BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Caiden Carn was a one-man highlight reel for the Bradford Middle School football team, which captured the Suwannee Middle School Athletic Conference championship with a 34-6 win over visiting Lake Butler on Oct. 17.
“They showed up,” Bradford Coach James “Bat” McNeal said. “They wanted it.”
Carn certainly showed up. He threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another score before adding two more touchdowns on a punt return and an interception return.
This was the Tornadoes’ first year back in the SMAC after playing in the Northeast Florida Athletic Conference for a number of years. Bradford won two championships during its time in the NEFAC.
McNeal said the SMAC is a more natural fit, though, with Bradford not having to play against nothing but Clay County schools as it did in the NEFAC.
“We finally came back home to where we should be,” McNeal said.
Excepting two kneel-downs, the Bradford offense ran just six plays from scrimmage, due in part to Lake Butler’s time-consuming drives and the Tornadoes making the most out of the few touches they had.
It was a nightmare start for the visiting Tigers, who muffed the opening kickoff and then fumbled the ball away the next time they received a kick. Both miscues led to Bradford scores.
“That was big,” McNeal said. “We got ahead of them.”
The Tornadoes faced first-and-20 before they even got a chance to run a play thanks to illegal-procedure penalties. On their first play that finally counted, the Tornadoes got a 7-yard run from Carn. Montrez Aldridge then caught a pass in the backfield and turned upfield for
a 33-yard touchdown approximately one minute into the game. Damarion Dodd caught Carn’s pass on the two-point conversion to make the score 8-0.
Aldridge forced the fumble on the ensuing kickoff, with Bryson Hill falling on the loose ball at the Lake Butler 15. Bradford was backed up on a holding penalty, but Carn threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Ruise for a 14-0 lead. The Tigers’ Cadenz Merriex tackled Dodd for a loss on the two-point conversion attempt.
Lake Butler made it a one-score game with a drive that consumed approximately seven minutes. The possession was nothing but handoffs to Kiptyn Shuler, who had 11 carries for 49 yards. He capped the drive with a 4-yard run into the end zone. Garrison Smith’s pass on the two-point conversion was incomplete.
The Lake Butler defense made a big play on the ensuing series as Braylen Tyson had a sack that caused a fumble. Ayden Klein recovered the loose ball for the Tigers at the Bradford 48.
Seven straight runs by Shuler — plus an offsides penalty — moved Lake Butler to the 26. Tyrese Chandler then had a 12-yard reception for a first down at the 14.
Bradford’s defense stiffened. After an incomplete pass, the Tornadoes held Shuler to 3 yards on two carries. Lake Butler turned the ball over on downs when a reception by Shuler gained only 1 yard.
The Tornadoes received the second-half kickoff and started their first offensive series on the 50-yard line. Carn scored on a run from there to make it a 20-6 game. Lake Butler’s Merriex broke up the pass on the conversion attempt.
Dodd made a tackle for a loss of 5 yards to start the following series as Bradford forced the Tigers to go three and out. Carn returned the punt 45 yards for a touchdown with 4:35 to play in the third quarter. Dodd’s run on the conversion attempt put Bradford up 28-6.
The Tigers had a drive going and had crossed midfield before Carn stepped in front of a pass for what turned out to a pick-six that covered approximately 70 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter. Shuler sacked Carn on the conversion attempt.
Carn finished with more than 110 yards rushing and passing.
Lake Butler’s Shuler rushed for approximately 130 yards on 31 carries.
