Bradley Central Completes Undefeated Regular Season, Knocks Off Bearden For Region Title
Team FYN Sports October 31, 2023
Bradley Central knocks off Bearden for region title, undefeated season
BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR) – Bradley Central ended two droughts on one Thursday night in Cleveland, TN with a 46-14 victory over Bearden, who came into the game unbeaten in region play, at Bear Stadium. The Bears finished a regular season undefeated for the first time since 1976 and captured their first region championship since 1980. They will be hoping to bring back some of that 1976 juice throughout the playoffs because 1976 was the last time the black and gold won a state championship.
Kaleb Martin gave us a preview of what was to come in the first quarter, scoring on touchdown runs of 6 yards on the opening possession then once again from 10 yards out after the Bears defense forced a 3 and out and Bearden shanked a punt to give Bradley Central great field position deep in Bulldogs’ territory. Bearden quarterback Drew Parrott got his team on the board in the final minute of the first quarter on a 31-yard run to cut the Bears’ advantage to 12-7.
Martin got the scoring going in the second quarter when he rushed in from about 10 yards out for his 3rd rushing touchdown of the first half for an 18-7 Bradley Central lead. The Bears’ defense did not allow Bearden to get anything going on the next possession, giving their red-hot offense the ball back. Martin went to the air this time for another Bradley Central score as he found Jarrius Rogers behind the secondary and connected on a 59-yard score, giving the Bears a 25-7 lead with just over 5 minutes to go in the first half. Bearden answered on their next possession with a big yardage play of their own when Jaheim Merriweather found a hole opened up by his big offensive line and raced 41 yards to the house to give the Bulldogs a sliver of hope and cutting the Bradley Central lead to 25-14 with 4:36 left in the half. What does Coach Damon Floyd’s Bears’ squad do to answer the Bearden score? How about a nearly 4-minute statement drive when Kaleb Martin scored from 11 yards out for his fourth rushing touchdown of the first half (fifth total touchdown) and a 32-14 lead with 53 seconds left in the second quarter that Bradley Central would take to the locker room. Martin would end the night with over 350 yards total offense, 4 rushing touchdowns, and 1 passing touchdown.
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@ElijahMar1 finds @Jarrius_1 on this 59 yard TD pass! @BradleyBearsFB leads @BeardenFB 25-7; 5:04/2Q #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone @boo_Carter6 @TheCoachPayne
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“Kaleb’s made a lot of good decisions throughout the season”, Floyd said of his senior quarterback Martin. “Tonight was no exception”.
Boo Carter had the only score of the third quarter with 1:08 to go on a 2-yard run to give the Bears’ a 39-14 lead.
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#BC6 (@boo_Carter6) for 6! @BradleyBearsFB extends their lead over @BeardenFB to 39-14; 1:08/3Q #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone
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Carter would also add an interception to the box score when he stepped in front of a Parrott pass in the end zone to stop Bearden’s best chance to score in the second half. J’Alan Terry would put an exclamation point on the night for Bradley Central with a 5-yard touchdown run with just over 5 minutes to go in the game. As the final seconds ticked away, the black and gold clad Bears and their fans began to feel the weight of region championship dry spell disappear.
“We were due, long overdue”, Floyd said. “You felt like it would never happen to be quite honest. This isn’t just about this team; this is about the guys that played here before us that laid the foundation to get us to this point.
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(1/2) @BradleyBearsFB head coach @DFloyd02 after the Bears’ region clinching victory over Bearden tonight! #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone @boo_Carter6 @TheCoachPayne
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(2/2) @BradleyBearsFB head coach @DFloyd02 after the Bears’ region clinching victory over Bearden tonight! #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone @boo_Carter6 @TheCoachPayne
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Bradley Central ends their 2023 regular season 10-0 and the champions of Region 2-6A. The Bears will host West Ridge (5-4) in the first round of the TSSAA 6A playoffs Friday night. Bearden ends the regular season 7-3 (4-1 in region) and will host Dobyns-Bennett (5-4) in their 6A playoffs opener.
Follow Jeff Cate on “X” at @TheJeffCate
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