By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Joe Verria has a unique perspective on the Cranberry Bowl that takes place every football season in southeastern Massachusetts.

Verria is the only person to take part in the game as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach dating back to its inception in 1979.

Verria, the head coach at his alma mater Bridgewater State University, will participate in his 36th Cranberry Bowl on Saturday when his Bears renew acquaintances with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

The 44th annual Cranberry Bowl will take place at noon at Clean Harbors Stadium in Buzzards Bay, Mass., with the winner claiming the cranberry scoop.

Verria played in the inaugural Cranberry Bowl on Nov. 17, 1979 when he was a senior defensive tackle for the Bears. He joined the Bridgewater State coaching staff in 1988 and took part in the game for 28 years as an assistant coach and will be the head coach in the Cranberry Bowl for the seventh time on Saturday.

Verria and a contingent from BSU, including team captains, went to Mass. Maritime on Thursday afternoon for the pregame luncheon, now a tradition.

"It's an event now," said Verria. "Before, it was a game. Yes, we played for the scoop back then, but now we have the luncheon that's a big deal, which is awesome. The rivalry is still there."

The Bears and Buccaneers had squared off five times from 1974-78 with Bridgewater State holding a 3-2 edge.

Former Bears head coach Pete Mazzaferro then found a sponsor for the annual game and a cranberry scoop from Ocean Spray became the prize for the winner every year. The Lee Harrington Most Valuable Player award goes to the top player in the game.

BSU holds a 32-10-1 advantage in the Cranberry Bowl, winning the 2022 game, 10-0, when linebacker Steven Silva was named the MVP of the defensive struggle.

"The games are a battle every single year," said Verria. "Last year was as good a game as I've seen in a long time.

"This game has come down to field goals made, field goals missed, blocked punts, exciting turnovers. Then there's been blowouts on both sides."

Verria clearly recalls the first Cranberry Bowl when the Bears' defense did not allow any points in an 8-3 loss in Bridgewater.

"They had a good offense and we were a good defense," said Verria. "They had a pick six and a safety and that was all of their points."

From there, the Cranberry Bowl kept growing to the point where it is headed to the half-century mark at the end of this decade.

"I know anything coach Mazzaferro puts his mind to will definitely keep going," said Verria, thinking back to the growth of the game. "Both institutions embraced it. Did I think it'd be this big? Maybe not, but it took off.

"I think the great thing about it is, year after year after year, the coaches and the universities try to keep it as the last game of the season. It's something we look forward to at the end. Both teams know what it's about.

"Our kids were yelling, 'Scoop, scoop' at practice on Monday. When we beat Framingham (last Saturday), I said, 'You know what next week is?' And they all went, 'Scoop!' Everybody knows what we're playing for. It is a rivalry. It'll be a tough game like always."

Bridgewater State (6-3) would finish in a first-place tie in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference with a victory over Mass. Maritime (2-7, 2-5 in the conference).

Western Conference has already finished its regular season and is 7-1 in the MASCAC, one-half game ahead of BSU (6-1). UMass Dartmouth is also 6-1 heading into its finale at home against Plymouth State University, so a three-way tie would occur if both the Bears and Corsairs win on Saturday.

BSU will be dealing with Mass. Maritime's triple-option offense.

"That's not like any offense we've seen all year," said Verria, whose team has won six of seven games since an 0-2 start in September.