The Bradwell Institute Tigers christened their brand-new playing surface against their cross-town rivals in a game fraught with mistakes – but eventually won by the Tigers defense and offensive line.
Bradwell held off Liberty County 11-3 Friday in the first game on their turf field, which replaced the original grass surface at Olvey Field/Hokey Jackson Stadium.
The Tigers were whistled for 21 accepted penalties; the Panthers were assessed 17. Those totals don’t include offsetting penalties.
But Bradwell’s defense kept Liberty’s offense out of the end zone and set up the Tigers’ 11 points.
Tyon Jones, in at quarterback after Carlito Savea suffered an apparent shoulder injury, had the game’s lone touchdown, a 21-yard run with 4:43 left in the first quarter.
Jones had a chance to extend the lead on the first half’s final play, but he was ruled out of bounds just before he made contact with the goal line on pylon.
The Tigers went up 2-0 when a snap sailed past Panthers quarterback Jah’barri Felix and into the end zone, where Felix fell on it for a safety.
Bradwell got to the 1-yard line on the ensuing possession, but after Savea was stood up at the goal line, the Tigers fumbled on the next play.
On the next play from scrimmage, Kamdon Melvin burst the line and wrestled Panthers running back Brandon Roberts to the ground in the end zone, giving Bradwell a second safety and the unusual 4-0 lead.
A Liberty penalty kept the resulting Tigers drive off the free kick alive, and Jones scampered in for an 11-0 lead.
Felix and Ron Golden connected on a 54-yard gain to the Tigers 2-yard line early in the second quarter, but the Tigers forced a fumble and recovered it.
The Tigers had a 20-play, 95-yard drive that devoured the final 7:27 of the first half before Jones was denied a second TD on the half’s final play.
Trey Aiello hit a 42-yard field goal with 1:27 to go in the third for Liberty’s only points of the game.
Liberty threatened once more, but an errant snap on fourth down at the BI 26 midway through the fourth ended that drive. Bradwell ran out the final 5:53 of the clock.
Tigers cornerback Khamari Griffin was named defensive player of the game and Bradwell’s offensive line, with Joseph Morris leading the way, earned top offensive player honors.
The Panthers are off before facing Windsor Forest on the road August 30. Bradwell travels to Albany to take on Westover on August 23.
For more, see the August 22 edition of the Coastal Courier.