Bedford (4-3) dominated the Orangemen of Ellet (Akron) (2-1) at Bearcat stadium Friday night, jumping out to 42-0 lead by halftime. By that point in the game, quarterback Raymell Hester had racked up 360 yards passing — setting a Bearcat playoff record — while throwing three touchdowns and running for another. The offensive line deserved a lot of credit as well, as Hester frequently had great protection while throwing the ball.
The first-round playoff victory means the Bearcats will move on to play the Hudson Explorers at Hudson Memorial Stadium next Friday at 7 p.m. It also means that for the senior players, this will probably have been their last game at Bearcat Stadium as they continue their playoff run.
The 42 points was the most Bedford had scored in a game all season, and included touchdowns by five different players:
- Hester capped off a 12-play 84-yard drive in the first quarter with a 4-yard run.
- Receiver Jaylon Clark nabbed a Hester pass and ran it in for a 49-yard score.
- Running back Caleb Hunter rumbled straight over an Ellet defender into the end zone for a 3-yard score in the second quarter. (This was set up by an 88-yard pass from Hester to receiver Daniel Lymon.)
- Running back De’sean Courts sprinted in for a score from 9-yards out in the second quarter.
- Hester again hit Clark with a pass for a score, this time up the sidelines for 64-yards.
- Malik Simmons grabbed a short pass from Hester for a score as the first half was winding down.
After halftime, the Bedford coaches pulled some of the offensive starters, including Hester, in order to give other player valuable experience. Ellet scored their only touchdown at the end of the game.
While there was impressive play on both sides of the ball for the Bearcats, the special teams were particularly good Friday evening, led by senior kicker Sam Laffin. Laffin, who is a captain on the Bedford boys soccer team, was four for five on extra-point attempts on the evening.
For those unaware of the process, kicking an extra point is a complicated effort involving a long snapper, a holder, an offensive line to keep out rushers that could block the kick, and then — of course — the kicker. Some high school football teams don’t even try extra points, and instead only go for the two-point conversion. Laffin and the special teams crew were also able to convert what looked like an on-side kick attempt after the Bearcats’ first score. The ball was recovered by Daniel Siggers and helped Bedford retain their momentum early in the game.
Hudson (6-0) did not play on Friday, as they received a first-round bye starting out the tournament. Both the Bearcats and Hudson play in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II based on their respective school sizes. Within Division II, they are also part of the 26 teams that make up Northeast Ohio’s Region 5.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the OHSAA is running the football playoffs differently this year than it has in the past. Usually only eight of the 26 teams in Region 5 make the playoffs each year. Instead, this year all the teams were put in playoff brackets, sort of like March Madness in basketball. According to maxprepps.com, Bedford was seeded at No. 14, while Ellet was the 19th seed. Hudson was given the No. 3 seed.
As of Oct. 6, according to the same website, Hudson was ranked 24th overall in the state regardless of the division. The Explorers’ high-powered offense averages close to 49 points a game, but their defense has also have given up an average of about 23 points a game.
After Friday’s games, the original 26 teams in the region have been narrowed down to 16. You can see the bracket here. There were only two upsets, the 21st-seed Garfield Heights beat 12th-seed Eastlake North to advance, and 18th-seed Twinsburg beat 15th-seed Brush.
The top-ranked team in the state in any division is Archbishop Hoban, and they also happen to be the 1st-seed in Region 5. Austintown Fitch is the No. 2 seed in the region.
