly. The Bearcats returned the score nine plays later when Andy Borgen hit David Emmanuel from a yard out to cut the Bridgewater lead to 14-7.
On the ensuing drive, the Eagles offense stalled out in St. Vincent territory before freshman Tyler Dawson pinned a punt inside the one to put the Bearcats against their own goal line.
In similar fashion to the 2010 game against the Bearcats, senior defensive tackle Joel Francis broke through the offensive line and tackled Huey Ehredt to force a safety, providing the Eagles with a nine-point cushion at a 16-7 advantage with under nine minutes left.
Following an exchange from both teams, Bridgewater capped off a four-play, 47-yard drive when Logan stormed in from five yards out to extend the lead to 23-7 with 3:41 left.
St. Vincent threatened to cut the lead in half late, but a defensive hold inside the five handed the ball back to Bridgewater with 82 seconds left before the Eagles went into victory formation to preserve a 23-7 win.
Wright paced the Bridgewater offense with a stellar outing on the ground. The sophomore rushed for 109 yards on 21 carries as the Eagles outrushed the Bearcats by a 180-to-87 margin.
Through the air, Logan was outstanding during his first collegiate start. The Luray, Va. native was 16-of-24 for 154 yards and two scores.
Defensively, junior Willie Propps paced the way with nine tackles, including eight solo stops. Freshman Daniel Brent added six tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to help lead the Bridgewater defense.
St. Vincent was paced on the ground by Ehredt's 26-yard performance on 10 runs. Borgen, who started the game as the backup, led the Bearcats' aerial attack with a 10-of-17 effort for 116 yards and a score.
The Bearcats were led defensively by a nine-tackle performance from senior Jovaughn Johnson.
Bridgewater led the way offensively, edging St. Vincent by a 334-to-278 margin. The Eagles also controlled the clock, owning a 36:24-to-23:36 advantage in time of possession.
The Eagles were 9-of-19 on the afternoon on third down, while the defense held the Bearcats to a paltry 3-of-12 performance on third downs.
Bridgewater is back in action on Saturday when it hosts Greensboro for the 2012 home opener at Jopson Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.