The Caldwell football team earned its first LHSAA postseason win in three years by defeating Richwood 30-12 on Friday at Spartan Stadium.
The victory in the Division III nonselect first round allowed the Spartans to complete a season sweep of their familiar opponent, according to “reporting by Yahoo Sports.”
Junior quarterback Bridger McCann paced the offense by rushing for three touchdowns during the contest.
The Spartan defense also played a pivotal role by forcing key takeaways in the second half to stifle the Rams, as noted by “the Monroe News-Star.”
Caldwell coach Cleo Head expressed pride in his team’s resilience throughout the matchup.
“The defense played hard,” Head stated regarding the effort. “They continued to fight all night long, and my kids just never laid down,” he told “Yahoo Sports.”
Richwood attempted a late rally as senior Jarvis Walker threw two touchdown passes to Christopher Qualls and Pooh Pollard.
However, the Rams were unable to overcome the deficit after an earlier interception by junior Lander McCann.
Lander McCann explained his defensive strategy by stating, “I was expanding to the flats more and reading the quarterback’s eyes and trust what my coaches teaches me to do,” according to “the Monroe News-Star.”
Caldwell, now 9-2 on the season, has won five straight games.
The program has achieved twice as many wins this fall as it recorded in the previous two seasons combined.
Bridger McCann credited the team’s improved chemistry for the success.
“Those past years, we weren’t quite together and connected as we were,” McCann said as reported by “Yahoo Sports.”
The Spartans now advance to the second round of the playoffs to face Pine.
Head emphasized that the team remains focused on its physical style of play as they prepare for the next challenge, per “local outlets.”