Norwich — In the wake of a recent victory, Erik Larka, who would become the football coach of the brand new Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division champs, wondered to nobody in particular, "why does this have to be so hard?"

Answer: If it was easy, everyone else would do it, too.

And really, how many other schools in the history of the ECC — other than Bacon Academy of 2015 — ever beat Ledyard, New London, Fitch and Norwich Free Academy in the same season?

It was ironic, too, that Bacon, some of whose wins this season nearly required the coronary care unit for the coaches, won fairly easily Friday night, a 26-7 triumph over NFA that secured the first Large Division title in school history.

Bacon (6-1, 5-0) also moved into better position in the state Class M playoff race.

"Right now, we're the ECC Large champs and in the driver's seat for a playoff spot," Larka said. "Come Thanksgiving or maybe after round one or round two (of the playoffs) this will all sink in. But not right now."

To think Larka was a Nervous Nellie all week, too, wondering whether dynamic NFA quarterback Jawaun Johnson would return, after missing five weeks with an illness. Who knew that Johnson would indeed return ... and Bacon's defense would score more points than NFA's offense?

First, Paul Chasse picked off a pass on a fake field goal and went 78 yards for a touchdown. And then with Bacon leading 14-7, Jason Geary snatched a reception away from Griffen Gooden and went 31 yards for a score, perhaps the game's turning point.

"Our defense won us the game hands down. This was the toughest week," Larka said. "We heard Jawaun was playing, then we heard he wasn't playing. We had to prep for 37 sets, five different quarterbacks and 30 different plays. He comes out and he's not playing. Then he's playing and we held Johnson, who in my opinion is one of the top three athletes in the state of Connecticut, to seven points."

Johnson, who ran for 128 yards, got 32 of them on a touchdown run that gave NFA (4-4, 1-3) a 7-6 lead in th second period. Bacon's answer was declarative: seven plays, 57 yards, capped by Peter Kazibwe's 9-yard touchdown run. Kazibwe, who rarely came off the field, led the Bobcats with 122 rushing yards while quarterback Sean Kelly ran for 100.

Geary's interception return made it 20-7 at halftime. NFA didn't threaten in the second half.

"I made the pick but (Gooden) kind of wrestled the ball away from me," Geary said. "I couldn't let him do that. This is history for us. We came into this season and we knew big games: New London, Ledyard, NFA. We handled them with pride."

NFA, meanwhile, at least has its best player back.

"There's a kid trying to get back, trying to feel the game," NFA coach Jemal Davis said. "He's probably about 80 percent. It's tough when you've been out for five weeks to get in there and play at the level you are accustomed to. The kid played his heart out."

m.dimauro@theday.com

Twitter:@BCgenius