Bradford football did it again Friday night, securing their fourth district title in the last five seasons with a dominant 34-17 win over Newberry. This wasn’t just another game; it was the de-facto Class 2A-District 5 championship, and the Tornadoes, now 8-0 overall and 2-0 in district play, proved why they own this turf.
Newberry’s Early Shot and Bradford’s Knockout Punch
The game kicked off in western Alachua County with a smaller crowd than usual thanks to Hurricane Isaias’s rain, but the intensity was all there. Newberry actually capitalized early, pouncing on a Bradford fumble on the Tornadoes’ first possession. Jamarcus Wimberly punched it in for Newberry, giving the Panthers a shocking 7-0 lead. But if you thought Bradford was rattled, you don’t know this team. The Tornadoes fired back, dropping 20 unanswered points on Newberry. Just like that, the early scare was a distant memory. Newberry fought back a bit before the half, cutting Bradford’s lead to 20-14, keeping things interesting.
The Long Drive That Wasn’t Enough
Coming out for the second half, Newberry had a real chance to grab the lead. They put together an absolute marathon of a drive, eating up 11 minutes and 18 seconds of game clock, basically the entire third quarter. Imagine the tension! They moved the ball, grinding away, looking poised to turn the tide. But when it came down to it, they couldn’t seal the deal in the red zone, settling for a field goal that made it 20-17. And man, that was the moment. Bradford locked in after that, absolutely slammed the door shut. Touchdowns from Parlieve Lee and Iyen Addison cemented the win, and Newberry’s defense couldn’t even sniff another score. The Tornadoes just shut ’em down.
Bradford will host Jacksonville-University Christian next Friday, riding high on this district title. Newberry, sitting at 3-4 overall and 1-1 in district, welcomes Palatka next, and they are gonna need that win big time to keep any hope of a playoff spot alive. What a night for Bradford football, man. Unstoppable!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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