BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Chalil Cummings caught two touchdown passes, while Torin Brazell added two interception returns for scores as the Bradford High School football team put together another dominating win, defeating visiting Eastside 34-7 on Sept. 15.
The Tornadoes (4-0) now enjoy a bye week before hosting District 6-2S opponent Keystone Heights for homecoming on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
“We get this week to really rest,” Head Coach Jamie Rodgers said, adding, “Everybody should be at full strength by the time next Monday gets here.”
The Eastside game was another showcase for a defense that continues to be stingy. The Tornadoes have given up a total of 20 points in four games, with Eastside’s lone score coming at the end of the game against backups.
Bradford becomes even scarier when that unit puts points on the board, too.
“That’s what makes us really hard to beat,” Rodgers said.
A 14-0 game became 28-0 after the interceptions by Brazell, who plays defensive end.
“It feels great,” Brazell said. “Linemen — we don’t usually get pick-sixes like that. Some of us, we get blessed enough to have them. I’m not going down when I get that ball in my hands.”
Rodgers said most defensive linemen wouldn’t have caught the passes Brazell did.
“That speaks to his athleticism,” Rodgers said.
For his part, Brazell said, “I’m not the average (lineman).”
The Tornadoes had three total interceptions against Eastside quarterback Adrian Curtis, who completed just 10 of 32 passes. Curtis did have 234 passing yards, including 93 on the Rams’ lone score.
“I just wish we wouldn’t have let them score, honestly,” Brazell said. “I like those donuts on the board.”
Bradford didn’t need much time to take the donut off its side of the scoreboard. Dae’Jon Shanks threw a 48-yard pass to Chalil Cummings on the Tornadoes’ first play from scrimmage, which put them at the Eastside 20. Willie Pollard then had a 14-yard run to the 6. Shanks carried the ball for what seemed to be an apparent touchdown before fumbling at the 1-yard line. Fortunately for Bradford, Chason Clark fell on the loose ball in the end zone. Branden Williams’ run on the two-point conversion made it an 8-0 game 41 seconds into the game.
Shanks, who rushed for 78 yards on 13 carries, had runs of 33 and 9 yards on the first two plays of Bradford’s third possession as the Tornadoes moved from the Eastside 40 to the 18. Three plays later, Cummings caught a pass at the 10-yard line and maneuvered his way into the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 5:56 to play in the first quarter. The extra point was blocked.
The Rams (2-2) gained only 12 yards in the first quarter, but threatened to score on their first possession of the second quarter. Passes of 33 and 26 yards moved Eastside to the Bradford 22. Bradford’s Jordan Daniels made a tackle for a 3-yard loss, but the Tornadoes were penalized for pass interference on consecutive pass plays in the end one, resulting in first-and-goal from the 6. Devon McBride and Jeremiah McKenzie teamed up to drop a ball carrier for a 2-yard loss before two straight incomplete passes forced the Rams to attempt a 25-yard field goal. Elijah Dressel’s kick was blocked by Jyquez Cason
“He’s a football player,” Rodgers said of Cason, who blocked a punt the previous week. “He loves it. He comes in early, he leaves late, he’s always asking questions and he’s a great athlete on top of it. When you mix all that together, that’s really good.”
The next Eastside possession began with Clark dropping Joshua Benjamin for a 2-yard loss. Brazell then recorded an 11-yard sack before tipping a pass on third down and reeling it for a pick-six that covered approximately 25 yards with 3:26 to play until halftime.
Bradford’s conversion attempt failed, but the Tornadoes led 20-0.
In the 40-6 win over Baldwin on Sept. 2, Brazell had a tipped pass that led to a pick-six by fellow lineman Daniels. Brazell was ready for his own chance to score.
“I gave my homeboy one,” he said, adding, “I said, ‘If I get another one, I’m going to house it.’ I got it. God blessed me. I housed it.”
With 1:30 remaining in the third quarter, Brazell did it again, returning an interception approximately 40 yards for a score. Clark caught Shanks’ pass on the two-point conversion to make the score 28-0.
Rodgers said the interception came on a play in which Brazell “dropped into perfect coverage” as the Tornadoes ran one of the new blitzes they had been working on during the week leading up to the game.
“Coach said, ‘If you can drop back in coverage, go ahead and do it,’ so I dropped back,” Brazell said. “The ball was in reach, so I grabbed it with one hand, and I took off. I saw daylight.”
Bradford’s offense accounted for the final score on an eight-play, 65-yard drive. Shanks had a 39-yard run to the Eastside 26 on the first play of the possession and later connected with Cummnigs over the middle for an 18-yard gain to the 7-yard line. On third-and-goal from the 8, Cummings caught his second touchdown, finishing the game with seven catches for 101 yards.
Shanks completed 8 of 15 passes for 104 yards.
The Bradford defense continued its strong play with Damarion Hankerson intercepting a pass. However, the Rams would get on the board on their final possession, with Daijon Johnson catching a short pass and sprinting almost the entire length of the field for a 93-yard touchdown with 1:21 to play. Dressel added the PAT to complete the scoring.
“I’m happy with the way they played tonight,” Rodgers said, “but we’ve got to get better in a couple of phases.”
Keystone, who the Tornadoes will play after the bye, recorded its first win of the season, defeating Bell 49-0. The 1-2 Indians, who lost 35-0 to Eastside, will play Interlachen the week prior to the homecoming game in Starke.
