WHAT WE SAW: A.C. Flora 72, Brookland-Cayce 43
In this article:
When you look at a scoreboard that reads A.C. Flora 72, Brookland-Cayce 43 at the end of the night, you figure there are plenty of offensive players to discuss and very limited defensive personnel that stands out. That’s partially true.…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhen you look at a scoreboard that reads A.C. Flora 72, Brookland-Cayce 43 at the end of the night, you figure there are plenty of offensive players to discuss and very limited defensive personnel that stands out.
That’s partially true.
A.C. Flora used the three-headed monster that has been QB Carew Bates Carew Bates 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH AC Flora | 2023 State SC , RB Markel Townsend Markel Townsend 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB AC Flora | 2023 State SC and WR Chris Lofton Chris Lofton 5'10" | 165 lbs | WR AC Flora | 2023 State SC to improve to 3-0 on the season. None of those three disappointed against the Bearcats.
Bates had probably his best game since transitioning to the quarterback spot. The senior completed 11-of-12 passes for 179 yards and touchdowns of 53 and 11 yards to Lofton, 24 yards to Aiden Mosely and 23 yards to Jack Purdy Jack Purdy 6'4" | 195 lbs | WR A.C. Flora | 2023 SC . His only incompletion came early in the first quarter. Bates also ran for 46 yards and a 4-yard score.
“He’s a dude,” first-year head coach Ken Floyd said of Bates. “He’s having a heck of a season. Every week, he gets better and better. But he works so hard. He demands to be good. The guy’s really good so I’m excited he’s on my team.”
Lofton finished with four receptions for 101 yards.
Townsend has been good for three years now on the varsity level and isn’t slowing down. He finished with 198 yards on 21 carries with scoring runs of 1, 1 and 15 yards. Townsend gets behind the huge offensive line of Ben Holmes Ben Holmes 6'7" | 285 lbs | OL AC Flora | 2023 State SC , Kendarious Kinard and Alexander Koutrakos and picks his holes wisely. He has unbelievable balance and rarely goes down on first contact.
Brookland-Cayce had its share of standouts. De’Shawn Washington was a workhorse in the backfield with 193 yards on 28 carries. He ran physical and was never knocked backwards, always falling forward for the extra yard.
Tanner Staton Tanner Staton 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Brookland-Cayce | 2023 State SC threw for 101 yards and a score and rushed for 51 yards and a 30-yard touchdown.
Naahzeikiel Mays played both ways and added 93 yards rushing and touchdowns of 6 and 40 yards.
The Bearcats have a big, physical offensive line as well. Trequan Singleton, Kamden Sox, Jacory Jones, and Jared Holmes will make things tough on Class 3A defenses. All four are underclassmen.
Defensively, Eric McClain returned a fumble for a score for the Falcons. Senior Andre Thomas, junior Braxton Burton and senior Mason Little played well in spurts.