Huge first half lifts Bearden
BEARDEN — After Bearden High School’s football team scored a touchdown on its opening possession Friday night, Nov. 8, Jefferson County promptly answered with a TD of its own.
Fans might well have thought at that point the game’s winner would be whoever had the ball last. Wrong.
The Bulldogs, a Class 6A playoff No. 2 seed, would go on to score on all five of its subsequent first-half drives. The Patriots, a No. 3 seed, would score once more in the half, but trail 42-14 at the break.
The end result was a resounding 49-14 BHS win in the first round of the TSSAA 6A state playoffs at Bill Young Field. The Dawgs (8-3) will travel to Kingsport Friday, Nov. 15, to play Dobyns-Bennett (9-2), Region 1-6A champion, in the second round of the playoffs.
“We had a really good week of practice,” Josh Jones, BHS head coach, said. “You wanna play like you practice and we’ve been practicing well.”
Dawgs quarterback DJ Hunter was nothing short of brilliant, connecting on seven of eight first-half passes for 217 yards and a score. For the game, the sophomore, who missed most of six games this year due to injury, was 11-of-13 for 321 yards and the one scoring toss plus two TDs rushing.
“(Hunter’s) finally getting to play a lot,” Jones said. “He just made plays, He’s a special talent.”
Dawgs running back Jayzon Thompson had 13 carries for 114 yards and three TDs — most of the 114 and all three scores in the first half — the last, from 3 yards, made it 42-7.
After a pick by cornerback Mason Laster, BHS had the ball on the Patriots 42. On the first play, Hunter hit receiver Drew Parrott for the touchdown and a 35-7 lead.
