Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School had five players receive first-team honors and another six earn second-team honors with the release of the Gainesville Sun’s Big-School All-Area Football teams.
Keystone Heights had two players receive offensive honors.
A Bradford defense that gave up 79 points all season had seven defensive players selected, including first-teamers Bryson Bowen, a senior linebacker, and Chason Clark, a junior linebacker. Clark led the team with 101 tackles, while Bowen was second with 94. Clark had 14 tackles for loss, three sacks, a caused fumble and a fumble recovery, while Bowen had 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two caused fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception.
Earning second-team defensive honors for the Tornadoes were lineman Torin Brazell, linebackers Ahman Covington and Devon McBride and defensive backs C.J. Carn and Chalil Cummings. Brazell, a junior, made 68 tackles (25 for loss) and caused two fumbles. Covington, a senior, and McBride, a junior, made 44 and 59 tackles, respectively, with Covington intercepting one pass and McBride intercepting two. Carn, a senior, had 36 tackles and a team-high five interceptions, while Cummings, a junior, had 71 tackles and three interceptions.
The first-team offense consisted of three Bradford players: senior lineman Jayden Luna, junior running back Willie Pollard and sophomore quarterback Jeremiah McKenzie, who was selected as an athlete. Luna and the offensive line helped pave the way for a rushing attack that averaged 234.8 yards per game (3,287 yards on 476 carries). Pollard was the leading rusher with 1,106 yards and 11 touchdowns on 167 carries.
McKenzie completed 52 of 80 passes for 855 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing for 549 yards and 12 touchdowns on 119 carries.
The second-team offense included Cummings, who caught 21 passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns, and two Keystone players: junior running back Cartez Daniels and sophomore lineman Brayden Wester. Wester and his fellow linemen helped the Indians rush for 190.4 yards per game (1,904 yards on 396 carries). Daniels was the leading rusher with 860 yards and seven touchdowns on 161 carries.
