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Newberry Football beats Bradford to win FHSAA Class 2A-District 5

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Newberry Football beats Bradford to win FHSAA Class 2A-District 5

Newberry’s defensive line, with a commitment from Ohio State and Miami, waited all season to make a statement. In the cool Friday evening air, the Panthers made one against Bradford.

NEWBERRY – In a pile of blue and white jerseys, Newberry’s number 9 stood out.

It was a 4th and 1 for Bradford early in the first quarter. Every blue and red clad fan in the packed Panther Stadium knew the Tornadoes would run the ball.

That didn’t stop Mykah Newton. The Miami commit found a hole and tucked Gino Addison behind the line of scrimmage for a turnover on downs.

It was a sign of things to come.

The Panthers’ defensive line smothered Bradford all night en route to a 21-7 victory on Friday night to claim the Class 2A-District 5 title. The win, Newberry’s biggest in years, completely shakes up the 2A playoff race. The Tornadoes entered the night ranked No. 1 in the class and No. 4 in the state in the latest FHSAA rankings.

FULL LOCAL HS FOOTBALL COVERAGE HERE High school football in North Central Florida: Complete coverage from the 2024 season

The fourth down stop, which occurred on the Tornadoes’ first drive, spelled doom.

Quarterback Zach Paulk threw a pick-six on the next drive directly into the hands of Logan McCloud. On the field, McCloud looked almost stunned when he got it in his hands.

In reality, the Wofford commit practiced this all week.

“Coach (Ed) Johnson told me to take my drops,” McCloud said. “When he threw it to me, I knew I had to take it home because it was wide open.”

Johnson said the fourth-down stuff, combined with the pick-6, gave Newberry all the confidence it needed.

“The fourth down stop showed the guys that what we were doing was working, and that we can play with anyone,” Johnson said. “The pick six gave us so much energy. That’s Logan making plays.”

Bradford coach Jamie Rodgers knew that play changed everything.

“When there are equal numbers of good players on both sides, you have to see who blinks first,” Rodgers said. “It puts us in a bad position if it becomes a one-goal game.”

Paulk threw a second interception inside the 20 on the next drive. This one on a screen goes to Newton – his first career INT.

“When I saw the ball, I knew I had to come down with it,” Newton said. “It was a game-changing play.”

The Panthers limited the Tornadoes for the remainder of the half, but only held that 7-0 lead. Fellow D-lineman and Ohio State commit talked about what Johnson and Co. said about the foul during the break.

“It was a speech that I don’t want to say in an interview, but it was a speech that woke up the offense,” Carter said.

Two plays into the second half, Newberry was in the end zone when McCloud flattened Bradford for a 41-yard touchdown.

McCloud credited his offensive line for his second score of the day.

“When I caught the ball and I saw my blockers out there and I saw the hole, I just started running,” McCloud said.

A four-yard TD run from Kaleb Woods on the Panthers’ next drive nailed the coffin.

Carter added two more sacks to his total of four in the final frame. Bradford triple worked with the future Buckeye all game, but Carter showed that agility that drew college scouts from Alabama to Georgia.

“The move helped my other D-lineman,” Carter said. “Mykah also had three sacks.”

Rodgers knew the tandem of Newton and Carter would cause problems. He suspects they won’t disappear in the last two months of the season.

“Coach Johnson said his best players were in the lead,” Rodgers said. “If you have that, you have a chance to win something special.”

The coach would know. The Tornadoes played in the state title game last year and won’t be leaving this season, with or without a district title.

But under the cool October air of western Alachua County, it was time for a new team to fight its way to the top.

“This shows we can be state contenders in 2A,” Johnson said.

Newberry hosts Fort White on senior night next Friday, while Bradford visits Leon.

Noah Ram covers high school sports in the Gainesville area and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him via email at [email protected] and follow him @Noah_ram1 on X/Twitter.

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