BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School scored touchdowns on its final four possessions, turning a 14-0 game into a 41-0 rout of District 5-2A opponent Palatka on Oct. 4 in Starke.
The Tornadoes (6-0, 2-0 District 5) fumbled on their first possession, squandered a scoring opportunity inside the 10-yard line and had three touchdowns nullified by penalties, but they eventually looked like what they are — the number-one team in the Florida High School Athletic Association/MaxPreps Class 2A power rankings.
“We started off slow,” Bradford Head Coach Jamie Rodgers said. “Things were a little bit off — senior night, rain. We had a lot of things going on. We were out here a little over an hour early for pre-game (due to senior-night festivities).
“Everything was a little bit off, but we figured it out at halftime and got what we needed to get.”
What they got was a district win that sets up a huge game on Friday, Oct. 11, when the Tornadoes travel to play Newberry. Though Bradford has one more district game (against Santa Fe on Oct. 25), the winner between the Tornadoes and the Panthers will be the district champion.
Newberry (4-2), which is 14th in the Class 2A power rankings (and third in Bradford’s Region 2), improved to 3-0 in the district with a 49-0 win over Santa Fe on Oct. 4.
“There’s nothing better than playing for a trophy,” Rodgers said. “That’s what gets competitors going.”
The Tornadoes’ competitors seemingly got going early against Palatka (4-3, 1-2). Bradford’s defense stopped the Panthers on a fourth-down play on the game’s opening drive, while the offense got an immediate spark on its first
play, with 24-yard pass play from quarterback Zack Paulk to Elijah Lawrence that set up a first down at the Palatka 33. The promising drive, though, ended two plays later when the Panthers recovered a fumble.
After Bradford’s defense forced a three-and-out, the Tornadoes began their second offensive series at the Palatka 37, thanks to an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty assessed against the Panthers following their punt. Paulk drew Palatka offsides on first down, followed by Gino Addison breaking loose for a 17-yard run to the 15-yard line. The Panthers’ defense made tackles for lost yardage on the next two plays, but a pass-interference penalty on third down gave the Tornadoes third-and-4 at the 9. After an incomplete pass, Bradford went for it on fourth down, with Addison being stopped inches shy of the first down.
Palatka gained a first down on the ensuing series, with quarterback Tommy Offord running for an 18-yard gain. A chopblock penalty and a 12-yard sack by the Tornadoes’ Trevis Johnson eventually forced the Panthers to punt on fourth-and-23.
Jy’Quez Cason fielded the punt on the run at his own 44 and took it the distance for a 56-yard touchdown with 11 seconds to play in the first quarter. Cy Cubbedge kicked the extra point as Bradford led 7-0.
The Panthers gained a couple of first downs on their next series on runs by Offord and Lawrence Evans. On first down at their own 33, the Panthers’ Evans was dropped for a 3-yard loss by Johnson and Trente Jenkins. After a penalty for delay of game, Bradford’s Branden Williams tackled Offord for just a 2-yard gain. A holding penalty then wiped out most of a big run by Offord, setting up a third-and-10 play. Palatka gained 2 yards on a pass play and punted.
A third-down scramble by Paulk gained 5 yards and gave Bradford a first down at its own 48. A 6-yard run by Jeremiah McKenzie and runs of 3 and 8 yards by Addison moved the Tornadoes to the Palatka 35. Williams then lined up to take the snap, running his way through the defense for a touchdown with 3:23 to play in the first half. Cubbedge added the PAT for a 14-0 lead.
McKenzie and Jeremiah Hill came up with big tackles for Bradford on Palatka’s next offensive series to force a punt. The Tornadoes’ Marlin Haywood fielded the ball at his own 23 and took it the distance for a touchdown, but the score was nullified by a penalty for an illegal block.
Bradford had another touchdown called back as time expired in the half, with another illegal-block penalty wiping out a 50-yard score by Cason, who caught a screen pass in the middle of the field.
The Tornadoes’ first drive of the second half had two long runs called back because of penalties before an interception gave the ball to the Panthers.
Palatka’s Offord got loose on a 19-yard run to the Bradford 31 on the first play following the turnover. Two runs by Justin Fells netted 6 yards, setting up third-and-4. The Panthers, however, were penalized for illegal procedure. After a 3-yard run by Offord, Palatka went for it on fourth-and-6. An incomplete pass resulted in a turnover on downs at the Bradford 27.
Three plays later, the Tornadoes increased their lead. A 31-yard run by Williams resulted in a first down at the Palatka 40. Cason then lined up to take the snap, scooped up a fumble and carried the ball for a touchdown with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter. Bradford led 21-0 after Cubbedge’s PAT.
Palatka went three-and-out on its next drive and shanked a punt out of bounds at its own 39.
Two runs by Iyen Addison resulted in a net gain of 8 yards before Gino Addison broke free for a 19-yard run to the 12. An additional 5 yards were tacked on by a facemask penalty, giving Bradford first-and-goal at the 7. McKenzie scored on a run from there to put the Tornadoes up 27-0 with 11 seconds left in the third quarter. The PAT was no good.
Jenkins recovered a fumble on the Panthers’ next series, giving Bradford the ball at the Palatka 19. Gino Addison promptly scored on a run from there, but a holding penalty brought the play back. A 12-yard run by Cason on third-and-12 set up first-and-goal at the 9. Gino Addison carried the ball in from there on a touchdown that counted at the 9:10 mark of the fourth quarter. Cubbedge kicked the extra point to make it 34-0.
Bradford added its final score on a five-play, 34-yard drive. Iyen Addison had runs of 6 and 12 yards to move the ball to the 16. Brian Cliffin then had three straight carries, with the third resulting in a 3-yard touchdown. Cubbedge added the final point on the PAT.
It was a defensive performance that has been typical since Rodgers has been the coach, with the Tornadoes allowing 148 yards in recording their second straight shutout. Only eight of Palatka’s 42 snaps occurred on Bradford’s side of the 50.
Bradford has allowed 41 points on the season (an average of seven points per game).
The game was also an example of the number of playmakers Bradford has at its disposal. Besides Paulk, eight players touched the ball, either running it or catching it. All but two had at least one play of more than 10 yards, including Cason, who had two carries for 52 yards, two receptions for 27 yards and the punt return for 56 yards. Williams gained 30-plus yards on two of his run attempts, finishing with 65 yards on three carries.
“We’ve got a lot of weapons,” Rodgers said. “It’s hard because there’s only one football. We can’t pass out four footballs and let everybody run with them. I wish we could, but we can’t. We’ve got one ball.
“We’ve just got to make sure we get our playmakers the ball.”
