Bruins find defensive positives during spring loss to Port Charlotte

Bayshore had one golden chance to start swinging Friday’s spring classic against Port Charlotte into its favor. An interception by Michael Franks put the Bruins at the Pirates’ 11-yard line while down by two touchdowns during the first half. If there was a chance for Bayshore to move toward an unlikely upset in Port Charlotte, it would have to start then.

The first play of Bayshore’s possession went backward for a couple of yards. Then a penalty pushed the Bruins back farther. Bayshore’s goal-line opportunity turned into a down-and-distance situation outside of field goal range because of the storm that eventually led to an 81-minute lightning delay and a late-night finish.

“We struggled. I don’t know if there’s any way else to say it,” head coach John Biezuns said Saturday. “We just struggled to find a rhythm in a lot of things. Penalties killed us all night.”

Bayshore failed to come away with any points on the drive or the game.

Host Port Charlotte breezed to a 33-0 victory to hand Biezuns his first — albeit unofficial — loss as the Bruins’ head coach. Biezuns largely felt content with his defense’s performance, and Franks was a particular standout. However, penalties and a lack of any offensive consistency left Bayshore short of scoring an upset against a playoff team from last season.

The Pirates took a 20-0 lead before a lightning delay with 2:39 remaining in the first half. The game resumed with the start of the third quarter. Bayshore’s defense was energized when it returned, holding PCHS to 13 points after the break. Although Bayshore didn’t keep stats, Biezuns singled out Franks as the most impressive member of that unit. In addition to his interception, the cornerback recorded eight or nine solo tackles, Biezuns estimated.

“He was a definite bright spot on the defense, playing multiple positions, cornerback and safety,” Biezuns said. “He definitely was a kid that showed up for us.”

Bayshore was caught off guard by the Pirates’ new no-huddle offense, and the Bruins were never able to recover against a team Biezuns predicted would go deep into the Class 6A postseason this fall.

Quarterback Ryan O’Neill completed 9 of 17 passes for 76 yards and an interception for Bayshore, while Tre’shon Wallace provided the most consistent offensive contributions. The running back carried 11 times for 51 yards and caught a pair of passes for 14.

“It’s the first time that we as a staff have kind of set a standard for these kids,” Biezuns said. “There’s a ton of stuff to improve on.”

This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Bruins find defensive positives during spring loss to Port Charlotte."