Pouring it on the ’Cats, Dawgs sharpening playoff claws
BEARDEN — It wasn’t real pretty, but as the sports cliche goes: a win’s a win.
On Homecoming Night at Bill Young Field, Bearden High School’s football team convincingly defeated Oak Ridge 35-6 in a non-region game.
To do so, however, the Bulldogs had to overcome 12 penalties and a very sluggish start. Once the ‘Dawgs got rolling, however, they never looked back in this Friday night clash Oct. 18
“We gotta get that cleaned up, way too many,” BHS head coach Josh Jones said of all the yellow flags. “Cannot do that in big ballgames.”
Down 6-0, the Bulldogs took over on their own 44 with 8:12 left in the second period. On the eighth play of the drive, running back Torian Riggins ran it in from the ORHS 9 to give Bearden a 7-6 lead with 5:37 left in the half.
Two holding calls — one negating a long punt return, another nullifying a touchdown pass — each cost BHS roughly 30 yards on its next possession.
Not to worry. With 17 seconds left in the half, quarterback Drew Parrott hit wide receiver Tory Beaufort deep in the end zone for the score and a 14-6 halftime lead.
Within a span of 17 seconds midway through the third, the Bulldogs scored twice and put the game long out of reach.
Parrott’s 34-yard scoring pass to Deameion Leavell with 6:42 left — finishing a nine-play, 54-yard drive — made it 21-6. Then a fumble on the ‘Cats’ first play of the ensuing possession put the ‘Dawgs back in business on ORHS’s 27.
After Parrott — now playing receiver to enable first-string quarterback DJ Hunter to work his way back from injury — caught a 24-yard pass to the Wildcats’ 3, Riggins took it in for a 28-6 lead.
“We’re getting better,” Jones said. “We’re on the right track. Our defense has played well. After that (Oak Ridge scoring drive), our defense adjusted and played really well.”
For the game, Parrott completed 12 passes on 15 attempts for 194 yards and two scores.
“We definitely support each other,” Parrott said of his relationship with Hunter. ‘I want him to succeed and he wants me to succeed.”
“Drew Parrott’s a football player, he’s an athlete,” Jones said. “He’s gonna play wherever his team needs him.”
Demarcus Jones, a sophomore, added the game’s final points with a 4-run scoring run in the game’s final seconds.
Senior kicker William Pendergrass nailed all five of his extra point tries for Bearden, 5-3 overall and 3-1 in Region 2-6A.
