Bellevue football coach Chad Montgomery wasn’t expecting no scoring for three quarters of Friday’s against Ludlow.
Neither was Tigers quarterback Evan Brooks.
Montgomery, Brooks and the Tigers aren’t complaining because of the fourth quarter.
The Tigers subduing the Panthers, 12-7, at Bellevue Civic Stadium and Gilligan Field would’ve been fine by itself, but there was much more – Bellevue ended an eight-season, 10-game losing streak against Ludlow.
“It’s just not something you draw up on a game plan every day,” Brooks said. “You’ve just got to push (with) what you have.”
Friday was the 111th game in the series; Bellevue is 68-38-5 since 1925, but for three quarters, it threatened to be the lowest-scoring contest since a 7-0 Bellevue win in 1989. (Bellevue forfeited three games in 2022, including Ludlow, because of a lack of healthy players.)
There were four reasons it wasn’t – Brooks’ two touchdowns, Kameron Stokes’ two interceptions and a sack apiece by Amari Rodgers and Patrick Vogt.
Montgomery pumped his fist and joyfully jumped like he was 17 again.
“It was just nice to turn the tide a little bit,” Montgomery said. “It’s just been a long time waiting.”
Ludlow (2-4) won the coin flip and decided to take the ball – which profited the Panthers nothing because Bellevue’s Braylee Fredrick recovered a fumble.
Stokes’ picks and Rodgers’ and Vogt’s sacks weren’t Bellevue’s (4-2) only defensive gems. On third-and-11 on the Tiger 21, Brooks knocked down a Jackson Mays pass intended for Jaylen Stone in the end zone, and the drive stalled when Finn McMillan missed a 38-yard field goal attempt.
The Panthers’ defense was stingy, too – Andre Englemon Jr. picked off Brooks’ pass to open the second quarter.
Montgomery’s strategy was to play conservatively by running the ball more than usual and rely on the defense.
“We just didn’t want to make a big-play turnover, an interception or a big fumble and to get a bad field position,” Montgomery said. “It’s cost us two games earlier in the year, and we just didn’t want to beat ourselves.”
Ludlow’s best first-half scoring chance fizzled at the Bellevue two-yard line just before halftime. Logan Day ran twice for six yards and caught a seven-yard pass from Mays, but the drive ended when Austin Castrucci tackled Englemon for a one-yard loss.
“(Englemon) had run over (Castrucci) a couple times,” Ludlow coach Woody McMillen said. “And we thought, we liked our chances there, and (Castrucci) made a nice play there and tackled him.”
Stokes’ first interception opened the fourth quarter – a matter of following Mays’ eyes. His assignment was to cover the area behind the linebackers.
“It was all preparation,” Stokes said. “Thanks to Coach (defensive coordinator Dustin) Trimnell, I was in the right spot.”
After Tristan Woodyard’s 10-yard run and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Ludlow, Brooks scored from five yards out with 11:34 to go.
Stokes picked off Mays again a little more than a minute later. Two carries by Woodyard and two by Brooks – including the one-yard plunge for the score – made it 12-0 Bellevue with 8:01 to go.
Mays almost singlehandedly allowed Ludlow to avoid the shutout. He ran four times for 20 yards (including the 4-yard touchdown run with 3:17 left) and completed passes to Englemon and Julian Cole totaling another 28.
Ludlow opens Class A, District 4 play next Thursday at Trimble County. Bellevue has next week off before facing Dayton in Class A, District 3.
TIGERS 12, PANTHERS 7
LUDLOW — 0-0-0-7 — 7
BELLEVUE — 0-0-0-12 — 12
Scoring Plays
Fourth quarter
B-Evan Brooks 5 run (kick failed), 11:34
B-Brooks 1 run (run failed), 8:01
L-Jackson Mays 4 run (Finn McMillan kick), 3:17
Records: Ludlow 2-4, Bellevue 4-2.
