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WELLSBURG -- Brooke head coach Casey Goff's Bruins' debut was not quite the one he and his staff were looking for.
The Bruins traveled to Calcutta and returned on the humbling side of a 35-0 blanking at the hands of a Beaver Local team thirsting for redemption after suffering its own blowout loss in Week 1.
Beaver scored four offensive touchdowns and added a pick-six-all in the first half-as the hosts outgained Brooke 261-108 during those initial 24 minutes of football.
Goff wasn't thrilled, obviously, but took exception after the game in his team's lack of physicality.
"We didn't tackle well, we didn't take good angles, and we got out-physicaled.
"We're a team that needs some work in the weight room."
Taylor Johnston threw for 190 yards and a touchdown while receiver Brock Severs caught five passes for 136 yards, including that 42-yard scoring strike.
Sever also tacked on the final score with an 100-yard pick six right before the half, nullifying a Bruins' drive.
Offensively, Brooke's Dante Tulenko ran for 91 yards on 10 carries, but the Bruins couldn't muster much else, overall, finishing with just 27 yards passing on 5-of-10 while quarterback Ty Sperringer added 15 on the ground.
The road doesn't get any easier for the Bruins.
While they do return home, they will face a young, talented, and thirsty Independence Patriots' team making the lengthy trek to Wellsburg from Coal Grove.
The Patriots reached the Class AA state title game two of the last three seasons and their rosters featured 2021 and 2022 Kennedy Award winners Atticus Goodson and Judah Price, respectively.
It was Price in 2022 that led Indy to its state championship.
Both are gone, but Independence does feature some talent returning, including Sylan Nelson.
Nelson had his won pick six in a narrow 37-30 loss to Herbert Hoover in a game Indy led 23-7 at the half.
He also added a 4-yard TD run in the first half.
Independence does feature a freshman quarterback in Brock Green, who added a rushing and passing touchdown in his debut.
Independence replaces University on the Bruins' schedule as Brooke dropped to Class AAA in the state's new four-class system.
Traditional rival Wheeling Park, along with Morgantown and University remained in AAAA, as did John Marshall initially, before a second round of reclassifications put the Monarchs in AAA as well.
The opening kick is set for 7:30 p.m.