Bruins Football Players Pick Up Where They Left Off

If not for the sea of new faces, especially on defense, one might mistake the 2024 Broadneck football team for the 2023 squad that reached the 4A state championship game.

With the team picking up almost right where they left off in December, though, this might be a new and improved Bruins squad.

As they close September, the Bruins are 4-0 and sitting pretty in the 4A East region race, having won all four of their contests in very different ways — but with familiar hallmarks of recent teams.

There was the 28-13 season-opening win over St. Mary’s, in which the Bruins shut their guests out in the second half but had trouble scoring until a blown-up punt sequence and a Tyrin Chinn-Thompson pick-six on successive defensive plays provided the much-needed separation.

Chinn-Thompson attributed the interception to film study, through which he was able to diagnose the play, beat the receiver to where the ball was going to be, and cruise into the end zone.

“It was like a book. Film study was the difference,” said Chinn-Thompson, a defensive captain. “We’ve really been paying attention in the film room, because every little thing matters with a new defense (unit).”

Then there was the track-meet against Arundel, where there was no breathing space until the final play of a 35-31 win, made possible by senior quarterback C.J. Watkins’ arm (three passing touchdowns) and legs (the winning score with a minute to play), as well as a connection that gave senior running back Ian Mauldin a rushing and receiving score.

That was one part of an effort that has seen Mauldin score multiple times in every game so far, as the team uses him in diverse roles to keep opponents guessing.

“The game is a completely different experience,” Mauldin said. “Sophomore year, I was a lot more physical, and last year was more speed. I’ve been trying to mix it both this season, and it’s worked so far.”

That was followed by a straightforward 49-21 win over Meade, and the Bruins wrapped up September with a 42-27 win over Glen Burnie that saw them concede the go-ahead score seconds into the fourth quarter, only to rip off three straight touchdowns to finally seize control.

The contributions have come from all over the place. On offense, it’s not just Watkins and Mauldin, but the Bruins have mainstay receiver Joey Smargissi finding the end zone on a regular basis, as well as contributions from Mari Hayes, Aaron Foote and Carson Pierce, among others.

Defensively, led by Chinn-Thompson, there’s also been improvement in the front seven and in the secondary, led by senior safeties Michael Swick and Blake Levicki.

“Our defense is fast. The nose guard is fast. All of us are fast,” Chinn-Thompson said. “It’s based on speed, so when we go against bigger guys, we know that we can outrun them even if they’re a little stronger.”

So far, so good: Broadneck is the only team in the 4A East region to start the season 4-0, which gives the Bruins the inside track on the top seed for the regional playoffs, which start in November. Surviving in a variety of ways, against quality opponents, is something that will prove critical when a stream of teams built for November and December football come calling.

“We’ve played A Conference (season-openers) the last four years, for a reason,” said Broadneck coach Rob Harris, before moving on to address the rest of his schedule. “Arundel’s real good. … We have to play teams like that to be ready for later in the season.”