Bridgewater State Football Looks to Bounce Back with Justin Fuller in the Fold

By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University football team had its offense centered around running back Justin Fuller last season.

There was a good reason for that plan since the Berkley resident rushed for 1,375 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2009, both numbers ranking second on the school’s all-time single-season list.

The Bears were hoping for the Springfield College transfer to lead the way again last fall, but a problem arose.

Fuller was slowed by a hamstring ailment, and after playing three of the first four games, his season was over after gaining 316 yards with four TDs on 62 carries.

Without their main offensive weapon, the Bears struggled to a 5-5 finish and were shut out twice in a three-week span. It marked the first time since 2002 and second time in 14 years that BSU did not have a winning record

“It definitely hurt early on real bad when we first lost him because so much of the offense was built around him,’’ said coach Chuck Denune. “You take a risk when you do that. We kind of paid the price.

“When he went down, we were kind of left without an identity for a couple of weeks before we kind of reestablished who we were.’’

After receiving a medical redshirt allowing him to play one final year this season, Fuller is back ready to carry a significant load for the Bears.

BSU begins its schedule on Saturday when it will be on the road to face the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth at 6 p.m., the first of three trips the Bears make before the home opener on Sept. 30. BSU is picked to finish third in the New England Football Conference’s Bogan Division, according to the coaches’ preseason poll.

The return of Fuller will increase the output of the Bears’ offense, which was held to 10 points or less in half of the games last season.

“He looks good,’’ said Denune, who has 14 starters back. “He looks quicker than he did last year. He’s not as heavy and he looks a little faster and more agile.

“It definitely gives us a help with attitude. He’s very passionate. He’s big and he’s fast, but he’s got an edge to him. He’s a fierce competitor. If he can channel that in a positive direction, everybody will feed off of that.’’

Quarterback Mike McCarthy, the team’s leading rusher a year ago with 507 yards, returns along with running back Chris Constantine, who averaged 4.1 yards per carry.

There is depth in the backfield with freshman Blaise Branch of Brockton, a Cardinal Spellman High graduate.

“He needs some work, but the tools are all there,’’ said Denune, who is 42-18 in six seasons. “He gets out in the open field and he looks really impressive. He’s really hard to bring down. We see him doing some things for us this year. As a pure runner outside the tackles, he’s definitely going to help.’’

The wide receivers include Matt Monahan, who had 11 catches last season, and Jake Scott, a transfer from UMass-Amherst.

Denune said the offensive line struggled last season, but he is confident it will be improved with experience. Leading the way are junior left guard Kurt Merrick, junior right tackle Mike D’Attilio and sophomore left tackle Mike Duran of Bridgewater.

“We got beat up front last year and I can’t remember a time that we’ve been able to say that at Bridgewater,’’ said Denune. “Usually, we win the line of scrimmage.

“The biggest reason we were 5-5 last year was because we lost the line of scrimmage too much. We’re definitely looking to improve. We need a couple of guys to step it up and play great as opposed to being average.’’

The defense will be led by senior linebacker Chris Chamberlain of Easton, junior tackle Paul Melicharek and senior cornerback Kevin Laudano.

Denune feels the defensive line will be a strong point with the presence of senior Mike Nazzaro and ends Jacob Curren, Tate Doehler of Lakeville and Matt MacFadzen. Those four and Melicharek were in on 155 tackles last season, including 31 for a loss, and had seven sacks.

The secondary should include Vincent Henry of Middleboro, a transfer from Husson College, Eddie Jewel, a transfer from Monmouth, and Brian Smith, who had a pair of interceptions last season.

“This team is definitely (hungry),’’ said Denune. “They worked hard in the offseason. They’re working hard during camp. There’s a lot of competition out there.

“We’re excited, there’s no doubt about it. We’re not coming out and claiming we’re winning the conference this year, but we look to make an improvement from last year. They have the ability to go far, but we’re young still and they’ve got to be willing to go out and earn it.’’