BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Ar’Nayshia Griffin’s 8-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds left gave the Bradford High School flag football team an 18-12 win over visiting Columbia on Feb. 25.
The play capped an eight-play, 58-yard drive that featured 29-yard pass from Griffin to Nichelle Brown that set up first-and-goal at the 10.
Bradford (2-0) scored on the game’s opening possession. Brown caught three passes for 41 yards as the Tornadoes moved to the Columbia 25. An 8-yard run by Griffin set up first-and-goal at the 13. Griffin later had an 8-yard run that set up her 4-yard touchdown pass to Brown. The conversion attempt failed.
The Tigers tied the score late in the second quarter, with a 4-yard touchdown run capping a nine-play, 66-yard drive. Bradford, though, was able to march down the field and score with 38 seconds remaining in the half. Brown caught passes of 16 and 22 yards, while a 16-yard reception by Talaysia Cummings set up first-and-goal at the 12. After completing a 6-yard pass to Brown, Griffin ran for a 6-yard score. The conversion attempt failed, but the Tornadoes went into halftime leading 12-6.
Griffin intercepted a pass on defense to put a stop to Columbia’s first drive of the second half, but the Tigers cashed in on their second series, scoring on a nine-play, 52-yard drive to even it up at 12-12 in the fourth quarter.
The Tornadoes punted on the following series, giving Columbia the ball at its own 22. Izarriah DeSue made a tackle for no gain on first down, while Griffin broke up a pass on second down. After a run attempt gained 9 yards, the Tigers, who needed 9 yards for a first down, punted on fourth down.
Bradford had to convert a fourth-and-4 play on what would prove to be the winning drive, with Griffin running for a 5-yard gain to the Columbia 39. She then hooked up with Brown for the 29-yard gain on the next play.
Columbia ran one offensive play following Griffin’s 8-yard touchdown run, which resulted in Griffin’s second interception of the game and her sixth in two games.
Griffin completed 15 of 26 passes for 170 yards, while rushing for 71 yards on 11 carries.
Brown caught 12 passes for 138 yards.
The Tornadoes opened the season with a 51-0 win over visiting KIPP Bold City on Feb. 20.
Bradford wasted little time in scoring, with Griffin throwing a 66-yard touchdown pass to Brown on the game’s first play from scrimmage.
A 29-yard reception by Brown set up a goal-to-go opportunity on the Tornadoes’ third possession, which ended with a 17-yard touchdown run by Griffin.
The first of four Griffin interceptions set up a 33-yard touchdown run by Brown.
Bradford was successful on all of its conversion attempts in the first half, with a Brown reception adding three points to the first score, a Griffin run adding two points to the second and a Brown run adding a point to the third.
It all added up to a 24-0 halftime lead.
Bold City struggled offensively for most of the game, finishing with 67 yards to Bradford’s 256. The Greyhounds’ worst series occurred at the start of the third quarter, with the Tornadoes’ Tatyana Brown and Amaya Watts making tackles for losses of 5 yards each on first- and second-down plays. On third-and-16 from Bold City’s 4-yard line, Tatyana Brown sacked the quarterback in the end zone for a safety, making the score 26-0.
Bradford received the free kick that was awarded following the safety, which set the Tornadoes up at the Bold City 21. Two plays later, the Tornadoes got a 6-yard run from Griffin to set up first-and-goal at the 9. Runs of 3 yards by Griffin and 5 yards by Nichelle Brown set up Griffin’s 1-yard touchdown run, which put the Tornadoes ahead 32-0.
The Greyhounds got a 43-yard run and a 10-yard pass reception on their next drive, setting up first-and-goal at the Bradford 13. Griffin stopped the scoring threat by intercepting a pass in the end zone.
Bradford’s offense moved quickly downfield, with Griffin and Nichelle Brown running for gains of 15 and 24 yards, respectively. A 26-yard reception by Nichelle Brown set up Griffin’s 3-yard touchdown run, making the score 38-0.
Bold City’s third offensive play following the score resulted in Griffin’s third interception, which put the Bradford offense at the Greyhounds’ 14-yard line. Nichelle Brown threw a touchdown pass to Griffin from there, with Cummings’ run on the one-point conversion attempt making it a 45-0 game.
The Greyhounds’ first play from scrimmage on the next series resulted in a 4-yard sack by Tatyana Brown. Griffin intercepted a pass on the next play and returned it approximately 20 yards for the final touchdown.
Griffin rushed for 45 yards on six carries and completed 5 of 12 passes for 138 yards.
Nichelle Brown rushed for 62 yards on three carries and caught four passes for 136 yards.
The Tornadoes host Ridgeview on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m. and then host Suwannee on Monday, March 3, at 6 p.m. Bradford travels to play Florida School for the Deaf and Blind on Tuesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m.
