BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Zack Paulk threw three touchdown passes in the first half as the Bradford High School football team had no trouble in winning its first District 5-2A game, defeating visiting Keystone Heights 40-0 for homecoming on Sept. 25.
Coaches will tell you they dread homecoming week, which brings distractions, but this week brought an extra distraction in the form of Hurricane Helene, which caused a change to Bradford’s schedule of homecoming events and moved the game up from Sept. 27.
Bradford Head Coach Jamie Rodgers was proud of the effort, noting that the week also consisted of a middle-school game on Sept. 23 and a junior varsity game on Sept. 24.
“Our team’s based on preparation,” Rodgers said. “We take a lot of pride in that — making sure we’re ready. They did as good of a job as they could have.”
Indeed. Bradford (5-0) led 33-0 at halftime after rolling up 323 yards of offense, while its defense held the Indians (2-3) to 10 yards.
When the game was over, the Tornadoes, who are number one in the Florida High School Athletic Association/MaxPreps Class 2A power rankings, had 431 yards to Keystone’s 42.
Being able to still play the game during the week it was scheduled gave Bradford and Keystone extra time to prepare for their Friday, Oct. 4, games. The Tornadoes will host Palatka (12th in the 2A power rankings) at 7:30 p.m., while the Indians will host West Nassau for homecoming at 7:30 p.m.
“(Keystone) Coach (Steve) Reynolds and I talked,” Rodgers said. “It was important for us to try to get this game in sooner rather than later.”
Bradford received the opening kickoff and put together a 62-yard scoring drive on which every play before the touchdown resulted in a first down. Paulk was able to draw Keystone offsides to start with before completing an 8-yard pass to Jy’Quez Cason for a first down at the Keystone 49. After another offsides call against the Indians, Paulk and Branden Williams hooked up for a 15-yard gain. A 10-yard reception by Elijah Lawrence moved the Tornadoes to the 19.
The Tornadoes then turned to running back Gino Addison, whose 16-yard run set up his own 3-yard touchdown at the 10:13 mark of the first quarter. Cy Cubbedge kicked the extra point to put Bradford up 7-0.
Keystone, which fell to 0-2 in the district and has now been shut out in three of its last four games, lost 3 yards on its first play from scrimmage because of a fumble. Jackson Parmeter did complete two passes to Tallon Campbell, but the Indians punted on fourth-and-4 from their own 38.
Paulk completed consecutive passes of 12 yards each to Williams and Marlin Haywood before Addison gained 24 yards on a run play to the Keystone 30. Haywood, who finished with three receptions for 42 yards, caught an 11-yard pass and was Paulk’s target again on what was a 19-yard touchdown with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter. Bradford, after Cubbedge’s PAT, led 14-0.
The Tornadoes’ defense forced Keystone into another three-and-out series, with Bradford’s offense taking over at its own 31-yard line following the punt.
Lawrence, who finished with two receptions for 49 yards, gained 39 yards on a pass play to the Keystone 30. Bradford was then backed up 10 yards on a holding penalty and eventually turned the ball over when the Indians’ Campbell made a diving interception on a tipped ball.
Bradford’s defense again made things difficult for the Keystone offense, with Trente Jenkins and Barron Walden teaming up to drop running back Colton Hollingsworth for a 1-yard loss on the first play following the turnover.
After two straight incomplete passes, with Jenkins bringing pressure against Parmeter, the Indians punted.
One play later, the Tornadoes had increased their lead, with Cason scoring on a 48-yard catch and run with 1:30 left in the first quarter. Cubbedge kicked the extra point, making the score 21-0.
Jenkins, Walden, Jeremiah Hill and Reese Wainwright were all in on tackles for no gain or loss of yardage on Keystone’s ensuing offensive series, forcing the Indians to again punt after running just three plays. The Tornadoes muffed the punt, but Haywood was able to scoop up the loose ball and return it approximately 20 yards to the Keystone 21.
Again, one play was all Bradford needed to add to its point total. This time, it was Williams turning a pass into a big play — a 21-yard touchdown less than one minute into the second quarter that made the score 27-0 and gave Williams three catches for the game for a total of 48 yards. The PAT was no good.
Paulk dropped back to pass on 14 of the Tornadoes’ first 17 plays, finishing 10 of 15 for 195 yards.
Rodgers said working on the passing game was a point of emphasis.
“We thought (Keystone was) going to line up in certain situations that would allow us to do that,” Rodgers said. “Zack did a good job of getting them the ball. We simplified things. One read, maybe two, get the ball out.
“That’s exactly what our game plan was. That’s what we want to work on moving forward going, hopefully, into the playoffs and into playoff-type games with Palatka and Newberry.”
Keystone picked up its first first down on the following series, with Parmeter able to draw the Tornadoes offsides on fourth-and-3. Bradford’s Hunter Cochran then tackled Hollingsworth for a 2-yard loss on the next play.
Hollingsworth was held to no gain on second down before an incomplete pass on third down forced another Keystone punt.
The first play of Bradford’s ensuing drive was a 38-yard run by Iyen Addison to the Keystone 19. A Brian Cliffin touchdown run was then nullified by a holding penalty. A blindside-block penalty backed the Tornadoes up another 15 yards, resulting in first-and-32. A 19-yard run by Cliffin set up a manageable third-and-10 play. The Indians’ Trase Wooden held Cliffin to a 4-yard gain, resulting in fourth-and-6. Bradford went for it, with Paulk picking up the first down on a 7-yard run to the 8-yard line.
Paulk eventually scored on a 6-yard run that put Bradford up 33-0 with 3:43 remaining in the first half. Parmeter blocked the extra point.
Most of the Indians’ offensive yardage came on the first drive of the second half, with Hunter Crumpton carrying the ball nine times 31 yards. Keystone drove from its own 21 to the Bradford 34 before the Tornadoes stuffed a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 for no gain.
Crumpton finished with 38 yards on 12 carries.
Bradford’s last scoring drive was all Iyen Addison, who had five carries for 76 yards. Addison scored on a 49-yard run and finished as the game’s leading rusher with 114 yards on six carries.
Cubbedge was good on the PAT for the game’s final point.
If homecoming and the approaching hurricane were distractions for Bradford, you couldn’t tell. Rodgers said he and his coaches don’t have to remind the players to keep their focus.
“The success we’ve been able to have the last couple of years — we’ve talked to them about that a lot and about what can keep it going,” Rodgers said, adding, “There are so many distractions for young people. It’s not like it was 20 years ago. Everybody’s got cell phones. Everybody’s got social-media platforms. It’s just hard. It’s hard to keep a group focused all the time.
“We’re not perfect at it, but our guys do a good job.”
