Fumbles, muffed punts, and smash mouth football were all the rage Friday night as the Trevor Browne Bruins defeated the Camelback Spartans 29-27 in a non-conference game at Trevor Browne.

“We just have to let this loss go by,” Camelback quarterback Eric Marquez said. “The most important game now is the next one.”

Trevor Browne and Camelback came into this game with pretty much the same season story so far. Two straight losses to open up the season, followed by an impressive shutout wins (Trevor Browne beating Carl Hayden 44-0, and Camelback beating Maryvale 45-0)

Camelback (1-3) was able to take advantage of some of Trevor Browne’s miscues, a fumble and a muffed punt in the second quarter, that led to two of running back Abukar Abdi’s touchdowns on the evening. Abdi finished with 66 yards and those two touchdowns in the first half.

Abdi and the Spartans got another break midway through the third quarter with another muffed Browne punt that they recovered at the Bruins’ 1-yard line. Abdi took the first carry and pounded it in for his third touchdown of the evening. He would finish with 84 yards rushing and those three touchdowns.

“I was feeling good,” Abdi said. “Glad I was able to get us a couple of touchdowns and keep us in the game.”

Frustratingly enough, the Spartans were not able to capitalize on three straight fumbles by the Bruins, two on two consecutive possessions in the third quarter, then one in the fourth quarter.    

Trevor Browne (2-2), though, was not alone on the miscues, as a muffed Camelback punt at the beginning of the fourth quarter allowed Jaylen Creer to run into the end zone for the go-ahead TD from 6-yards out.

The Spartans’ defense was able to give its offense three more drives in the fourth quarter to take the lead, but Marquez and RB Abukar Abdi (three touchdowns) were unable to lead the offense to go-ahead points.

“Our QB (Marquez) was a little banged up, so he wasn’t throwing the ball as well as he normally does,” coach Joseph Brissette said on those fourth-quarter drives. “But that’s on us. We just have got to protect him better.”

 Marquez finished the night 3 for 8 for 33 yards and one interception. The Spartans quarterback did have a long touchdown called back on a penalty.

 Trevor Browne jumped on Camelback early, taking advantage of the Camelback’ miscues in the first quarter. Marquez’s first pass of the night was intercepted, which led to an 8-yard touchdown run by Trevor Browne’s Ambulai Quaye.

 If that couldn’t get any worse for the Spartans, the first play on the next drive resulted in Marquez getting sacked in the end zone, resulting in a safety. The Bruins forced a Spartans punt and then seven plays later would score on a Johnny Shadle 10-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 16-0 early in the first quarter, the biggest lead of the game for either team.

 Shadle finished the night with that as his only touchdown, to go along with his 5-for-13 passing for 27 yards.

 “Browne just came out the better team tonight,” Marquez said.