Points were not easy to come by Friday night as the Bedford Bearcats (3-3) and the visiting Shaw Cardinals (4-2) engaged in a defensive battle most of the evening, with the home team eventually coming out on top. As the feels-like temperature dipped into the lower 40s during the game, the cold air seemed to accentuate each crunch and pop delivered by the players during the hard-fought clash.
The contest was essentially a battle for field position, and the Bearcats were able to capitalize on the miscues of the Cardinals, while limiting their own. Along with that, the Bedford defense stepped up and turned away Shaw on many threatening scoring drives
The only score by Shaw came halfway through the first quarter. The Bearcats received the ball first, but were unable to move the ball effectively, in part due to two consecutive illegal procedure calls in the first series. Shaw blocked Bedford’s punt attempt and wound up with the ball first-and-10 on the Bearcat’s 27-yard line.
Bedford stuffed the offense on the first three plays, led in part by linebacker Caleb Hunter, setting up a fourth-and-17. Shaw threw an incomplete pass on fourth down, but the Bearcats were tagged with a personal foul on the play, giving Shaw a first-and-10 at the 14. A second-down pass completion resulted in a Shaw touchdown, but the Cardinal’s conversion attempt failed, and the score was 6-0.
Bedford responded in the beginning of the second quarter with a 71-yard drive of their own that saw quarterback Raymell Hester convert a third-and-19 on a draw play to get to the Shaw’s 24-yard line, followed moments later by a 29-yard completion to wide receiver Malik Simmons for a touchdown. Bedford’s conversion also failed, leaving the score tied at 6-6.
After giving up seven touchdowns to Cleveland Heights the week before, Bedford’s defense made life difficult for the Cardinals most of the evening. The Bearcats clamped down the next series, and Shaw was set to punt from their own 26 with a fourth-and-14. A surprising punt fake by the Cardinals worked to perfection and set them up with a first-and-10 at the their own 49. An ensuing pass play moved the ball down to the Bedford 22-yard line as Shaw seemed to be gaining steam. But on a third-and-13, defensive back De’sean Courts stopped the drive cold by intercepting the ball. Unfortunately, a few plays later Hester returned the favor by throwing an interception himself — the only Bearcat turnover of the game.
After their interception, Shaw took the ball over at midfield, and following a 37-yard run, they had the ball with first-and-goal from the 8. Bedford’s defensive tackle Dontae Thomas rose up and made two consecutive stops on first and second downs. On the next play defensive end Tyler Craft tipped a pass, which set up a field goal attempt by Shaw that was unsuccessful. The defense had held again in their own territory, and it wouldn’t be the last time they would need to do so.
The score remained tied at halftime, and Shaw received the ball to start the second half. Bedford’s defensive lineman Leonard Sharp recovered a Cardinal fumble deep in Shaw territory, and a few plays later, Hester capitalized on the turnover by running the ball in for a 1-yard score. In a game where points were at a premium, Bedford went for the two-point conversion, which was a pass play from Hester to Simmons in the left, front-side of the end zone. The pass was complete, but there were off-setting penalties, so the play had to be redone. Hester went to Simmons again, but this time in the right side of the end zone, giving the Bearcats an 8-point lead.
With about nine minutes left in the third quarter, and the Cardinals again moving the ball into Bedford territory, defensive back Malik Baker grabbed an interception in the shadow of his own end zone. The Bearcats were not able to do much on offense and ended up punting from their own 10-yard line. Despite a high snap, Hester was able to boot the ball successfully downfield where the Shaw return man was unable to field it cleanly. The Bearcats’ safety Tredyn Woods recovered the ball, giving Bedford the ball back with a first-and 10 on their own 39-yard line.
A beautiful, long completion from Hester to Simmons during the series was negated by a holding penalty, and Bedford had to punt once again as the fourth quarter was starting. Shaw ran a pitch-play that went for a long gain in the next series, and De’sean Courts saved a touchdown with a last-second tackle on the 6-yard line. Shaw was unable to score, though, as linebacker Caleb Hunter stepped up and led the defense in stopping Shaw on both third- and fourth-and-goal runs.
Bedford got the ball on downs at their own 2-yard line. Now at running back, Hunter fought for a few yards to give the Bearcats a little breathing room as they had to punt again. Shaw ended up with the ball in good field position with a first-and-10 on the 23.
Donte Thomas recorded a sack on second down of the series, and safety Kharon Fletcher broke up the third-down pass play. Needing to score with only about six minutes left in the game, Shaw went for it on fourth-and-15 on Bedford’s 29. Hester picked off the Shaw pass and ran it back up the sidelines for what looked like a 70-yard plus touchdown. An illegal block was called on Bedford right as Hester reached the goal line, so the Bearcats got the ball on Shaw’s 13-yard line instead.
Bedford was unable to score from that position on the field, as a fourth-and-goal slant pass from Hester to Simmons failed, giving Shaw the ball back with a long field and not much time. The Cardinals were unable to get a first down, and Bedford came out with the win.
Bedford will play in the first round of the regional tournament at home on Friday, Oct. 9 against Akron Ellet, who beat Firestone 21-13 on Friday. The winner of that game plays Hudson the following week.
