Our Spotlight Game of the Week pitted the defending state champs from Brookville playing their first playoff game against a familiar foe.
Brookville hadn't played in three weeks thanks to back-to-back byes. But there was no sign of rust for the Bees. They scored just 39 seconds into the game, then got the ball right back. Hilson Atkins scampered in from six yards out to make it 14-0 Bees.
To the second quarter, and it was 17-0. The Bees defense only gave up two first downs in the entire first half. Dominic Dunnaville was trying to make something happen. But he was stripped, the Bees recovered, and they were in business with another short field opportunity.
Anthony Calloway with the ball. He took a shot but kept his balance, then reversed fields and had blockers in front. He went 24 yards on the touchdown run to put the Bees up 23-0.
"Two people grabbed the back of my helmet and I was looking for a flag,” Calloway said. “But I looked at my feet and I saw I was still standing. So I just turned around and ran outside of them and it was touchdown."
They tacked on another field goal and took a 26-0 lead into halftime.
Northside finally got in gear on the opening drive of the second half. Dunnaville hit Jarrien Hairston, and the senior went 29 yards for the Vikings’ first trip into the redzone.
Dunnaville capped things off on a designed keeper from three yards out. Vikings got on the board, down 26-7.
"Our goal is always to not let a team score at all,” Anton Payne said. “So we still got some areas to improve on. Coach always tells us we got to keep our foot on the pedal, never let it off."
That was all they would manage on a dominating night for the Brookville defense. The Bees remained undefeated with a 29-7 win.
"I'm glad you said something about that defense. They kind of go under the radar and they tend to play second fiddle versus Heritage in the Seminole District,” Brookville coach Jeff Woody said. “They've got pride in themselves and obviously that kind of puts a little burr in the system. They want to get out here and they want to play. We're really fast on defense and the kids do well, fundamentally speaking, blocking and tackling."
