Warriors Work on Mustangs, 70-25
Lucas McCrum has another big game for BCS
Bracken Christian started slow but finished strong in taking down the SA Lutheran Mustangs at Bracken Stadium, 70-25.
“Lutheran came out and played a good game,” Head Coach Hosea Stredic started. “They are well coached and brought it to us….you could see that we were in better shape the longer the game played out.”
“We did not do a good job,” Stredic said succinctly.
Looks like some of the Warriors will have more tuning up to do as this season continues.
That slow start by the Warriors was replaced by a fast Mustang as the opening kick-off had an 80 yard return by Lutheran’s Hunick and a quick 6-0 lead.
First offensive play for Bracken had Brady Beene being stripped from the ball and a turnover. Lutheran was back in business and a start that was proving to be a long night.
Alternative Pest Control says Crush a Bug BCS
Special Teams allowing a touchdown and an offensive fumble to start the game would give Bracken just one more chance to see how the defense would play in this contest.
With two of the three teams for football starting with a big 0, the defense entered and held the Mustangs without a first down giving Bracken another chance with their offensive unit.
This game had Cade Middleton and the rest of the Warriors stopping the Mustang’s running game.
“This game went well and it felt good,” Middleton started. “We have a good team and we are playing more, we should go undefeated and go far in this division.”
This time the Warriors took 9 plays to score when Lucas McCrum scored from 4 yards out and tying the score as 6 all.
“My game needs some improvement,” McCrum calculated. “My blocking is not too hot but I am doing a lot better than last year.”
Go Warriors
Another special team gaff was a blocked bonus kick and this Bracken car still had some engine problems as the off week might have had a chance of gumming up their engine.
BCS would be thankful for their defense with a 3 play and punt scene and a chance to see if Bracken’s offense could keep their game going.
This drive took 8 plays and two explosive runs from Beene of 16 and 19 yards and then a 2 yard touchdown run to cap off the 60 yard drive. The bonus kick was good and now the special team was starting to get into the act.
A defensive hick-up had the Mustangs racing for 60 yards on their first play by Gentry and now a 14-12 lead, as Bracken, had just 5 players on the field for the run and those type of numbers are tough to overcome when you play 6-man.
Bracken’s offense would keep up their scoring spree with another drive that ended with a pass to Slater Corey from Beene and a 22-6 lead.
Another defensive stop and a one play steamroller run by Presley Day from 27 yards out would give Bracken a, 30-12 advantage. This run had Day literally running over a Mustang on the 10 yard line and leaving debris all over the field in his wake.
Go Warriors
Bracken’s defense would continue their iron curtain which gave the Warrior offense another score when Beene rushed from 1 yard out and a 36-12 lead with 1:48 left in the first half.
A recap had BCS defense giving up just one first down in the first half. The bad news was that one first down was a 60 yard run and with the kick-off return the Lutheran team still showed some life in getting this game to halftime.
The Warrior’s special teams would now zoom back into the game when Paul Nakalanga was good from 35 yards on his field goal. The kick would have been good from over 45 yards but this Bracken weapon can be counted on as this season continues.
“I always expect to make them all,” Nakalanga said like he had an ‘E’ for a vowel. “I just have to do it.”
Nakalanga has also been improving as a defensive stalwart and this game has this young man making several good defensive tackles.
Paul Nakalanga is all smiles after a 35 yd FG
“Coach tells us that when they pass us then we need to cut their legs with our arms….I do whatever the Coach tells me to do and then I just go do my job,” Nakalanga tackled.
A 40-12 lead would be good enough considering the many parts on this car that were not installed to start the game.
SA Lutheran started the second half with a defensive stop of their own and responded offensively with a drive for 62 yards and cutting the lead to 21 points, 40-19.
Bracken would bring out Hunter Mitchell who rushed in from 23 yards out to get the advantage back into 4th gear when Nakalanga kicked another bonus kick, 48-19.
BCS would score again when McCrum would take the pitch from Beene and then turn around for a pass to his QB friend and a 14 yard pass play for a, 54-19 lead.
“We see how the defense is reading and I saw their end sucking in,” McCrum was recounting the pass play to Beene after he darts the other way before passing it off.
Beene had his best scoring day in his 4 year career scoring 3 touchdowns and passing for another score.
Lutheran would not be finished as the Mustangs scored again from their tight offense when Hunick would once again make the Warriors pay with a 52 yard run.
Go Warriors
Bracken would step on the gas and score on their next two possessions while holding SAL and getting to their Mercy Game point total in the fourth quarter.
One touchdown was a pass by Travis Wolf to Reese Smith from 17 yards out which helped Wolf with his first completion and touchdown to boot. Smith would snag his 4th touchdown pass in the last 4 games.
“When Coach put me in, I was suppose to be on the right side to block,” Wolf recounted. “It was a perfect pass but I will need to work hard in practice and then I can make it pay off.”
“I just saw it coming and it is just another play,” Receiver Smith said like a graduate student.
Smith was also instrumental in the defensive stop when he snagged an interception which gave the Warriors’ offense their clinching score.
Reese Smith and Travis Wolf a good combination
“Coached talked about our defense and that we needed to be thinking that when they throw the ball, then their throw is to me,” Smith said with resolve.
A one play 60 yard run by Day left more debris all over the field as the Lutheran players were no match for this bulldozer run that has speed and with that combination would be all Bracken would need.
A Nakalanga bonus kick, that still has Warrior fans in the trees trying to find the ball, would have Mercy written all over the game ball once it is found.
Special teams started slow but rebounded as did the defense in allowing just 5 first downs. Offensively the Warriors spread the wealth in accumulating 449 yards and the most important aspect for football being a win.
This was the first time 3 different players threw for touchdowns in a Bracken game.
Bracken will now meet up with SA Atonement next week with a 5-0 record and a chance to get their car back out on the road with all of their parts. We know Coach Stredic will have his hands full at the mechanic garage this week.
Go Warriors.
1 2 3 4 Final SA Lutheran 6 6 7 6 25 Bracken Christian 6 34 8 22 70 Scoring Summary: SAL-Hunick 80 yard kick-off return (pass failed), 9:44, 1st BCS-Lucas McCrum 4 yard run (kick failed), 4:04, 1st BCS-Brady Beene 2 yard run (Paul Nakalanga kick), 9:36, 2nd SAL-Gentry 60 yard run (run failed), 9:18, 2nd BCS-Slater Corey 10 yard pass from Brady Beene (Paul Nakalanga kick), 6:56, 2nd BCS-Presley Day 27 yard run (Paul Nakalanga kick), 5:03, 2nd BCS-Brady Beene 1 yard run (pass failed), 1:48, 2nd BCS-Paul Nakalanga 35 yard field goal, 0:00, 2nd SAL-Gentry 16 yard run (Gentry pass), 4:18, 3rd BCS-Hunter Mitchell 23 yard run (Paul Nakalanga kick), 2:43, 3rd BCS-Brady Beene 14 yard pass from Lucas McCrum (kick failed), 8:35, 4th SAL-Hunick 52 yard run (pass failed), 8:15, 4th BCS-Reese Smith 17 yard pass from Travis Wolf (Paul Nakalanga kick), 5:43, 4th BCS-Presley Day 60 yard run (Paul Nakalanga kick), 4:26, 4th Team Stats Mustangs Warriors Total Yards 237 449 First Downs 5 16 Rush/Yards 36/217 31/331 Comp/Att/Int 4/9/1 11/17/0 Passing Yards 20 118 Punts/Average 2/23.0 0/0 Fumbles/Lost 1/0 1/1 Penalties-Yards 2-10 3-15 Passing Comp Att Pct Yds Int TD Brady Beene 8 13 .615 81 0 1 Lucas McCrum 2 3 .667 17 0 1 Travis Wolf 1 1 1.000 17 0 1 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Presley Day 8 119 14.9 60 2 Brady Beene 12 99 8.3 19 2 Hunter Mitchell 6 58 9.7 23 1 Lucas McCrum 5 55 11.0 18 1 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD Slater Corey 3 41 13.7 18 1 Lucas McCrum 3 26 8.7 12 0 Reese Smith 2 26 13.0 17 1 Brady Beene 2 17 8.5 14 1 Presley Day 1 8 8.0 8 0
