Bears Rally Past Red Bank for Fourth Straight Win
Bradley Central overcame a sluggish start Friday night to extend its winning streak, grinding out a 21–10 victory over longtime rival Red Bank at Bear Stadium.
The Lions controlled the first half and held a 10–7 advantage at the break, but Bradley’s defense dominated after halftime, holding Red Bank to negative yardage in the final two quarters while the offense punched in two more touchdowns to seal the win.
Head coach Damon Floyd admitted his squad’s poor practices during the week carried over into the first half. “We didn’t execute early, and it showed,” he said. “But our guys refocused in the second half, and the defense gave us the spark we needed. The offensive line also stepped up after Kenyon [Phelps] went down, and we had several players contribute in the running game.”
The victory improves Bradley’s all-time edge in the series to 31-29-3 and sets up a major Region 2-6A test this week against undefeated Oak Ridge, ranked No. 5 in the state.
Game Recap
Red Bank opened with a methodical 71-yard drive capped by a 24-yard field goal from Mark Kleiner. After an interception stopped Bradley’s first series, the Bears broke through in the second quarter when Brayden Carroll powered in from six yards out.
The Lions answered before halftime. Quarterback Austin Jones connected with Marcus Jones on a 17-yard scoring strike to give Red Bank a 10–7 edge at the half.
Bradley took control after the break. Carroll capped a 12-play drive with another touchdown run in the third quarter, putting the Bears ahead for good. Later, sophomore Jeremiah Brownlow forced a fumble that set up Carroll’s third touchdown, sealing the win in the fourth quarter.
Carroll posted his second straight three-touchdown performance, rushing for 60 yards and adding 43 receiving yards. Phelps led the team with 89 yards before exiting with an ankle injury, while Paden Parker-Price added 80 yards on 10 carries. Quarterback Tucker Cook went 12-for-19 for 124 yards despite two interceptions.
Defensively, Bradley’s “Black Hole” unit suffocated the Lions, allowing just 136 total yards. Anthony Perez and Andrew Carroll recorded multiple tackles for loss, while Tulane commit AJ Westfield notched three stops behind the line.
Final Score
Red Bank 10
Bradley Central 21
The Bears (4-1, 2-0 Region 2-6A) now prepare to host Oak Ridge (5-0, 1-0), which cruised past Cleveland 35–7.
The Lions controlled the first half and held a 10–7 advantage at the break, but Bradley’s defense dominated after halftime, holding Red Bank to negative yardage in the final two quarters while the offense punched in two more touchdowns to seal the win.
Head coach Damon Floyd admitted his squad’s poor practices during the week carried over into the first half. “We didn’t execute early, and it showed,” he said. “But our guys refocused in the second half, and the defense gave us the spark we needed. The offensive line also stepped up after Kenyon [Phelps] went down, and we had several players contribute in the running game.”
The victory improves Bradley’s all-time edge in the series to 31-29-3 and sets up a major Region 2-6A test this week against undefeated Oak Ridge, ranked No. 5 in the state.
Game Recap
Red Bank opened with a methodical 71-yard drive capped by a 24-yard field goal from Mark Kleiner. After an interception stopped Bradley’s first series, the Bears broke through in the second quarter when Brayden Carroll powered in from six yards out.
The Lions answered before halftime. Quarterback Austin Jones connected with Marcus Jones on a 17-yard scoring strike to give Red Bank a 10–7 edge at the half.
Bradley took control after the break. Carroll capped a 12-play drive with another touchdown run in the third quarter, putting the Bears ahead for good. Later, sophomore Jeremiah Brownlow forced a fumble that set up Carroll’s third touchdown, sealing the win in the fourth quarter.
Carroll posted his second straight three-touchdown performance, rushing for 60 yards and adding 43 receiving yards. Phelps led the team with 89 yards before exiting with an ankle injury, while Paden Parker-Price added 80 yards on 10 carries. Quarterback Tucker Cook went 12-for-19 for 124 yards despite two interceptions.
Defensively, Bradley’s “Black Hole” unit suffocated the Lions, allowing just 136 total yards. Anthony Perez and Andrew Carroll recorded multiple tackles for loss, while Tulane commit AJ Westfield notched three stops behind the line.
Final Score
Red Bank 10
Bradley Central 21
The Bears (4-1, 2-0 Region 2-6A) now prepare to host Oak Ridge (5-0, 1-0), which cruised past Cleveland 35–7.