Bruins Football Beats Firebirds, Prepare to Battle for Berth in CCS Playoffs

The Santa Clara Bruins control the team’s playoff destiny. On Friday night, the Bruins head to Jefferson High School in Daly City. The winner of that game takes second in the El Camino Division and heads to the CCS playoffs.  Santa Clara worked its way into the position on Oct. 31, when the Bruins defeated Fremont High School 46-6. While the score was lopsided in Santa Clara’s favor, it could have easily gone a very different way if it weren’t for several key plays by the Bruins’ defense early in the game. The defense forced Fremont to punt the ball early in the second quarter, but a bobbled punt return gave Fremont good field position. That’s when Santa Clara’s defense forced a four-and-out. But on the ensuing punt, it happened again; another bobbled punt return, and Fremont had the ball with even better field position than the time before. But Santa Clara’s defense was up to the task again. After the game, Head Coach Nelson Gifford praised his defense for its resilience