"Good job, guys. We got the win and we got to where we wanted to be," Bradwell Tiger football coach Jim Walsh said to his team after they the Johnson High Atom-
smashers 44-6 Friday night at Olvey Field. It was Bradwell’s last home game of the season, and the victory earned the Tigers a post-season game.
"We got another big game coming up and we have to prepare," Walsh said of next week’s game at Camden County, their last regular season game.
Although the Tigers had a rough start to the season — plagued by injuries and losses — they came through in the clutch, clinching a playoff berth and earning the No. 3 spot in Region 3-AAAAA.
The Tigers are 4-2 in the region and Beach High’s loss to Jenkins on Friday has the Bulldogs tied for fourth with the Warriors at 3-3, according to the Georgia High School Association’s athletic Web site.
The Atomsmashers on Friday couldn’t seem to escape the delay-of-game curse and a slew of yellow flags. Less than a minute into the game, they burned a time out and before the first quarter was over, Johnson had used all its time outs for the half.
The Atomsmashers’ first offensive drive ended with a Tiger interception by Keyong Miller, setting up three-play touchdown drive that ended with a quarterback keeper by Wilson Brown and the first Tiger touchdown.
On the second possession, Johnson again gave up the ball when Tiger Jahlil Witt got another interception. Brown tossed a pass to Clifford Scott, who scored the Tigers’ second touchdown, closing the half 14-0.
The Tigers opened the third quarter with a carry by Wilson Brown for 63 yards and a first down at the Smashers’ 4-yard line. Brown pounded the ball into the end zone two plays later to go up 21-0.Johnson’s only scoring drive came late in the third quarter with 1:11 left on the clock. The Smashers drove down field and pitched the ball to the outside for a touchdown, but the Tigers’ defense blocked the extra point.
The Tigers then scored another touchdown by Sheldon Barnes and the Tigers sacked the Smashers quarterback in the end zone for a safety. The Smashers then fumbled a kick return in their own end zone, which the Tigers recovered for another touchdown to go up 37-6.
Barnes scored the Tigers final touchdown for the 44-6 win.
Should the Tigers lose to Camden County, and if Jenkins defeats Groves High next week, the Tigers will still cling to fourth, or tie at fourth with Beach if they are able to beat the 5-1 Windsor Forest Knights, currently in second place.
With seeding at stake, Walsh said he wants to build a safety net and secure a victory as they head toward the playoffs.
"We can win the dang game," he told his players. "You can’t doubt yourself just because it’s Camden County. It’s just another team we have to beat."