By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University football team got off to winless starts the past five seasons.
The Bears were 0-3 in 2019, 2022 and 2024 and 0-2 in 2021 and 2023 with no season in 2020 due to COVID.
That streak is not continuing this year, however, after the Bears improved to 1-1 on Saturday afternoon at Mazzaferro Field.
BSU opened the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule with a 29-16 victory over Westfield State University before a crowd of 1,250.
After allowing four fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 35-28 loss at Curry College on opening night, the Bears responded in a positive manner in the home opener.
"A lot of improvement this week," said coach Joe Verria, who recorded the 50th win of his career at his alma mater. "Practice this week was good.
"(Westfield State is) a good football team. It took us a little while to get going, but once we got going, I thought we did a good job."
BSU never trailed, holding a 9-0 halftime lead and scoring 20 second-half points.
Sophomore wide receiver Josh Registre (Waltham, Mass.) caught a pair of touchdown passes and senior Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) rushed for 74 yards as the Bears improved to 33-10 over the Owls (0-2, 0-1 MASCAC).
Sophomore Shamus Whiting (Plymouth, Mass.) completed 8 of 19 passes for 158 yards and a pair of TDs. Freshman Joseph Dube-Garrett (Fort Myers, Fla.) played three series in the first half and completed a TD pass.
The Bears' defense, which was strong in the opener at Curry before allowing the 28 points in the last 15 minutes, gave up just one TD.
Westfield State also scored on an interception return and a safety.
"The defense played well," said Verria. "Last week, the defense played great for three quarters.
"We learned a couple of things in the week after watching film. We substituted more, and kids were fresher and it really paid off."
Senior Mark DeGirolamo (Mansfield, Mass.) led the Bears with nine tackles while junior Benjamin Wing (Oxford, Mass.), junior Jorge Aquino (Bergenfield, N.J.) and senior Thomas Rocha (Barrington, R.I.) had eight each.
Sophomore Killian Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.) had the lone sack for BSU while junior Lucas Lambert (Oxford, Mass.) picked off a pass.
Westfield State had just 263 yards of total offense, including 94 passing yards.
The Bears recovered the opening kickoff, but Whiting was intercepted at the Westfield State 3-yard line by senior Budder Ferreira (Haverhill, Mass.).
BSU then recorded a safety when a bad snap on a punt attempt sailed out of the end zone, making it 2-0 with just 4:59 elapsed.
The Bears went up, 9-0, with 11:17 to go in the half on a 10-yard TD pass from Dube-Garrett to Registre, finishing a seven-play, 49-yard drive. Senior Joey Naso (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) added the point after.
Wright had a 16-yard run and senior Andrew Cloutman (Hanson, Mass.) had a pair of rushes for 14 yards in the drive.
BSU took the opening kickoff of the second half to the Westfield State 23, but on second down, sophomore Eric Lovell (Barnstable, Mass.) intercepted a Whiting pass and returned it 80 yards up the right sideline for a TD with 9:38 to go in the third quarter.
That cut the deficit to 9-7 following the point after by sophomore Dino Stellato (Agawam, Mass.).
On its next possession, BSU moved to the Westfield State 12 where Naso hit a field goal from 29 yards away with 7:01 left in the quarter, making it 12-7.
The Bears scored the next time they touched the ball as well, senior Jack McCarthy (Braintree, Mass.) catching an 11-yard TD pass from Whiting with 5:08 remaining in the quarter for a 19-7 lead.
The Owls got within 19-9 with 1:26 to go in the third with a safety as Whiting was sacked in the end zone and BSU recovered a fumble there.
Westfield State crept to 19-16 with 12:57 left in the game on a 19-yard TD pass from senior Miles Foerster (Amherst, Mass.) to senior Will Brewster (Westfield, Mass.).
The Bears opened a 26-16 lead with 10:44 to go, answering with a six-play, 60-yard drive that took 2:14.
Whiting hit Registre with a 34-yard TD pass and Naso added the point after.
The scoring ended with a Naso 42-yard field goal with 1:32 left after the Bears held the Owls on fourth and goal at the BSU 7.
"The offense responded when we needed them to respond, especially in the second half," said Verria. "When they scored, we matched the score.
"It was a great day. We found some kids today we who really came up big."
Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held in honor of long-time BSU coach Peter Mazzaferro, who died on May 30 at the age of 94.
Mazzaferro was the Bears' head coach from 1968-2004, winning 195 games.
Players are wearing a "MAZZ' sticker on their helmets this season.
BSU will be home again next Saturday, facing Plymouth State University at noon. Westfield State will be at Dean College Saturday at noon.
Notes: Naso went 2-for-2 on field goals and converted all three of his extra point attempts. He extended his streak to 39 consecutive made PATs.