BRODHEAD - If there were any questions about how Brodhead-Juda would respond after its first loss to Clinton last week, senior running back Griffin Day dashed any concerns with an early touchdown to help the Cardinals roll to a 41-0 win over Beloit Turner Friday.
Day rushed for 160 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns to power the Cardinals to the homecoming shutout. Brodhead-Juda (6-1, 3-1 Rock Valley South) set the tone with a 10-play, 67-yard opening drive, culminating in Day's 21-yard TD run.
The Cardinals gashed the Trojans, rushing for 387 yards and had three scoring drives of 10 plays or more that chewed up the clock.
"We just wanted to really come out and establish the run quick," Day said. "We came out with the mentality that we wanted to dominate every play."
The Cardinals are one game behind Big Foot (6-1, 4-0) in the hunt for a conference title. Brodhead-Juda will play at Palmyra-Eagle Friday, Oct. 11 before hosting Big Foot Friday, Oct. 17 with a chance to win at least a share of a conference title for the first time since 2003. The Chiefs have won 10 straight conference championships.
"We felt like we could have beat them (Clinton) last week," Day said. "We got back on track. Hopefully, we can keep rolling the next two games and get a share of the conference championship."
It didn't take long for the Cardinals to keep rolling in the first quarter with a 20-point outburst. Brodhead-Juda quarterback Brennan Bescup connected with Ned Slocum on a 23-yard TD pass with 5 minutes, 18 seconds to go in the first quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead. Brodhead-Juda junior Dylan Kubly rammed in for a 3-yard TD run late in the first quarter to give the Cardinals a 20-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The scoring drive was set up by Bescup's 35-yard pass to Slocum.
"The weather was a little bit of a factor," Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said. "We thought if we could keep the ball on the ground that would be a positive. We ran the ball really hard."
Brodhead-Juda capped a 12-play, 73-yard drive with Day scoring on a 21-yard run to give the Cardinals a 28-0 lead at the half.
The Cardinals picked up right where they left off in the second half with a 10-play, 74-yard drive, punctuated by senior Mitchell Johnson's 5-yard TD run with 4:39 left in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 35-0 lead.
Johnson rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries and scored one touchdown. Bescup was 3 of 6 passing for 67 yards with one touchdown. Slocum had two catches for 58 yards and one touchdown.
Slocum had an interception in the second half and the Cardinals stymied the Trojans' passing attack one week after the Cougars used a shotgun offense to stun the Cardinals 36-34. The Cardinals limited the Trojans to just 144 total yards and 90 yards passing.
"We knew we had to work on our coverages after last week," Bockhop said. "We knew Beloit Turner likes to air it out. Our defense made a lot of plays tonight and I'm proud of them."
Brodhead-Juda sophomore Bryson Ils had an 11-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring for the Cardinals. The Cardinals used a stable of running backs behind an offensive line that paved the way for big runs on the ground.
"We wanted to keep them (running backs) fresh," Bockhop said. "Mitchell Johnson has been a little banged up. You like to reward kids who practice hard every day, and that is a nice thing to do."
Bockhop isn't looking too far ahead to the showdown in the regular season finale against Big Foot.
"When we get the film we will be focusing on Palmyra-Eagle," Bockhop said. "It's one week at a time."
Day rushed for 160 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns to power the Cardinals to the homecoming shutout. Brodhead-Juda (6-1, 3-1 Rock Valley South) set the tone with a 10-play, 67-yard opening drive, culminating in Day's 21-yard TD run.
The Cardinals gashed the Trojans, rushing for 387 yards and had three scoring drives of 10 plays or more that chewed up the clock.
"We just wanted to really come out and establish the run quick," Day said. "We came out with the mentality that we wanted to dominate every play."
The Cardinals are one game behind Big Foot (6-1, 4-0) in the hunt for a conference title. Brodhead-Juda will play at Palmyra-Eagle Friday, Oct. 11 before hosting Big Foot Friday, Oct. 17 with a chance to win at least a share of a conference title for the first time since 2003. The Chiefs have won 10 straight conference championships.
"We felt like we could have beat them (Clinton) last week," Day said. "We got back on track. Hopefully, we can keep rolling the next two games and get a share of the conference championship."
It didn't take long for the Cardinals to keep rolling in the first quarter with a 20-point outburst. Brodhead-Juda quarterback Brennan Bescup connected with Ned Slocum on a 23-yard TD pass with 5 minutes, 18 seconds to go in the first quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead. Brodhead-Juda junior Dylan Kubly rammed in for a 3-yard TD run late in the first quarter to give the Cardinals a 20-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The scoring drive was set up by Bescup's 35-yard pass to Slocum.
"The weather was a little bit of a factor," Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said. "We thought if we could keep the ball on the ground that would be a positive. We ran the ball really hard."
Brodhead-Juda capped a 12-play, 73-yard drive with Day scoring on a 21-yard run to give the Cardinals a 28-0 lead at the half.
The Cardinals picked up right where they left off in the second half with a 10-play, 74-yard drive, punctuated by senior Mitchell Johnson's 5-yard TD run with 4:39 left in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 35-0 lead.
Johnson rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries and scored one touchdown. Bescup was 3 of 6 passing for 67 yards with one touchdown. Slocum had two catches for 58 yards and one touchdown.
Slocum had an interception in the second half and the Cardinals stymied the Trojans' passing attack one week after the Cougars used a shotgun offense to stun the Cardinals 36-34. The Cardinals limited the Trojans to just 144 total yards and 90 yards passing.
"We knew we had to work on our coverages after last week," Bockhop said. "We knew Beloit Turner likes to air it out. Our defense made a lot of plays tonight and I'm proud of them."
Brodhead-Juda sophomore Bryson Ils had an 11-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring for the Cardinals. The Cardinals used a stable of running backs behind an offensive line that paved the way for big runs on the ground.
"We wanted to keep them (running backs) fresh," Bockhop said. "Mitchell Johnson has been a little banged up. You like to reward kids who practice hard every day, and that is a nice thing to do."
Bockhop isn't looking too far ahead to the showdown in the regular season finale against Big Foot.
"When we get the film we will be focusing on Palmyra-Eagle," Bockhop said. "It's one week at a time."
