BRADENTON — First came the offense.
Then came the defense.
All of it resulted in a win for Bradenton Prep.
The Patriots peppered South Florida Prep 53-8 Saturday night at Palma Sola Park in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association state championship game.
Though the playmakers wound up making plays, Bradenton Prep (11-0) sealed the win thanks in part to its defense and special teams, which accounted for two of the team’s first three touchdowns.
“They came out and punched us in the mouth pretty good,” Patriots coach Joe Hammond said. “They were pushing us back.”
The Patriots were forced to punt after their first drive stalled on the South Florida Prep’s 30-yard line. But that turned into points when Tigers’ returner Maurice Saulsby was tackled in the end zone.
After a 32-yard field goal by Zach Gratton and a Mike Curry’s 19-yard touchdown catch gave the Patriots a 12-0 lead with four minutes to go in the first quarter, Bruce Livingston scooped up a blocked South Florida Prep punt and returned it 19 yards for a score.
He then returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, helping the Patriots to a 33-8 halftime lead.
“The kid’s an athlete,” Hammond said. “He leads this team week in and week out. ... He’s a nice player — no doubt about it.”
Muffled a bit during the first half, Bradenton Prep’s offense hit its stride after the break. Quarterback Zach Hammond threw two more touchdown passes, and running back Jared Williams scored the game’s final touchdown on a 5-yard run with less than three minutes to go in the game.
Williams rushed 82 yards on 19 carries, and threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Ed Brown just before halftime.
Bradenton Prep competes next week in the NACA tournament in Dayton, Tenn.
The Patriots’ first game is scheduled for Wednesday.
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