BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School showed signs last year that it was ascending in the sport of flag football, having gone 4-4 after a 2021 season in which the Tornadoes scored only one touchdown.
Did anyone expect this, though?
The Tornadoes continued their dominance, remained undefeated and won their first-ever district title, defeating visiting Lincoln 36-0 on April 20.
Bradford will host a Region 1 quarterfinal game on Wednesday, April 26, at 7 p.m.
“We thought we were going to be pretty good coming into the year, but I don’t think anybody envisioned 16-0 and district champs after a 4-4 year.”
Staples said it was an impressive performance after the team didn’t play its usual game in the district semifinals — a game that was still a 16-point win.
“They came to play tonight. I was real proud of them,” Staples said, adding, “They’re a loose bunch. They came out tonight and just got after it.”
The result was just like most of the team’s games this year. A lot of points for Bradford and none for the opponent. It was the Tornadoes’ 12th shutout of the season.
Ar’Nayshia Griffin, who had one interception on defense and scored three touchdowns on offense (two passing, one rushing), said she didn’t anticipate such a result against Lincoln (13-4), but then again, she never goes into a game thinking it’s going to be another lopsided affair.
“I’m never expecting to blow out a team because every team brings something different to the table, but we just brought more (against Lincoln),” Griffin said. “We wanted it more.”
After the game’s first two plays, the Tornadoes already had all the points they’d need, with Nichelle Brown scoring on a 63-yard touchdown run. Three plays after that, Jada Hankerson intercepted a pass and returned it for a score, putting Bradford ahead 12-0.
It was the first of two pick-sixes for Hankerson and one of three interceptions made by Bradford in all. Griffin intercepted a pass on Lincoln’s second possession, which set the Tornadoes up for their third touchdown — a 2-yard run by Griffin that was set up by her 18-yard pass to Hankerson.
For the season, Bradford has 49 interceptions. Staples said Ajiyah Jackson and Jamissia Williams do a good job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks and creating those takeaway opportunities, which Griffin especially has cashed in on. She has 21 on the year.
“We feel if they throw it 15 yards or more down the field, we’re going to pick it off,” Staples said.
The Tornadoes were rolling, but Staples and his team faced a scary moment when Brown went down with a knee injury on the drive that resulted in the third touchdown. Brown, who rushed for 76 yards on three carries and caught one pass for 29 yards, would later return before reaggravating the injury in the third quarter.
“We overcame adversity tonight when Nichelle went down,” Staples said. “Our prayers and thoughts were with her, hoping she’ll be healthy. We’ll do what we have to do (in the regional quarterfinals) to win the game, but our main concern is her being healthy. Hopefully, it’s not anything serious.”
Hankerson said, “I knew I had to step it up and make up (her absence).”
She certainly did. Besides her interceptions on defense, she caught two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown on offense. That touchdown concluded an eight-play, 63-yard drive early in the second quarter. Most of that yardage came on Griffin’s legs, as she had seven carries for 44 yards, before Hankerson hauled in a 19-yard pass for the score, putting Bradford up 24-0.
“She’s been stepping up on both sides of the ball,” Staples said of Hankerson. “We really didn’t get her the ball enough this year like we should have. I’m hoping from here on out, especially if we don’t have Nichelle for a little bit, Jada will be the person to fill that spot.”
Brown set up the Tornadoes’ fifth touchdown on a 29-yard reception to the Lincoln 12-yard line in the third quarter. A penalty later moved Bradford inside the 5, setting up Khamyra Hankerson’s 3-yard touchdown catch from Griffin, who finished the game 5 of 10 for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
Griffin had been averaging more than 200 yards passing per game, but Staples said Bradford had to rely on its ground game more against Lincoln and in the district semifinals. The burden of that fell on the freshman quarterback, and she delivered. Against Lincoln, she rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries.
“The last two nights, when things were stalling, we basically asked her to take over the game. We really haven’t had to have her run a whole lot this year,” Staples said, adding, “She’s just an amazing athlete.”
Bradford maintained a 30-0 lead until late in the fourth quarter when Jada Hankerson returned her second interception for a score.
The Tornadoes have now scored 567 total points this season, while opponents have combined to score 46.
So, which side of the ball is the team better on? Griffin has posted some eye-popping numbers on offense, but she said, “I’d say it’s our defense.”
Griffin was wearing a shirt with “#WeStingy” on the back, which sums up the Tornadoes’ defense. The shirts were presented to her and her teammates after the game by Superintendent of Schools Will Hartley.
“We stingy,” Griffin said. “We don’t want any points on the board.”
Staples said, “Defensively, we’re really good. I know our offense gets a lot of the accolades, but defense is our bread and butter.”
Or maybe Bradford’s just a complete team. When asked which side of the ball the Tornadoes were better on, Jada Hankerson said, “Both. They’re equal.”
Whether it’s defense, offense or both, the result is an impressive season and one championship trophy — one championship trophy for now. Perhaps more are to come in the near future.
“I’m real eager,” Griffin said of the start of the playoffs. “I want state. I want it.”
BHS advanced off 28-12 semifinal win
Visiting Suwannee led twice, but the Tornadoes scored 21 unanswered points in defeating the Bulldogs 28-12 in the District 2 semifinals on April 19.
An interception on Bradford’s first offensive series set Suwannee up inside the 10-yard line and led to a touchdown and a 6-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
Bradford answered, with Khamyra Hankerson catching a touchdown pass as the Tornadoes went up 7-6.
Suwannee put together a scoring drive to go back on top in the second quarter, but Bradford took the lead for good when Khamyra Hankerson returned an interception for a touchdown.
The Tornadoes had two touchdowns in the second half — one on a Kimber Woods reception and the other on a Brown run.
Griffin completed 15 of 29 passes for 195 yards and rushed for 110 yards on 12 carries. Brown had 20 yards rushing on two carries and 90 yards on five receptions.
Khamyra Hankerson caught four passes for 35 yards, while Jaydyn Lee caught two for 30. Woods and Jada Hankerson each caught two passes for 20 yards.
The defense got six sacks from Jackson, two interceptions by Griffin and one interception by Khamyra Hankerson.
