Despite a record setting game for running back Christian Wright, who totaled 377 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries, the Arcs were unable to get a victory over rival Mayfield, the score being 45-41.
Brush drops to 2-4, and 2-1 in the conference, while the Wildcats improve to 3-3, and 2-1 in the conference.
Along with Christian’s monster game, Quarterback Godwin Joe ran the ball 20 times for 112 yards and a touchdown. In the air, Joe went 8-for-24 with 135 yards and a touchdown.
The Arcs started off the game quickly, as Joe connected with a deep pass to Aaron Murphy on the opening possession of the game. This led to a 29-yard Bradley Heiss field goal to give Brush the early lead. Towards the end of the quarter, Brush would get another huge offensive play, this one on the ground from Wright. This would set up a seven yard touchdown run for Christian, making Brush’s lead 9-0.
However, Mayfield would respond very quickly, scoring with a 59-yard run from Hicks to make it 9-7 Brush. The Arcs would be unable to answer back, and the Wildcats got another rushing touchdown, this one from Quarterback Williams, and take a 14-9 lead. This time, however, Brush would answer back, and their answer was a 45-yard touchdown by Christian Wright to make it 16-14 Brush. However, the Arcs did not have the lead for long, as Mayfield would return the kickoff for a touchdown, making the score 21-16 Wildcats going into the half.
In the third quarter, Mayfield would extend their lead, scoring two straight touchdowns to make the game 35-16. On the play of his defense during this time, Fink said “They got caught a couple times…took some plays off… we lost some of that physicality this week and we have to get back to that.”
However, Brush would not give. Late in third quarter, Wright would have a huge run that would set up a Joe touchdown pass to Jordan Shahid, making the score 35-22. Brush would then start off the final quarter with a 61-yard touchdown by Wright, cutting the Wildcat’s lead to seven. Mayfield would add a field goal after that to make it a 38-28 lead over the Arcs.
Brush would respond to that with a 17-yard touchdown run by Joe that following another long Wright run. On their next drive, Brush would score another touchdown with a minute and 50 seconds left on the clock. Thanks to a 22-yard rush from Wright, the Arcs would take the lead back for the first time since the second quarter. On the 25-3 run the team had to get back into the game, Fink said “Our kids showed their perseverance… just the willpower and their belief that they could make plays to put themselves back in the ballgame.”
However, with five seconds to go, Mayfield would score a controversial touchdown to take the lead back and ensure their victory. On the final play, Fink said “I want the team to learn from it… you can’t give your power and control and put it in the hands of the refs.”
Brush’s next game is at home against the 3-3 Riverside Beavers. This game will also be taking place on Homecoming weekend. On how he’s preparing the team not only for the game, but to handle this huge weekend, Fink said “It’s a big game for the school, we want to start our Homecoming weekend off with a win… Riverside’s a good football team… we have to be fundamentally sound… the team is so hungry after the Mayfield game and they understand the importance of winning on Homecoming.” Hopefully the Arcs can bounce back after this loss and start Homecoming weekend with a victory.