BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School’s football team has reached the Class 2S state semifinals for the second straight year and will host Pensacola Catholic on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Bradford (13-0) advanced to the semifinals by defeating Baker County for the Region 2 championship, while Pensacola Catholic (11-2) won the Region 1 championship by defeating Florida High (last season’s state runner-up) 17-10. The Crusaders were the fourth seed in Region 1 and finished the regular season 10th in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 2S power rankings.
The Tornadoes finished the regular season ranked second in the power rankings behind Cocoa.
Cocoa (12-1) will play Booker (9-4) in the other semifinal game on Dec. 1.
The two semifinal winners will play for the state title on Friday, Dec. 8, at Florida A&M University’s Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium. The time for kickoff has yet to be announced, though it’ll be either 10 a.m., 3 p.m. or 8 p.m.
Pensacola Catholic is in the playoffs for the second straight year and for the sixth time in the last seven years. The Crusaders, who’ve qualified for the playoffs 20 years in all, have a postseason record of 22-19.
This is Pensacola Catholic’s fifth time making it to the Final Four. The Crusaders also advanced that far in 1992, 2004, 2009 and 2010, with the 2004 team the only one to make it to the state finals, where it lost to Pahokee.
Bradford is in the state semifinals for the 10th time, having also advanced that far in 1965, 1966, 1974, 1985, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2017 and 2022. The Tornadoes have reached the state finals three times, with the last trip occurring in 1985 when they finished as runner-up to Bartow. Bradford won state titles in 1965 and 1966, defeating Hardee and Plantation, respectively.
Pensacola Catholic opened this year’s postseason with a 41-6 win over Suwannee, a team Bradford beat 35-3 in the regular season. The Crusaders then won 42-15 over Walton, which was their region’s number-one seed.
The Region 1 championship game was the fifth time in the last six years that Pensacola Catholic and Florida High played each other in the postseason, with the Crusaders finally getting a win after being eliminated in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Pensacola Catholic played four opponents that finished the regular season with winning records, including Walton, which defeated the Crusaders 23-21 in the regular season before losing to them in Region 1 semifinals. The other three opponents with winning records were Class 4S Navarre, Class 3S Escambia and Class A Prince Avenue Christian of Athens, Georgia. The Crusaders beat Navarre 34-27 in overtime and Escambia 13-12, while losing to Prince Avenue Christian 56-20.
The Crusaders had been balanced offensively, but they’ve turned to the run game in the postseason, with their running backs taking direct snaps in the wildcat formation. Pensacola Catholic ran a total of 106 offensive plays in its last two games, with 104 being run plays. Junior running backs Nigel Nelson and C.J. Nettles combined for 88 carries in those wins over Walton and Florida high.
Pensacola Catholic is averaging 210 rushing years per game. Nelson (5-11, 205 pounds) has 1,250 yards and 22 touchdowns on 148 carries, while Nettles (5-9, 170) has 852 yards and 11 touchdowns on 146 carries.
Senior Ryland Bragg (6-3, 290) leads the team in pancake blocks with 56. Junior Lukas Brown (6-3, 230) has 28, while senior Jacob Lacour (5-11, 240) has 27.
Pensacola Catholic is averaging 150 passing yards per game, though the Crusaders have attempted just seven passes in their last three games. Junior quarterback Ryan Huff (6-3, 200) is 123 of 219 for 1,902 yards and six touchdowns.
The leading receivers are sophomore Cayden Jasso (5-5, 150), who has 19 catches for 485 yards and three touchdowns, and senior Jayvion Showers (6-1, 165), who has 26 catches for 427 yards and five touchdowns. The Crusaders have three more receivers with 200-plus yards: sophomore Justin Weatherall (5-10, 165), 18 catches for 292 yards and one touchdown; freshman Geno Cunningham (5-5, 140), 22 catches for 271 yards and one touchdown; and senior Jacob Chambers (6-1, 225), nine catches for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior linebackers Turner McLaughlin (6-1, 223) and Demontrae Gaston (6-1, 200) lead the team in tackles with 107 and 71, respectively. Junior linemen Terius Mason (6-0, 240) and Jeremiah Shelby (6-3, 240) have 61 and 52, tackles, respectively.
The defense has created 23 turnovers (14 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries), though none in its last two games. Nelson, who also plays defensive back/linebacker, leads the team in interceptions with five, while McLaughlin, senior lineman Trenton Henderson (6-5, 215) and freshman defensive back Otha Thomas (6-0, 160) each have two fumble recoveries.
Pensacola Catholic, which is on a six-game winning streak, is scoring an average of 34 points per game. Opponents are averaging 18 points per game.
The Crusaders have won at least 10 games for the third time in five years.
