Bristol Central finally gets the Bell back

The long wait is finally over for the Bristol Central football team.
For the first time since 2005, the Rams tasted victory against their city rival, the Bristol Eastern Lancers. Central claimed a 12-4 victory on Thanksgiving morning at Muzzy Field in the annual Battle for the Bell. The Rams now lead the all-time series 32-23-2.
After a 14-14 tie at a muddy Muzzy in 2006, the Lancers claimed eight straight wins, including victories by scores of 21-18 in 2013 and 20-18 in 2014. That streak is no more.
“Our defense was lights out from the start,” Central coach Jeff Papazian told Bristol Press correspondent David Greenleaf. “We knew we had to be more physical against a very good running
game and our front line of Tyler Boi, Tommy Nelligan, Krzys Nizielski,
Deion Francis and Josh Moxam really rose to the occasion.”
Boi, Nizielski, Francis and Moxam, all seniors, provided those strong efforts in their final games in a Ram uniform.
Senior Noah Cruz’s 13-yard touchdown run was the lone score in the first half as Central took a 6-0 lead into the break. When junior Luis Medina busted free for a 30-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, the Rams led 12-0.
Eastern senior Ront’e Cooper got his team on the board with a safety in the third quarter, according to Greenleaf’s article. The Lancers added another safety in the fourth quarter on a bad punt snap and tackle in the end zone.
Central’s defense made sure the Eastern offense couldn’t get anything going, however, and the Rams held on for the victory.
Boi was the Defensive Player of the Game for Central while Cruz earned the honor on offense, according to Greenleaf’s article. For Eastern, senior Zach Thompson was Defensive Player of the Game while senior Josh Sampson earned the honor on offense.
Central ended the season at 7-3 for the second straight year and finished 3-2 in the CCC’s Division II-West. Eastern wound up its season at 1-9, 1-4 in Division II-West.
For photos, you have several options. Go here for photos from veteran Bristol Press photographer Mike Orazzi. There’s also photos from T.J. Dowling and Ronald Tessman.
For videos, there’s this from Orazzi.
Bristol Central loses these seniors to graduation (according to CCC roster): Denzel
Davis, J.J. Quiles, Noah Cruz, Tyshaun Rodriguez, Shane Oxton, Kesean
Milward, Deion Francis, Josh Moxam, Kevin Hanning, Krzysztof Nizielski,
Brandon Serrano, Tyler Boi and Brad Burney.
Bristol Eastern loses these seniors to graduation (according to CCC roster): Willie
Bonaparte, Anthony Circosta, Joey Colangelo, Dante Collins, Ronte
Cooper, Josh DiMattia, Alex Hunter, Riley Mason, Garrett McCarthy, Reese
McGowan, Josh O’Keefe, Danny Portal, Luis Rivera, Kerion Rogers, Josh
Sampson, Darieyn Tate and Zach Thompson.