Over the last 20 seasons, no local football team has produced more 1,000-yard rushing seasons than Bainbridge-Guilford. In senior running back Jake Mazzarella, the Bobcats are on the verge of adding to that total.

Mazzarella will never be one to talk about his accomplishments. He approaches the game much like his teammates: With quiet determination. Yet, inside this young man is a simmering pot of fierce aggression, and he unloads the contents of that pot every weekend.

Mazzarella had his second straight 200-yard rushing performance last weekend against Unadilla Valley. In the face of a tremendous Storm comeback, the Bobcats turned to Mazzarella to settle things down. Mazzarella, as his coach Tim Mattingly said, was the one great equalizer in that contest. The Storm never quite figured out how to slow the 185-pounder down, and Mazzarella’s late touchdown wrapped up B-G’s third straight win.

In addition to rushing for a career-high 265 yards against UV, Mazzarella scored two more touchdowns to give him eight on the season. He is averaging 210 yards rushing per game, and is on pace to set a new single-season school rushing mark. The B-G back is also our first selection this season as Matthews Ford/Planet Preowned Norwich Athlete of the Week.