Cavaliers rough up the Bearcats

Gary Gray (7) gets ready to hand off to Derek McDaniel. Gray had seven rushes for 91 yards, two rushing touchdowns, and completed two passes for 80 yards and a touchdown all in the first quarter.

Brookland-Cayce 8 Richland Northeast 54 Story and photos

by Mike Maddock

Mike@TheColumbiaStar.com

If the Airport Eagles broke the Brookland-Cayce Bearcats' hearts on August 26 by defeating the Bearcats 20-17 in double overtime, then the Richland Northeast Cavaliers ripped that broken heart out, tossed it around, and played with it much like a killer whale does with a seal just before it devours it. It was that kind of night for Head Coach Brad Coleman and his Class 3A Bearcats on September 1, 2006. Cavalier Head Coach Jay Frye and his defending Class 4A Division II Lower State Champions welcomed Coleman to Harry Parrone stadium as an old friend, then pounded his team 54-8.

Richland Northeast's Juston Posey bears down on Brookland-Cayce's Chris Montgomery.

Coleman got an early taste of what was in store for his Bearcats when Richland Northeast quarterback Gary Gray led the Cavaliers on a 68-yard, three play, 57 second scoring drive on the first possession of the game. The drive included a 46-yard pass from Gray to Sammy Davis and a 24- yard touchdown run by Gray.

The Bearcats quickly answered with a six play, 63-yard, two minute scoring drive of their own. Wide receiver Tony McCoy caught a 30-yard pass from B-C quarterback A.J. Felder to get the Bearcats to the Cavalier 10-yard line. After an RNE offsides call, Chris Montgomery rumbled in for the final five yards and the only Bearcat touchdown of the night.

The next two plays foreshadowed what was to come.

The extra point was mishandled and muffed. Then on the ensuing kick-off, RNE's Tye Wright could not get a handle on the ball, fumbling around with it all the way to the RNE one-yard line. As the Bearcats converged, Wright gathered up the ball, gathered himself, broke a couple of arm tackles, and raced all the way to the B-C 12-yard line. The Bearcats held the Cavaliers to a field goal, but on their next possession the Bearcats were forced to punt from deep in their own territory. Chris Montgomery had to hurry the kick which netted 22 yards and gave the Cavaliers possession at the B-C 34-yard line. It took Gray one play to find the end zone again.

Brookland-Cayce cheerleaders (l-r): Kelli Stroud, Jenny Warren, Rebecca Rush, Kacie Davenport, and Haley Parler

The next seven possessions for the Bearcats resulted in a safety, three fumbles, two punts, one incomplete pass, and a net gain of -12 yards. In contrast, the Cavaliers scored four more touchdowns and went into halftime with a 47-6 lead.

Earlier in the week, Coleman had said he hoped to see the Cavaliers' starters longer than Lexington had the previous week. RNE back-up Kersean Wilson came in for Gray less than midway through the second quarter. Derrick Frost came on in relief for Wilson with 10:53 remaining in the fourth quarter. He promptly drew the Bearcats offsides.

The Bearcats did score once more when the defense tackled RNE's David Palevich in the end zone for a safety with 35 seconds remaining in the game.

Brookland-Cayce falls to 0-2 and will try to regroup when they travel to Memorial Stadium to face former region foe Dreher (1-1) September 8. The Cavaliers improve to 2-0 and will hit the road for the first time this season when they travel to Blythewood (1-1) for their inaugural game with the Bengals.