CLEVELAND, Tenn. — In his youth league days, A.J. Westfield was considered too heavy to run the football.
“I was above the weight limit,” admitted Westfield, now a Cleveland High School junior.
Friday night, though, with the game on the line and a chance to end a nine-year losing skid to rival Bradley Central there for the taking, Blue Raiders coach Chandler Tygard had no problem going to the 6-foot-2, 270-pounder.
Westfield’s 21 rushing yards included a 6-yard touchdown early and a couple of big runs on the game-sealing drive, helping the short-handed Blue Raiders defeat the short-handed Bears 14-13 in a TSSAA Region 2-6A game at Bear Stadium.
It’s Cleveland first win in the intracounty rivalry since a 23-18 victory in 2014, also at Bear Stadium.