Bethany brushes off slow start, gets shutout in Class 4A opener

BETHANY — Unbeaten Bethany has had just one game all season decided by fewer than 20 points — that back on Sept .27 against Blanchard — so when the Class 4A topranked Bronchos went into halftime clinging to a 6-0 lead over Clinton on Friday night, it seemed odd.

“It was an interesting feeling ,” senior quarterback Sam Brandt said, “because we hadn't been there in a long time. We just got in there and made the adjustments we needed to … and we came out rolling in the second half.”

Bethany indeed worked out its issues in the third quarter, scoring on a pair of long pass plays from Brandt to Ben Lawson, and the Bronchos' defense did the rest, recording its third shutout of the season in a 20-0 win over unranked Clinton in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs at the Southern Nazarene University Football Stadium.

Brandt rushed 25 times for 177 yards and a touchdown and completed 5 of 7 passes for 139 yards and two more scores. Bethany ( 11- 0) advanced to play Wagoner (9-2) in next week's quarterfinals, while Clinton ended its season at 6-5 after a third straight loss.

The Red Tornado es pushed Bethany to double overtime in last year's 4A semifinals before falling 31-30, but they struggled mightily on offense on Friday, managing only eight first downs and 158 yards of offense. They also committed four turnovers, all in the second half when they enjoyed exquisite field position, with no drive starting further back than their own 41.

Beth any harassed Clinton sophomore quarter back Ca den Powell into a 4-of-22, 48-yard passing performance that included two interceptions. Junior tailback Atrel Bryson, battling an ankle injury, managed only 33 yards on eight carries and also threw an interception.

“Field position wasn't our friend tonight and the kicking game was not great,” Bethany coach Jon Arthur said. “But the kids just did a great job defensively just executing and tackled extremely well.”

Clinton's defense also did yeoman's work in the first half, holding Bethany without a first down in the first quarter and to just 109 yards of offense in the half.

On Bethany' s only scoring drive of the half, a five-play, 68-yard march, Brandt broke free for runs of 14, 33 and 19 yards, the last resulting in a touchdown with 8:34 left in the second quarter. Clinton's Aaron Sea bolt blocked t he conversion ki ck by Hayden Stoops, keeping the score at 6-0.

The narrow margin led to Bethany incorporating some adjustments at half time, which worked swimming ly— and quickly—for the Bronchos. Brandt ran for 24 yards on the first play of the second half, and on a third-down play from the Clinton 46, found Lawson wide open for an easy pitch-and-catch. Stoops' kick made it 13-0.

Bethany' s Jordan Flint on intercepted Powell later in the third quarter and the Bronchos took over at their own 24. After a penalty, Brandt connected with Lawson on a crossing route for an 81-yard touchdown with 3:52 left. Lawson finished with four catches for 136 yards.