Bearcats Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
Photo By John
Ray
by Mike Wachsman
Posted 10-17-09
Michael Sellers had a night to remember in Brookhaven's 24-21 victory
over rival Beechcroft, kick starting the offense and sealing the victory on
defense.
The win kept alive the Bearcats hopes of a Division II, Region 7 playoff
berth and third straight City League North division crown while the loss all
but erased Beechcroft's playoff hopes.
Sellers had a pair of touchdown grabs, including a diving 22-yard touchdown
catch in the back of the end zone that helped Brookhaven (6-2, 5-0) gain a
12-0 lead with 2:44 left before halftime. The Bearcats looked ready to run
away with the game after Demetrius Johnson plunged over from the one-yard
line with 33 seconds left, giving Brookhaven an 18-0 lead at halftime.
But Beechcroft (5-3, 4-1) wasn't about to go down without a fight.
The Cougars got on the board when Sheldon Akin hit Ron Walton with a
12-yard touchdown pass with 1:15 left in the third quarter, and that seemed
to settle the hosts down. Beechcroft cut the deficit to 18-13 on a five-yard
scoring pass from Akin to Walton with 7:50 to play, a score that was set up
by a 72-yard run from Dairon Glover.
Brookhaven answered with a nifty 72-yard pitch and catch from Tajuan Green
to Deonta Stenson, which set the ball up at the Cougars 1-yard line. Johnson
tallied his second score of the night with just over seven minutes left to
play, making it 24-13, and it looked like time might be running out on the
Cougars.
But Beechcroft wouldn't let Brookhaven relax, taking the ensuing kickoff 80
yards for a score and succeeding on a two-point conversion with 6:55 left to
play.
The Cougars got the ball back at the Brookhaven 43 with two minutes to
play, and were determined to end a losing streak that dates back to 2002
against the Bearcats. Brookhaven's defense stepped up, getting two sacks to
set up a desperation 4th-and-17 for Beechcroft. A final pass by Akin was
picked off by Sellers -- his second interception of the game --and the night
was finally over.
"We talked at halftime about staying humble and staying focused," said
Sellers, his uniform caked in mud and his smile unwavering. "We stayed
humble, but they're a good team and they started making some plays."
With two weeks left in the season the Cougars are not packing it in.
"We have never given up all year," Bruce Ward said. "We showed a lot of
heart and character, but we can't keep waiting for the second half to play."
Brookhaven's Green went 10-of-20 for 243 yards, a far cry from a few weeks
ago when he was replaced at quarterback by William Tweedy. Green got the job
back when Tweedy was injured, and responded with his best game on the
biggest stage.
"He got his swagger back from the first week of the season," Bearcats coach
Anthony Thornton said. "He stayed focused, and we told him he'd have an
opportunity to get it done for us again. The opportunity came up and he was
great tonight."
Beechcroft struggled much of the night on offense, gaining just one first
down and 25 yards in the first half. But the defense did well enough to keep
the Cougars alive, forcing two interceptions and recovering a fumble.
Few thought the game would be easy, and Thornton breathed a huge sigh of
relief as his team made its way back to the bus for the joyous trip home.
"A win's a win," Thornton said. "I just told them all game that I believed
in them and our defense did the job as they always do."