By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Despite all the bad breaks and misfortunes, the Brighton Cardinals still had one goal within reach entering Friday night.
The road block in front of Morgan Cruce and his Cardinals from having a chance to reach the 2022 postseason was Dyer County. The Choctaws made the trip to Brighton Football Stadium hoping to keep their playoff chance alive.
Brighton was the clear underdog starting fourth-string quarterback Hunter Lampley. The Cardinals ran a Spread Offense in August. With Lampley under center, Brighton used the Flex to jump ahead 7-0 with 6 minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
After the 5-yard scoring run by Cardinal Jalen Terry, Dyer County scored 39 unanswered points to take the crucial Region 8-5A showdown 39-14.
“I would have never envisioned the season going like this,” Cruce acknowledged. “I don’t think any coach could imagine the level of injuries, level of heartbreak or whatever it may be that we encountered this year. I told these guys when I came in, ‘Year one is the dig.’ The dig is the fact we have to dig out all the bad stuff that is hindering us from being the program we can be.
“I’m just praying that’s what God is doing right now,” he continued. “He’s allowing these doors to close, these opportunities, these challenges in our lives to prepare us for the greatness He has instored for us. The biggest challenge for these guys right now is to keep rising out of these. In life, you get knocked down, you have to rise back up. Your family will need you. It’s a life lesson.”
Brighton (3-6, 1-4 in Region 8-5A) started to watch its lead evaporate when Choctaw running back Bralyn Taylor exploded for a 13-yard touchdown run to make the tally 7-6.
Dyer County (4-5, 2-3) took advantage of a Cardinal fumble to end a long Brighton drive. The Choctaws gave the ball to Taylor again and the senior running back reached the end zone from 27 yards out to give Dyer County a 12-7 lead.
The Choctaws attacked the Brighton ball carriers of Lampley, Aiden Potter, Ty Stark, Keagan Jarmon and Terry by packing the box.
As Brighton defenders started to solve the running style of Taylor, Dyer County adjusted by giving Ja’bari Livingston the ball and the sophomore fullback rewarded the Choctaws with a 6-yard TD run before halftime.
The touchdown was set up by a 27-yard catch by tight end Drew Evans. Dyer County led 18-7 at the break.
“I love my kids,” Cruce said. “The ones who are here are Brighton through and through. They’ll fight. We’re not as good as I hope we would be. We have a lot of growing to do. We’re really young. We’re playing a lot of sophomores and juniors.
“I was extremely proud of the fact we came out in the second half and we had an opportunity to get a stop,” he recalled. “It was an 11 point game. And it just didn’t happen. They got a 14-point swing on us. Kind of change their outlook and you saw the air come out of us a little bit. But at the end of the day, we found a way to regroup and find another touchdown. They’re just fighters.”
Livingston scored his second touchdown of the night in the third quarter with 9 minutes and 56 seconds remaining with another 6-yard score. Livingston made the score 32-7 moments later with a 1-yard TD run.
Dyer County crossed the goal line one more time in the fourth quarter when Luke Robertson connected with Everett Kuykendall on a short pass leading to a 20-yard touchdown. The Choctaws were in control 39-7.
The Cardinals kept fighting despite the deficit and still adjusting to a new offense. Lampley displayed his athleticism and toughness with a 10-yard touchdown run with three Dyer County defenders draped over him.
The final score was 39-14 in favor of the Choctaws and the postseason dreams of Brighton came to an end.
“Take their season, you lose Cade Crowson,” Cruce said. “Then the next week you lose Bryan Bratcher. We got injuries losing three linemen. We lost a lot of players we thought were going to be staples this year..These guys found a way to at least fight.”
The Cardinals will close out the 2022 season taking on playoff bound Southward next Friday. Cruce said all involved in his first-year program have another chance to gain character and grow a stronger bound.
“I got a bunch of young guys on staff,” he said. “I’ve got two guys beside myself who have been in the trenches as a coach for five or more years. The rest of them, this is their first year coaching. I’ve got a really young staff.
“I’m wanting them to see how they coach their young men through these trials,” he concluded. “It’s easy to be a coach when you’re winning football games. Your true coaching is found out when you’re losing. How are you coaching the details to get them better? We’ll find out how much my young staff has grown.”
