Christian Brothers Academy walked away with a 21-14 Class AA victory over Saratoga Springs last night, but it took a wild 4th-and-5 gamble in the final minutes to put that game away. With the Brothers clinging to a seven-point lead and 7:42 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, CBA coach Bobby Burns decided it was time to play keep away, going for it on fourth down from his own 36-yard line after the Blue Streaks had just punched in a touchdown. Talk about brass!
Burns’ Gutsy Call Pays Off Big Time
The pressure was absolutely on. Burns admitted his coaches were “yelling in my ear the whole night that we could run that,” but he was still “a little concerned about (Saratoga Springs junior defensive end Cam Toomey) on the edge” swatting it down. But Burns rolled the dice, trusting his squad. Senior quarterback Matt Kowalski hit junior receiver Jack Hulett for exactly five yards, moving the chains and keeping that critical final drive alive. Hulett later said, “It definitely means a lot that the coaches have trust in us. We work hard and they trust we will get the job done.” And boy, did they! CBA proceeded to chew up the remaining time, leaving Saratoga Springs with no answer. If that play doesn’t convert, the whole game flips. Seriously.
Hulett’s Heroics Seal an “Ugly Win”
That wasn’t the only time Jack Hulett showed up big for CBA. He delivered what ended up being the winning score with 10:40 left in the game. Fielding a punt at his own 23-yard line, Hulett worked the sideline, busted out a spin move, broke a tackle, and then was off to the races for a ridiculous 77-yard touchdown. “I saw a couple of people coming up and tried to get outside. I got hit and spun it outside,” Hulett explained. Burns couldn’t stop praising him, calling Hulett “special,” saying “Jack is just a different player. He isn’t like everyone else, and I have got to get the ball to him more.” Despite the heroics, Hulett called it an “ugly win,” especially compared to last week’s 62-24 blowout. The game saw a combined 26 penalties, with Hulett admitting, “I think we had guys thinking it was going to be an easier than it was. Saratoga came to play.”
This rematch had some serious history, too. Saratoga Springs knocked CBA out of the Section 2 Class AA playoffs in 2025 with a tight 14-13 victory, ending CBA’s quest for a fifth consecutive sectional championship. This 21-14 win had to feel sweet, even if it was a bit messy. The Brothers are now 2-0 overall and 1-0 in Class AA, but they definitely need to clean up those mistakes going forward. Still, a win’s a win, and sometimes you just gotta grit it out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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