Football: Bradford and its vaunted defense stands between Catholic and Class 2S state title game

The Pensacola Catholic football team had scores to settle over the past two weeks during its run to the Final Four.

This week, simply just trying to score will be the Crusaders’ greatest obstacle.

Set to face one of the state’s defensive juggernauts while taking on its longest road trip of the season, Catholic aims to upset unbeaten Bradford in a Class 2S State semifinal on Friday night from David Hurse Stadium in Starke.

Pensacola Catholic, the Region 1-2S champions with an 11-2 record, is seeded third in the 2S bracket while the Tornadoes, the Region 2-2S winners at 13-0, are the second seed. In the other state semifinal, No. 1 Cocoa, the top-ranked team overall in the state, is host to No. 4 Booker.

Those two matchups will decide who gets to play in the Class 2S championship game set for Friday, Dec. 8 from Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee.

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If the Crusaders want to advance to its first state title game since 2004, it’ll have to somehow come up with answers against a team that has relinquished 49 total points all season. Some of those points have come after Bradford inserted its reserves in running-clock situations.

Additionally, the Tornadoes have recorded six shutouts and allowed just one opponent to score above double figures. That occurred on Oct. 13 during a 24-13 win at Miami’s True North Classical Academy.

Those numbers aren’t a fluke as the team had nine shutouts and held opponents to 5.6 points per game in 2022.

“The front seven really stands out when you watch them on film,” Catholic head coach Matt Adams said. “And they got a good secondary also, but the front seven has really given people fits in the run and pass game.”

On a defense and team overall loaded with potential Division I talent, that front is led by a pair of seniors geared to play on Saturdays: defensive lineman Torin Brazell and linebacker Chason Clark.

Brazell, who holds nine Division I offers, paces the Tornadoes in sacks (11) and tackles for loss (24) while also tied for the team lead in interceptions (2). Meanwhile, Clark is the team leader in total tackles (96). He is committed to play at Division I Marshall.

Elsewhere, senior linebackers Duke Lewis (79 total tackles, 18 TFL, 9 sacks) and Devon McBride (89 tackles) also help make the middle a major force.

In the postseason, the Crusaders have attacked opposing defenses with the running game, recording 136 rushes to just seven passes. They have primarily operated out of the Wildcat formation, as the formidable combo of juniors Nigel Nelson and C.J. Nettles have chewed up yards on the ground.

Nelson has surpassed 100 yards in every playoff game during this run, including a 251-yard, two-touchdown performance against at Florida High last week. In his first game back from reaggravating a high-ankle sprain suffered early in the season, Nettles did most of his damage the week prior, racking up 187 yards and a score at Walton.

Coupled with a big and, at times, nasty offensive line, the Crusaders' defensive players have also been critical to the team's success out of the Wildcat. Defensive linemen and linebackers getting offensively snaps is not terribly unusual, particularly in goal line situations, but despite nearly all of the snaps recently from the Wildcat, fatigue has not been a factor as several are rotated in and out of the formation.

Senior linebacker Turner McLaughlin, senior defensive linemen Des'jon Robertson and Courtney Clark along with junior defensive lineman Teruis Mason have been the players helping out on the other side of the ball.

"Just running through somebody over and over again is really fun," Clark said.

Those four players have gotten roughly 10 snaps in the Wildcat during practice before returning to their defensive duties. The scheme isn't highly complicated according to Adams, but it still has been a major adjustment for those players new to that side of the ball, whether its learning how to legally make a block or simply executing.

"Knowing who you got when we are running a certain play and reading it right is the biggest adjustment," Mason said.

"Those are still challenges," Adams added. "As we sat and watched the film last week, there's still some stuff that they have to read and understand the run schemes that we're doing, which I would say we were fair at. ... That's still a process that we're still trying to get better at, but I've just appreciated the intensity that they've brought whenever they go out there. I told them that if you're going to mess it, do it at full speed, straight ahead and don't think about it. They've done a great job doing that."

As much as Catholic has been committed to the ground game, the team and its coaching staff have shown the ability to adapt and devise game plans specific to an opponent. And while the Wildcat has worked immensely, Adams hasn't ruled out an uptick in the passing game, in which the team utilized much more in the regular season.

It all about playing to and creating advantages and the Crusaders may not be as predictable as one may think.

"The guys know it's playoff time. Whatever we have to do to win we'll do, whether it's run it 60 times or throw it 60 times," Adams said. "We've been able to show a lot on film throughout the year. We've been in a lot of empty sets and spread sets, and then again, going back in and grinding it out on the ground. So we're just gonna feel our way through this week and see what's going to put us in the best situation."

The Pensacola Catholic defense is not to be overshadowed as it has held postseason opponents Suwannee, Walton and Florida High 22.6, 26.5, 23.4 points below their respective scoring averages.

The key to its success has been not allowing long-sustained drives and getting off the field quickly thanks to numerous three-and-outs. That remains a major x-factor this week as the Crusaders offense will likely need as many cracks at the end zone as possible against a defense that doesn't give up much.

“I’ve been happy with our defense all year long. They’ve kept us in a lot of games,” Adams said. “Coming off the performance they had last week, Florida High poses such a challenge because they do so many different formations and looks. And for us to be able to line up and be disciplined and play our assignments was a good sign. Our guys, they run very well and we have a very physical front.”

Averaging 33.4 points per game, the Tornadoes have the talent to make slowing them down easier said than done. However, the playing status of two important Bradford players are up in the air.

Senior quarterback Dae'jon Shanks and senior wide receiver Chalil Cummings were each ejected from the team's 43-0 victory last week against Baker County for unsportsmanlike calls. According to Bylaw 30.2 of the FHSAA rulebook, the duo is slated to receive at least a Level 1 suspension, which would make them ineligible to compete Friday.

Shanks has accounted for 29 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 combined yards through his work on the ground and through the air. Cummings has team-highs of 41 catches for 694 yards and 10 scoring receptions.

The FHSAA's ruling is unknown.

Class 2S state semifinal

Pensacola Catholic (11-2) at Bradford (13-0)

When: 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST Friday

Where: David Hurse Stadium

Key players: Pensacola Catholic - Jayvion Showers (WR, Sr.), Demontrae Gaston (LB/WR, Sr.), C.J. Nettles (RB, Jr.), Ryland Bragg (OL, Sr.), Desjon Robertson (DL, Sr.), Nigel Nelson (LB, Jr.), Ryan Huff (QB, Jr.), Courtney Clark (DL, Sr.), Turner McLaughlin (LB, Sr.); Bradford - Dae’jon Shanks (QB, Sr.), Chalil Cummings (WR/DB, Sr.), Torin Brazell (DL/TE, Sr.), Willie Pollard (RB, Sr.), Chason Clark (LB, Sr.), Duke Lewis (LB, Sr.), Devon McBride (LB, Sr.)

FHSAA RPI Rankings: Pensacola Catholic (11.019) - fourth in Region 1-2S, 10th in Class 2S, 62nd overall; Bradford (17.346) - first in Region 2-2S, second in Class 2S, 11th overall

Region Final results: Pensacola Catholic - 17-10 win at Florida High; Bradford - 43-0 win vs. Baker County

Last meeting: N/A

Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): Pensacola Catholic 13, Bradford 10

Patrick's prediction record after the regional finals: 67-28

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (772) 985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Football: Can Pensacola Catholic get past Bradford in state semifinals?