Despite committing 13 penalties for 115 yards and turning the ball over three times, unbeaten Braymer was still too much for Concordia as the Bobcats stopped the visiting Orioles, 49-21 in an eight-man quarterfinal-round playoff football game heard Saturday on KMMO-AM.

Braymer capped some long scoring drives with a total of six touchdown passes in addition to returning a fourth-quarter interception for a huge ‘pick-six’. The Bobcats tallied the first three TDs of the day before Concordia got on the board thanks to a touchdown with four minutes left in the half, trimming the deficit to 18-7. However, Braymer soon went on to build a bigger lead just before the break by scoring twice in the final minute of the second period, widening the margin to 34-7 at intermission.

To their credit however, the Orioles didn’t give up as they found pay dirt in the opening seconds of the third quarter and then again during the early stages of the fourth period to slice Braymer’s lead to 34-21. Suddenly, midway through the final stanza, Concordia was on the march again, with fourth and short facing them on the Bobcat side of the 40. However, Braymer’s Kaden Stone abruptly intercepted a pass and returned it 59 yards for a momentum-shifting touchdown which gave the home team a 42-21 advantage. The Bobcats then went on to score again in the final 95 seconds of the contest to win going away, 49-21.

Braymer racked up 382 yards of offense with 270 of that coming through the air. Jordan Haley completed 24 passes on the day as he threw for five touchdowns. That was in addition to Haley also carrying the ball 13 times and picking up another 83 yards in that fashion. Haley connected with Caygen Sensenich on four TD aerials covering three, 10, 31 and 11 yards. The Bobcat quarterback also fired a 60-yard scoring bomb to Carter Shoe before Shoe likewise let loose with a long touchdown throw of his own covering 58 yards on a double pass to Kaden Stone. That was the first of two back-breaking scoring plays which Stone was part of as he later picked off that critical fourth-quarter toss by Concordia and ran it back for a TD, helping ice things for Braymer.

Stone’s fourth-period interception was just one of four which the Bobcat secondary accumulated on the day. Concordia was held way below their normal offensive numbers with only 190 yards in all. Maddox Inman found the end zone twice for the visitors as he scored on a five-yard run as well as a 28-yard pass reception from quarterback Nephi (Nee-fi) Hon. The other Oriole TD came on a 12-yard romp by Lane Hass who led his team in rushing with 12 carries good for 71 yards.

The loss ended the season for Concordia with a record of 10-2 as both of their setbacks came at the hands of Braymer. Coach Jordan Tyler says the future is looking bright as he looks toward next season while graduating seven seniors.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats stayed perfect on the year and now own a mark of 12-0. Braymer Head Coach Clayton Brown credits senior leadership for leading the Bobcats to the semifinals.

Braymer will battle North Shelby in an eight-man semifinal round contest set for next Saturday against North Shelby in Shelbyville. The other semifinal features Bishop LeBlond facing Archie in St Joseph.

Postgame Interview With Concordia Coach Jordan Tyler:

Postgame Interview with Braymer/Breckenridge Coach Clayton Brown:

Eight-Man Quarterfinals
Braymer/Breckenridge 49, Concordia 21
North Shelby 50, Worth County 40
Bishop LeBlond 60, Rock Port 54 (FRI)
Archie 44, Lockwood 28

Class One District Finals (All Friday)
Tipton 42, Harrisburg 36
Penney 35, North Platte 13
Adrian 17, Marionville 16
St Vincent 42, Crystal City 0

Class Two Quarterfinals
Fair Grove 14, Lafayette County 13
South Shelby 28, Mid-Buchanan 26
Lamar 24, Pembroke Hill 13
Bowling Green 36, Valle Catholic 28

Class Three Quarterfinals
Maryville 14, Odessa 0
Blair Oaks 49, Hallsville 0
Lift For Life 50, Dexter 12
Seneca 55, Mt Vernon 26

Class Four Quarterfinals
Kearney 49, Warrensbuerg 14 (FRI)
Lutheran North 24, Parkway North 18
Festus 48, Gateway 14
Warrenton 28, West Plains 24

Class Five Quarterfinals
Helias Catholic 24, Republic 21
Lafayette 30, Cardinal Ritter 18
MICDS 49, Ft Zumwalt West 3 (FRI)
Platte City 35, Webb City 0 (FRI)

Class Six Quarterfinals
DeSmet 28, Rock Bridge 14
Liberty 30, Park Hill 13
Nixa 21, Lee’s Summit North 20 (FRI)
Kirkwood 45, Jackson 35 (FRI)