Bradley Central falls 31-7 to second-ranked Maryville

MARYVILLE, Tenn. - Bradley Central moved the ball but couldn't get to the end zone.

The seventh-ranked Bears threatened early but were unable to cash in on opportunities Friday night as No. 2 Maryville held on to win 31-7 and secure the Region 2-6A title in the final game of the regular season.

"We give up 31 points, so it's a total team loss," Bradley Central coach Damon Floyd said. "There are total team wins, and this was a total team loss. We didn't play well on special teams, defense or offense.

"To beat a team like Maryville you have to be able to score points and obviously seven is not going to do it, and we can't let them score 31. Too many mistakes."

The Bears (8-2, 5-1) drove into Maryville territory on their first two possessions but came away with no points. The first drive stalled at the Rebels' 44 and the next ended with a missed 25-yard field goal that would have cut into Maryville's two-touchdown lead.

Bradley Central did score on its next possession, churning out a 12-play drive over a 5:11 span to pull within a touchdown late in the second quarter.

Four of the Bears' first five possessions reached Maryville territory, but quarterback Dylan Standifer's 1-yard touchdown run was all the scoring they would muster for the game.

Maryville's defense kept Bradley's potent passing attack in check, allowing Standifer to hit the underneath routes but not let anything get caught over top. Standifer finished with 200 passing yards on 18 completions and rushed for 24 yards.

"They have a talented offense and they've made a lot of teams look bad this season," Maryville coach Derek Hunt said. "Their quarterback can make a lot of plays and he did that tonight, but we were able to play a bend-don't-break style tonight and we were able to hold on."

Maryville quarterback Dylan Hopkins accounted for all four Rebels touchdowns with his legs. The senior rushed for 92 yards on 15 carries and threw for 201 yards.

"He's a stud," Floyd said. "You have to give him credit. He can run, he can throw it. All the credit goes to him. He gave us fits tonight like he does everybody every week."

Bradley Central will be the No. 2 seed out of the region and will host Science Hill (7-3) in the opening round of the postseason.

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