CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Bradley Central and East Hamilton made it very clear they were not on the football field to make friends - they were there to battle.
The host Bears landed the last punch in a fourth quarter that featured 28 combined points, winning 27-24 in their District 5-AAA matchup Thursday night.
Bradley Central overcame three 10-point deficits, including two in the final quarter.
"When I think about this team, there's no other way to describe them than fighters," said Bears coach Damon Floyd. "That's what they've done all season, and that's all you can ask as a coach. Now we're going to fight in the playoffs."
Versatile quarterback Cole Copeland started the fourth-quarter scoring with a touchdown pass to Tyler Carpenter to cut East Hamilton's lead to 17-14. After David Whiteside scored his third touchdown of the night to push the lead back to double digits, the Bears needed something quickly.
Daniel Clark caught a pass about 20 yards in front of the line of scrimmage and then refused to fall until he reached the end zone. Clark powered through two Hurricanes defenders to take the ball 90 yards in what seemed to shift the momentum to a Bears team that had struggled all night.
The Hurricanes could not respond, and a fumble on fourth down gave the Bears a window with under two minutes to play. Copeland, who finished with more than 100 yards through the air and on the ground, led the drive with his arm and legs to march his team downfield.
As the clock ticked under a minute, Floyd and his staff wove a web of brilliance. Brett Brown, a defensive end nicknamed "The Spider," leaked out into the end zone in a run formation and caught a 6-yard touchdown throw from Copeland.
"We've been practicing that for a couple of weeks," Floyd said. "Every time we show that package, they expect us to run the ball, and until now we haven't needed to throw it. But we did tonight.
"It couldn't have been to a better kid, Spider. He finishes plays hard and battles every game."
Brown also had a blocked field goal in the game.
The Hurricanes did not let the clock faze them after Brown's score, and they zipped toward the other end behind Whiteside, who was a force of nature himself with 142 yards. However, with one more play to get into position for a field goal, an East Hamilton receiver tipped the ball and it landed into the hands of Carpenter to seal the win.
"You know, the ball has pointed ends, so it bounces different every time, and it didn't bounce our way," said Hurricanes coach Ted Gatewood. "It's been one of those seasons, but I'm very proud of our team and their fight and effort."
Matt Milita complemented Whiteside with 93 yards rushing. Whiteside also scored in the first and third quarters.
Copeland ran for a 42-yard score in the second to go with his two TDs through the air in the fourth.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.