BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford Middle School’s football team scored all five of its touchdowns in the first half in defeating visiting Lake Butler 36-8 on Sept. 9.
The Tornadoes (3-0) are winning their games by an average margin of 31 points per game. They opened the season with a 26-6 win over Lake City and then defeated Williston 46-0.
Bradford received the opening kickoff against Lake Butler (3-1) and got an 18-yard run from Raef Cubbedge to pick up its initial first down. Quarterback Tony Richardson then hooked up with Cameron Hampton for a 32-yard touchdown, but a holding penalty negated the score. Three plays later, the Tornadoes got a touchdown that counted on Hampton’s 26-yard run to put Bradford up 6-0. The pass on the two-point conversion attempt was incomplete.
It didn’t take long for the Tornadoes to add their second score. The Tigers ran two plays on their first series before quarterback Jackson Seay was sacked by Cubbedge. A fumble on the play was recovered by Tayten Raymond, giving Bradford the ball at the Lake Butler 3-yard line.
Bradford needed just two plays to punch it in on Richardson’s 1-yard touchdown run. Hampton’s run on the two-point conversion attempt made it a 14-0 game in the first quarter.
A pass interference penalty gave Lake Butler a first down on its second drive, but the Tigers’ Ja’len Jonas was held to 1 yard on two carries before Bradford’s Tony Goodman and Carter Lee teamed up to sack Seay for a 15-yard loss, forcing a punt.
The Tornadoes again had a two-play scoring drive, with Cubbedge scoring on a 56-yard reception early in the second quarter. Tre’Vonn Williams’ reception on the two-point conversion attempt put Bradford up 22-0.
Cubbedge got the ball back for the Bradford offense when he intercepted a pass. The Tornadoes, starting a drive at the Lake Butler 38, picked up a first down at the 11-yard line on Cubbedge’s 12-yard reception. Brandon Arnold then scored on a pass from Richardson, but a personal-foul penalty wiped out the touchdown and backed Bradford up to the 26-yard line. Swade Britt, getting a vicious block from Cubbedge, scored on a run from there to put the Tornadoes ahead 28-0. The two-point try failed.
Lake Butler went for it on a fourth-and-2 play from its own 16, with the result being a 1-yard loss on a run play and a turnover on downs, giving the Tornadoes the ball with 11 seconds remaining in the half. Arnold lined up to take the snap and scored on a 15-yard touchdown run. Williams’ run on the two-point play sent Bradford into the break leading 36-0.
The Tornadoes piled up 196 yards in the first half, with 122 coming on nine rushing attempts. Britt gained 57 yards on three carries, while Hampton had 26 on one carry. Cubbedge had three attempts net 23 yards.
Richardson completed 3 of 5 passes — all to Cubbedge — for 74 yards in the half.
It was a stingy effort out of the defense in the half as well, as the Tornadoes held Lake Butler to 4 yards.
The second half went quickly due to a running clock.
Lake Butler was able to avoid the shutout on the game’s final series. Jonas converted a fourth-down play 13-yard run to the Bradford 38. He then had a 13-yard run for a first down at the 25.
An 11-yard sack put the Tigers into a long-yardage situation, but Seay was able to throw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jonas. Seay had a successful run on the two-point conversion attempt to end the scoring at 36-8.
Bradford travels to play Palatka on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m.
Lake Butler plays that same night, hosting Lake City at 6 p.m.
