By Mark Alexander, Correspondent

David Brainerd has made significant strides each year under coach Tawambi Settles.

The Wildcats took another step in that maturation process Friday night.

After relinquishing a 13-0 first-quarter lead, David Brainerd bounced back and raced past Sunbright 26-16 at Washington Hills in the season opener for both teams.

“The past few years if something happened like that — the other team coming back and taking the lead on us — we would’ve dropped our heads and given in,” said Settles, who is in his third year. “But we didn’t do that tonight. We dug deep and stood up. The pressure brought out the best in us.”

Senior quarterback Brooks Thedford threw for 268 yards and one touchdown. Speedy running back Denzel Lowery also had a big night for the Wildcats, rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

“Brooks ran the show for us,” said Settles, whose team compiled 423 total yards — 268 passing. “He made some good checks and some good reads. And Denzel stepped up and ran the ball extremely well. We’ve been pass-happy in the past. But we were very balanced tonight. That’s big. Everybody we expected to step up for us did.”

Thedford completed 9 of 12 passes for 212 yards in the first half, including a 46-yard touchdown pass to Will Keebler in the first quarter. Later in the first quarter, Thedford hit Dillon McGregor with a 46-yard pass, setting up a 9-yard TD run by Lowery.

Sunbright answered, though, and forged ahead 16-13 late in the first half with a bruising running attack that accounted for 323 of the Tigers’ 358 total yards. Tailback Garrett Starkey rumbled 21 yards for a touchdown and quarterback Justin Huseman scored on a 2-yard keeper, giving his team the lead just 90 seconds before halftime.

David Brainerd’s offense wiped that away in a hurry, driving 67 yards on just three plays, capped by a 7-yard touchdown scamper by Lowery to make it 19-16. The big play on the drive was a 42-yard pass from Thedford to Keebler.

The Wildcats held Sunbright scoreless the rest of the way and put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter when Keebler recovered a fumble by Lowery in the end zone, stretching the lead to 10. Lowery hauled in a pass from Thedford and raced 21 yards inside the 5-yard line before fumbling. The ball rolled forward into the end zone and into Keebler’s hands.

“They gave us a battle,” Lowery said. “But we fought through it. It was a good way for us to start the season.”

Sunbright drove inside David Brainerd’s 20 three times, twice inside the 10, without a score. A holding penalty wiped out one late-third-quarter touchdown that would’ve given the Tigers the lead.

“Our defense came up with some big stops when we needed them the most,” Lowery said.

E-mail Mark Alexander at sports@timesfreepress.com