A standoff set the tone for a physical, spiteful and unsportsmanlike calls on a muggy Friday night at Citizens Field.
The high school football teams stood 10 toes down on their respective corners of the field, neither willing to take it first. Players howled and hollered at each other from across the field – an undefeated Bradford on one side and struggling Eastside on the other.
In a game of swagger and physicality, Bradford took the Rams by the horns, 53-13, for its sixth consecutive win in the series.
“There’s never too much to take (away) when you get beat 53-13,” Eastside coach Harold “Gator” Hoskins said.
The Tornadoes (7-0) quickly blew past the Rams (1-6), scoring on the first drive for a 7-0 lead just 2:36 into the game.
Bradford built on that production, with another touchdown to make it 14-0. Then, on Eastside’s next drive, quarterback Andrew Sutherland threw a pick-six that added to Bradford’s lead.
Eastside’s production was limited in the first quarter and it then failed to cross the 50-yard line until almost 16 minutes into the matchup.
Eastside’s first points came from running back Braeden Brockington, who took the kickoff more than 80 yards to the end zone following Bradford’s fourth score.
Bradford continued its dominance, building a 27-0 lead by the middle of the second quarter and taking a 33-6 advantage at halftime.
The tension broke at 5:53 in the third quarter after Bradford notched another touchdown, pushing the score to 39-6.
Eastside junior quarterback Andrew “Cade” Sutherland had just returned to the game. On the second play of the drive, Sutherland scrambled out of the pocket and met helmet-to-helmet by junior Trase Wooden.
A stunned Sutherland lay motionless on the grass, circled by Tornadoes and Rams. Wooden rose from the turf and planted his two feet over Sutherland’s head, taunting him. In a fit of excitement, Wooden met his teammates at midfield to celebrate. Tornadoes’ defense swayed, sprang and sauntered over penalty flags lying on the field.
For Bradford, the brash attitude manifested in three penalties: one of which came from coach Ross Baker for unsportsmanlike conduct. Wooden was met with two flags, one for unsportsmanlike conduct and another for targeting.
“Everybody who partook in the activity should’ve been ejected,” Brockington, the senior captain and three-star prospect, said.
No one came to Sutherland’s defense. The goal was to stay relaxed and calm to avoid conflict.
“We had to keep our cool,” said Brockington, who again scored later in the quarter on a 12-yard TD pass. “It really fueled me, the way they did that.”
Sutherland was replaced by junior quarterback KJ Woodard. There was no status update on Sutherland following the game.
The rest of the game continued to be physical; players on both ends were blanketed in soil and sward. Bradford continued its seemingly brazen attitude, cheering and dancing for every catch, tackle, sack, run and interception made.
Hoskins said the Rams had no right to be upset with Bradford’s antics because they let the visitors walk over them.
“Football is war with rules,” Hoskins said. “I’m not upset at them (Bradford) at all. It’s a part of the game, and if you’re not going to do anything to stop them from doing it, then why are you complaining about it?”
That mentality will be brought back to the back-left practice field at the Eastside campus come Monday.
“We’ve got to focus,” Brockington said. “We have to pay attention in practice and lock in.”
The Rams next host Santa Fe (5-1) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
