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ALACHUA — The Bradford High School Tornadoes stormed into Alachua on Friday to hand the Santa Fe High School Raiders a 44-0 loss on Senior Night.
Bradford (8-1) set the tone early and never looked back, scoring touchdowns on six of its eight offensive possessions. The Tornadoes’ typical strong ground game got the ball rolling when brothers Gino and Iyen Addison found the end zone on each of their first two drives, respectively.
The Tornadoes cap off a strong first drive with a score by RB Gino Addison on 3rd down. A missed 2pt attempt means it’s 6-0 Bradford with 8:40 left in Q1. pic.twitter.com/ZRAfFkixmF
— Paul Hof-Mahoney (@hofmahoney_p) October 25, 2024
Bradford makes quick work of Santa Fe’s miscue, as Iyen Addison takes the outside handoff 6 yards to pay dirt.
Another missed 2pt conversion later and the Tornadoes hold a 12-0 lead with 2:05 left in Q1. pic.twitter.com/36h5Yq7BtZ
— Paul Hof-Mahoney (@hofmahoney_p) October 25, 2024
After another rushing touchdown for Gino Addison late in the second quarter, it appeared Santa Fe (1-8) was going to at least be in striking range heading into the half, where it was set to receive the second-half kickoff. But then, disaster struck the Raiders in the final 15 seconds.
With the ball near midfield, a high snap glanced off the hands of Santa Fe quarterback Jay Bryant. The fumble was scooped up by Bradford defensive tackle Trente’ Jenkins, who took it all the way to the house with help of some willing blockers.
Disaster for the Raiders, as a high snap in Bradford territory turns into a massive fumble return TD for the Tornadoes.
After their first successful 2pt try of the night, Bradford leads 26-0 with 2.6 left in the half. pic.twitter.com/7aChs5A6LP
— Paul Hof-Mahoney (@hofmahoney_p) October 26, 2024
Seeing an opportunity, Bradford coach Jamie Rodgers opted for an onside kick with a little more than two seconds left in the half. The move was made even bolder by the fact the Tornadoes’ usual kicker, Cy Cubbedge, was out while nursing a bone bruise.
The gamble paid off when quarterback Zack Paulk was able to connect with receiver Jy’quez Cason for a long touchdown pass as time expired. Just like that, it was 32-0 through two quarters.
Bradford recovers an onside kick and strikes AGAIN before the half, this time it’s QB Zack Paulk connecting with WR Jy’quez Cason on a bomb for 6.
32-0 at the half, as the Tornadoes scored 14 points in the final 2.6 seconds of Q2. pic.twitter.com/I1t9XJEzVt
— Paul Hof-Mahoney (@hofmahoney_p) October 26, 2024
A running clock in the second half limited offensive output, but it was more of the same from both sides. Santa Fe’s final two drives ended in interceptions, while Bradford’s ended in touchdowns.
The Tornadoes’ sixth touchdown of the night went to Jy’quez’s brother, Jordan Cason, meaning two sets of brothers scored Bradford touchdowns on the night.
Tim Shankle, who was in his third game as interim coach for Santa Fe after Jason Wells’ resignation, lauded the leadership of his senior class in the midst of another turbulent season.
“When you have a coaching change like that, that’s something you’re not really used to or expecting, especially with a first-year coach coming in … That senior class has been great with us, being able to lead and not giving us any problems. They’ve been stepping up and taking it a little bit farther.” — Tim Shankle on his senior class at Santa Fe
Shankle’s first game at the helm two weeks ago versus Keystone Heights saw the Raiders pick up their first win in 21 contests. Despite his small sample size and limited experience in a head coach role, he said he’s up the challenge to lead this program into the future:
Up Next
Santa Fe wraps up the 2024 season on the road against Dixie County (3-6) on Friday, while Bradford has its sights set on a regular-season finale against Jacksonville North Florida Educational Institute (1-7).
