With starting tailback Logan Fetzner limited Friday, Bradley Central football coach Damon Floyd stressed to his players that it was time for the "next man up."
The one who got the opportunity was Baylor Terrell, and he took advantage.
Terrell finished with 140 yards and a score, and the Bears got off to a positive start in District 5-AAA with a 35-0 road victory over Soddy-Daisy. After the game, a near melee broke out between the teams -- first between the coaches, then spilling over to the players. No punches were thrown, and no suspensions are expected.
The Bears received contributions from all around. Quarterback Bryce Copeland finished 11-for-14 for 260 passing yards and two touchdowns, and Dee Crisp had five catches for 119 yards as the Bears amassed 475 yards of offense. Crisp was the recipient of one of Copeland's touchdown passes, with the other going to Caleb Cain for the first score of the game.
On defense, Eduardo Trevino had four sacks and the Bears held Soddy-Daisy to 266 yards of total offense.
"Tonight was a huge win," Terrell said. "It was a pivotal moment in our season. We wanted to be district champions, and we can't do that if we were to have lost tonight.
"The offensive line did a great job tonight. You could have driven an 18-wheeler through the holes I had."
Even in limited action, Fetzner finished with two touchdowns.
"Any time you get a district win, it's a good game. Obviously I'm happy with how we played," Floyd said.
Floyd praised the play of Crisp, a backup to two-time Class 6A all-stater and current Naval Academy freshman James Stovall the past two seasons.
"We lost a lot of offense last season and it's not easy to replace those guys, but we think that Dee can be a playmaker," he said. "He has the potential to be a good one here."
Soddy-Daisy quarterback Brett Standifer was 18-for-29 for 233 yards, but the Trojans rushing attack was held to 33 yards. C.J. Brown had six catches for 105 yards.