Copeland, fellow Bears shred Cherokees 39-7

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Cole Copeland, a Mr. Football semifinalist a year ago, threw up Mr. Football type numbers Friday and led Bradley Central to a 39-7 victory over McMinn County.

In the teams’ 93rd meeting, the Bears’ senior quarterback completed 29 of 40 passes for 356 yards and six touchdowns.

“You can’t simulate his passes or the speed of their game in practice,” Cherokees coach Bo Cagle said. “We couldn’t keep their offense off the field.”

The Bears’ defense wasn’t bad, either. They didn’t give up a score until the final minute of the third quarter, and while they allowed 227 rushing yards, they limited the Cherokees (1-1) to sporadic gains, and they had a couple of strong defensive stands inside their own 10.

McMinn also had a pair of key defensive stands — inside its own 5-yard line — and held its own for a while against the potent Bradley offense. The Cherokees were able to limit Bradley to 116 rushing yards but just couldn’t contend consistently with the receivers’ speed or Copeland’s accuracy.

It was practically a coming-out party for Bradley’s passing game. The Bears last week pounded the running game trying to limit Walker Valley’s offensive possessions, and Copeland consequently threw for just 130 yards. Friday, though, when he wasn’t passing he also was running and finished as the Bears’ leading rusher with 67 yards on eight carries.

Copeland completed passes to six receivers, and Lameric Tucker, Stephen Muhonen, Nick Holland and Adam Mullis got TD receptions. Tucker, who got hit with a cleat just hours before the game and had to go get three stitches along his right eyebrow, finished with 12 catches for 124 yards.

Bradley struggled early, ahead only 6-0 after the first quarter after finally getting on the board on a 16-yard Copeland pass to Muhonen.

The Bears boosted the lead to 19 by halftime on Copeland passes to Tucker, then went up 26-0 on a 10-yard pass to Holland late in the third period.

McMinn’s score came with 70 seconds left in the third quarter — a 58-yard run by Zach Byas.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.