Columbiana falls to Brookfield first round
Columbiana falls to Brookfield first round
Trending
BROOKFIELD -- Columbiana’s season came to a close on Friday, falling 49-0, to Brookfield in a first-round Division VI, Region 21, playoff showdown.
"We had some things we thought we could do, and we just didn’t execute them quite honestly," Clippers coach Bob Spaite said. "We didn’t execute them, and then things just snowballed on us. It was one thing after another. They were making the mistakes early. They gave us a chance, and we didn’t take advantage of it. And that’s on me.
"It wasn’t a lack of effort, it wasn’t a lack of anything else, it’s just one of those things that just got away from us. Their quickness really showed there in the second half."
While a fumbled punt set Columbiana up inside the red zone, the Clippers saw no points from it. Brookfield’s Cruz Torres intercepted a pass from Columbiana quarterback Hayes McCoy and returned it inside the 10-yard line.
On fourth-and-8, Warriors quarterback Blake Hammond connected with Torres to give Brookfield its first points of the night.
The Warriors nearly added another score on their next possession, but Columbiana forced a fumble at the goal line and took over possession of the ball. But the Brookfield defense held strong, keeping the Clippers off the board.
Near the midway point of the second quarter, Hammond threw his second touchdown pass of the night, hitting Rico Smith in the middle of the field, who raced 76 yards for a score.
Brookfield struck once more before the break, with Hammond finding Torres over the middle of the field. Torres shook a pair of tacklers for a 33-yard score.
The second half began the way the first one ended, with Brookfield points. Senior Keithen Flynn returned the opening kickoff back for a quick score to go up 27-0 after converting the two-point try.
On the team’s next possession, Hammond ran up the middle and raced 52 yards, nearly untouched, to score. The Warriors (8-3) kept its offense rolling, with freshman Tillman Douglas following with a 20-yard score near the end of the third quarter.
Junior Robbie Flynn added to Brookfield’s total with a scoop-and-score early in the fourth quarter.
Columbiana’s season comes to a close at 8-3.
The Warriors will take on top-seeded Kirtland in the second round of postseason play.
"You do the same thing you’ve been doing all year. The phrase is if you want to be the best, you got to beat the best," Brookfield coach Randy Clark said. "We played Kirtland in 2015. We played hard. We’re gonna have a great week of practice. We’re gonna keep these kids’ heads up, and we’re going to go in just like any other game."