By Dave Bellomo

Despite all of the obstacles the Jersey Shore Bulldogs have faced this year, they still managed to make it to the PIAA 4A playoff game, ultimately losing to Thomas Jefferson, 21-14. This was further than any football team in the history of the program. When asked what the big motivating factors were for his players at the beginning of the season, Coach Tom Gravish said that certainly losing to Dallas last year in the PIAA Class 4A semi-finals.

In March, the team — like most organizations — switched to Zoom meetings to stay in touch. The main goal of getting back to the final-four became a recurring theme during these meetings, but they knew they had to win their initial games. Also, that saying you were going back to the final-four was easy; however, actually accomplishing this feat would require a lot of hard work — especially in the off-season.

To help keep their athletes on track through a pandemic, with its safety protocols and social distancing, Coach Gravish and his team had to get creative. This included sharing motivational videos during online team meetings, listening to speeches by well-known collegiate coaches, viewing high-level teams’ workouts, and listening to how the Jersey Shore players were doing overall. They would often watch highlights of games that had been previously broadcast on Webb Weekly Live and Bear Country Radio. The coaches would also have breakout sessions for different positions, where coaches would conference with smaller groups to discuss position-specific tactics and techniques. Player interaction during team and small group meetings were key.

In a strange way, COVID-19 brought the team closer together, said Gravish. Through these hard times, the players bonded and were more conscious of staying connected through meetings and emails. The players also showed their dedication as attendance was very high.

Another aspect of preparing their team under these difficult circumstances was their support from the football community. Division 1 coaches from all over the country were generous in offering to meet with high school coaches. The coaches from Penn State, Ohio State, Rutgers, and Temple, to name a few, were quick to invite Gravish and his team to attend virtual events where they would discuss solutions for keeping players engaged and motivated through the pandemic and offer other practical advice. These college coaches would also share their thoughts on football culture, training philosophy, and how they adapted to the pandemic.

One statement by a college that stood out to Coach Gravish and his staff by a college coach was that the first football game would be the biggest social event in the community and would be very important. This prediction became reality as people in the community watched the first home game in numbers — and through any means necessary. Though actual stadium attendance was small, this did not stop Bulldog fans from supporting their team. According to Coach Gravish, if people couldn’t be in the stands, they could be seen watching over the stadium fence in the back of pickup trucks; some even brought bucket lifts and were watching the game from above. Many watched live on Webb Weekly Live or Bear Country. Support was tremendous, said Gravish.

As the season approached, “all the returning players stepped up,” said Coach Gravish. “The seniors knew they needed to be leaders, and our returning younger guys also knew they would be key to our success.” The coach went on to say that the players were great at dealing with sacrifice. “They knew that we had a lot to deal with. That they had to wear masks if they wanted to play. So, that’s what we all did.”

Gravish also said that another key factor in making the final-four would be the need to stay relatively injury-free. Though the team did suffer some injuries, they were able to navigate these injuries by depending upon back-up players to step up and do their jobs. When asked about any stand-out games, Coach Gravish cited their game against Lampeter-Strasburg in the PIAA Class 4A state semi-finals, where the Bulldogs came back from a 7-point deficit at the end of the first half to win 39-35. With little more than a minute left, Gravish called for an aggressive play where Branden Weary threw a bullet to Cayden Hess for a first down. That play would become critical to a Bulldog victory. Though Jersey Shore was undefeated before this game, this win validated their place in the state finals. “This was a good team, and we played well against them,” said Gravish.

While the Jersey Shore community overall was extremely supportive, the Bulldogs still had some doubting whether they deserved to be in the state finals, even after their semi-final victory. “The kids still felt confident and that they deserved to be there. They never gave up.” Though the Jersey Shore Bulldogs would ultimately lose to Thomas Jefferson at Hersey Park Stadium in the PIAA 4A state finals 21-14, no one can deny the tenacity of the Bulldogs as the game came down to the final play

When asked if he had any other comments, Coach Gravish said that he wanted to thank everyone that supported his team, including Bulldog fans, boosters, sponsors, the school administration, the band, and the cheerleaders. “The teachers in the elementary and middle schools even worked with their students to make posters supporting the players. We have the best fans in the land; special fans.”