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Brookfield stays hot on 5-game win streak

Staff file photo / Greg Macafee Brookfield running back Aiden Jones runs for a gain against Ursuline earlier this season. Jones has been a key piece of Brookfield’s success after moving to the slot.

Brookfield coach Randy Clark knew exactly what he was doing when he put Ursuline on the Warriors’ schedule in Week 1 of the 2022 season.

“The reason we played them was because we wanted to be competitive,” Clark said. “We knew we were going to be good this year and I really wanted to see where we were at right at the get-go.”

The Warriors lost that game 52-14, but after six weeks of the season they are now 5-1 and have scored 240 total points, averaging exactly 40 points per game while only allowing just over 15 points per game, which includes the 52 points Ursuline put up.

Without that Week 1 loss, the Warriors are only allowing 8.4 points per game and are scoring 45.2 points per game.

“After that game we made three or four changes on defense and two or three on offense and since then, those changes have been working out,” Clark said.

Some of those changes include how the Warriors have moved around some of their better players. Coming into the season, Clark had a pair of running backs in Aiden Jones and Christian Davis that both have breakaway speed and an ability to run defenders over. But, they were splitting time in the backfield.

So, in order to get both of them on the field at the same time, Clark moved Jones into the slot and the move has paid off as Jones handles some jet sweeps and things like that while Davis has showcased his breakaway speed through the tackles.

“It’s working out very well,” Clark said.

Brookfield’s 6-foot-5 wide receiver Isaiah Jones has also switched from playing two ways to just offense and has in turn recorded some big games.

In Brookfield’s most recent win, a 53-6 shallacking of Crestview Isaiah caught just four passes for 82 yards and touchdown. He also had two catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against Liberty on December 9.

“He’s a gamer and he’s playing very well,” Clark said. “But what do you expect from a 6’5 kid getting Division I offers.”

As group the Warriors have taken a leap forward as well defensively as they haven’t allowed more than 13 points since their Week 2 win over Springfield (27-14). After that they’ve allowed a combined 28 points in four games with Campbell scoring 13 in Week 5.

“A couple of weeks ago it kind of sunk in and now the mental part of it is second nature and they are able to play fast,” Clark said.

During their five games winning streak, the Warriors topped Springfield, Western Reserve (47-3), Liberty (47-6), Campbell (52-13) and their most recent win over Crestview, but they still have a long way to go.

Brookfield will travel to Newton Falls tonight before finishing the regular season with LaBrae, Garfield, and Champion.

The Warriors are also currently ranked 10th in the Division VI, Region 21 computer rankings but still have plenty of time to move up.

“Week in, week out it’s about us,” Clark said. “We practice to get better ourselves and of course we break down the other team, but going into Week 7 and our last three or four games, our kids acted very well. We just have to stay on them and keep them up beat and hopefully that continues.”

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