Freshman Gridders Tie Bridgton, 14-14

From this point, the Harvard freshman football team can only go up or down.

The newest Crimson gridders struggled to a 14-14 tie with Bridgton Academy yesterday at the Stadium in front of 300 fans. It was the first game of the season for Harvard, while the Maine-based Bridgton squad came into the game with a 2-1 record.

The difference showed. Harvard coach Jim Kubacki '77 commented, "They were more prepared for the game than we were--that was painfully obvious. We were lucky to get a tie."

Harvard began the game moving the ball well, but most of its first-half drives stalled. Finally, the hosts opened the scoring with a 35-yd. touchdown pass from quarterback Rod MacLeod to running back Paul DiBiase.

The Crimson failed to convert the extra point kick.

Bridgton responded with a touchdown pass of its own late in the half. Following a short drive, quarterback Joe DeGirolamo hit halfback Bill Smith on a swing pass which Smith carried 15 yards into the end zone, barely nicking the flag to knot the score at 6-6.

And when Bridgton kicker Craig Hammond shanked the extra point, the teams went into halftime tied.

But they didn't stay tied for long. Bridgton took the opening kick-off of the second half and proceded to grind out a long drive.

Using mostly quick look-in passes to his receivers, DeGirolamo directed his team to the Harvard eight-yard line.

The drive appeared stalled when Bridgton failed to convert a third-down attempt, but an unnecessary roughness call on Harvard gave the visitors first-and-goal from the four.

On the next play, halfback Greg Cunningham ran in for the touchdown. Bridgton went for a two-point conversion, and DeGirolamo made the score 14-6 when he rolled out around end danced, untouched, into the end zone.

The Crimson failed to mount any scoring threat in the second half until adjuster John Rowe wrestled the ball away from a Bridgton receiver to give the offense posession near midfield.

With starting quarterback Tom Yohe reinserted in the Cantab offense, Harvard began to move. Yohe took the team to Bridgton's 28-yd. line, where he faced a do-or-die situation.

On fourth and four, he scrambled to avoid the rush, and hit wide receiver Don Gajewsi for a touch-

On the subsequent two-point conversion attempt, Yohe passed to DiBiase in the end zone to salvage a tie for Harvard.

Bridgton had a chance to pull out a last minute win when DeGirolamo completed a pass to split end Joe Morrissey--who beat Harvard cornerback Dave Riccardi--to place the ball on the Crimson nine-yd. line.

But Riccardi soon gained his revenge.

When Bridgeton attempted a chipshot field goal for the win, Riccardi broke through the line and tipped the ball away.

Although clearly not pleased by his team's error-filled play (11 penalties), Kubacki wasn't concerned. "We played a typical first game," he said. "We aren't too far off from where past teams have been at this point. We'll get there."

Up, that is.