By: Zachary Harmuth
The Cleveland show aired in prime time Friday night at BGA’s homecoming game against Davidson Academy.
Ronald Cleveland, that is. Number three racked up four touchdowns in the Wildcats 41-0 rout of the Bears.
BGA (5-2, 1-0 in Division A-II) wrapped it up basically before the first break, going up 21-0 in the first quarter.
In the first 12 minutes it was all Beathard brothers on special teams and defense. Clayton picked off a Kyle Gilbert pass on the Bears (2-4, 0-2) first possession of the game and took it 20 yards to the Davidson 32.
Then Cleveland shucked and jived his way for a 32 yard run and score on BGA’s first offensive play of the game.
The Bears’ next possession ended in a punt to Clayton’s younger brother Tucker, who took it 25 yards, and one unbroken tackle away from a touchdown, to the Bears 35. Quarterback Cole Grosnevor then found Marc Cawthrone on 3rd and 10, after two incompletions, for a 35 yard strike.
Another Bear possession, another punt, and this time Grosnever used his legs and scampered 22 yards for the Wildcats 3rd score of the game. At 21-0, the first quarter ended and the game might as well have too.
The Bears put up little to no resistance, and the WIldcats made not mistakes and dominated their opponent in every way.
BGA’s defense really went wild. They forced five fumbles, recovering two, and intercepted Gilbert twice, for four turnovers total. Harm Abbott led the way, with a ridiculous stat line: he had a sack for a loss of 12 yards, three tackles for a total loss of 22 yards and a fumble recovery.
What says it all is that that BGA’s first three possessions were touchdowns, while Davidson’s first three possessions were interception, punt, punt.
Cleveland finished with two rushing and two passing touchdowns. He ran 7 times for 120 yards (17.1 yard average); and caught 2 passes for 47 yards. Grosnevor threw 9 of 14 for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had one interception, also, but only because of coach Roc Batten’s aggressive strategy: instead of punting on fourth downs he elected usually to go for it. Grosnevor’s one pick was essentially the same as a punt, and was thrown deep in Bear territory on fourth and long.
