On this day 20 years ago, the football team won 20-20 against Harborfields.

You read that correctly. Though the game ended in a tie, the result was celebrated by the Bears as a moral victory while the Tornadoes, the eventual Long Island Champions in ’94, walked off the field disappointed. The Brook got the scoring started in the first quarter when quarterback Derek Kenney found Matt Mattimore for a touchdown on 4th-and-11. Marc Vega ran the ball in on the two-point conversion to give the Bears an 8-0 lead.

After a scoreless second quarter left the Bears up 8-0 at the half, Kenney and Mattimore hooked up again for a score. After the conversion failed the Blue and White held a 14-0 lead. Harborfields, though stymied by the stingy Bear defense for much of the game, found another gear in the third, scoring two touchdowns to even the game at 14-14 headed into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, Kenney again threaded a pass to Mattimore who took the ball 70 yards into the end zone for his third score of the day, giving the Bears a 20-14 edge. Not to be denied, the Tornadoes scored their third rushing touchdown of the day from two yards out with just four minutes left in the game. They elected to go for two points, but Harborfields’ Ryan Brady ran into future All-State linebacker Jake Kenney, who preserved the tie.

After the Bears failed to move the ball on their next possession, they gave the ball back to the Tornadoes who marched down the field as time waned. With 20 seconds remaining Harborfields lined up for a 30-yard, game-winning field goal, but the strike sailed wide left, giving the Bears a thrilling, hard-fought 20-20 tie that had all the trappings of a victory.

Derek Kenney finished with three touchdowns and 139 yards passing and Mattimore, his favorite target, reeled in seven passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns. The Blue and White offense finished the day with more first downs (10 to 8) and more yards of total offense (250 to 230) than their large school opponents. The Bear defense was heroic on the day, holding the Tornadoes to just 13 passing yards and a 27.3% completion percentage. Michael Hoskins was the defensive star, setting a school record with nineteen solo tackles while adding five assisted tackles.

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