BREMEN – There’s nothing quite like coaching your alma mater to victory. Just ask Justin Bogunia.

The Bremen alum helped guide his Lions to a 39-0 win over Boone Grove Friday night at Bunge Field.

It was Bogunia’s first win at his alma mater since taking over the program this season.

After the game, the winners huddled near midfield and met with the coaching staff. Shortly thereafter, the Lions players made sure Bogunia got a victory shower dousing him with their water bottles. Bogunia gladly accepted the soaking.

“I pride myself as being elusive but I couldn’t get away from that,” said a smiling Lion boss, who is now 106-65 in 18 seasons as a head coach. “I didn’t see it. They didn’t have the big Gatorade jug so that kind of threw me off. I’m glad we got to celebrate tonight and put together a good game.”

Bogunia didn’t shy away from saying how sweet the victory was.

“I didn’t see this opportunity (to be the head coach) coming and the chance to be back coaching,” he admitted. “I was kind of set with just helping out at schools, but got the opportunity to come over here. It does mean a lot. You coach football to give back to the sport, but when you get to give back to your community and the sports, it’s extra special.”

Bogunia said he would enjoy the win for one night, but that’s it. Come Saturday his undivided attention would be on the next opponent.

In the first two games, offense was hard to come by for Bogunia’s Lions. Entering the Boone Grove game, Bremen had managed just seven points total. They didn’t waste any time, though, finding the end zone against Friday.

On the second play from scrimmage, Bremen scored a touchdown thanks to a 64-yard run by senior running back Brayden Pearish. Pearish went off right tackle and raced down the sideline in front of his bench for the score.

Just 62 seconds into the game, Bremen led 7-0, and it was a sign of things to come.

Pearish’s TD was one of six rushing scores the Lions had on the evening. The home team didn’t complete one pass, but didn’t need to.

Bremen rushed for a staggering 422 yards and those six touchdowns. Pearish and junior running back Logan Moser were quite the one-two punch. They combined to rush for 355 yards and four scores.

Pearish led the way with 16 carries for 185 yards with TD runs of 64 and 67 yards in the first and third quarters, respectively. Moser wasn’t far behind. The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder gained 170 yards on 14 totes, including TD runs of 1 and 75 yards.

Needless to say, Bremen’s offensive line was terrific, opening hole after hole and dominating the line of scrimmage.

“That’s our strength so play to our strength,” said Bogunia of his team’s play up front. “Those guys did a great job.”

As impressive as the ground game was, the Lion defense proved more than worthy.

Not only did the Bremen D pitch a shutout, but it set the tone of how the evening would go for the visitors by completing exerting its will in the first quarter. The Lions held the Wolves to -12 yards on their first seven plays, not allowing a first down until the second quarter.

They started the second half like they started the game. Boone Grove (1-2 on the season) was again held without a first down in the third quarter.

“(Defensive coordinator) Geoff (Jankowski) has done a great job two weeks in a row,” said Bogunia, whose team improved to 1-2 on the young season. “He held Triton (last week) to 0, too. We had two blocked punts, one was a touchdown and the other led to a touchdown. The kids have really responded.”

The defense held Boone Grove to -1 yard rushing and just 7 yards passing, and forced eight negative yardage plays.

Lion senior quarterback Jack Wildauer, who was one of 13 seniors celebrated on this Senior Night, ran for two of the rushing touchdowns, the first of which was a 1-yard plunge in the second quarter. It gave the Lions a 13-0 lead (the PAT was blocked).

The Lions exploded in the second half for 26 points.

On their first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Pearish raced through a gigantic hole and took it to the house 67 yards.

Leading 19-0, Wildauer’s 23-yard run pushed the advantage to 25-0.

Bremen wasn’t done scoring. With 11 ticks remaining, Moser plunged in from a yard out to make it 32-0. Moser’s 75-yard fourth-quarter run finished the scoring.

• BREMEN 39, BOONE GROVE 0

Boone Grove 0 0  0  0 – 0

Bremen          7 6 19 7 -39

B – Brayden Pearish 64 run (Jack Wildauer kick)

B – Wildauer 1 run (kick failed)

B – Pearish 67 run (Wildauer kick)

B – Wildauer 23 run (2 pt failed)

B – Logan Moser 1 run (Wildauer kick)

B – Moser 75 run ((Wildauer kick)