Thursday’s regular season closer was sure to be full of excitement as the College Park Cavaliers faced up against the Bearkats in what was predicted to be a high scoring slug fest. All was on the line, as the winner of the game would advance to the playoffs.

“There was definitely pressure… but we didn’t really feel it,” junior Bryce Corriston said. “We just had to go out and play free and loose, because when we play free and have fun, we win.”

The first quarter of the game seemed to set up the shootout that the crowd had anticipated. However, by the end of the first half the game had become completely one sided, with the Bearkats taking a 35-10 lead. The second half was much of the same, the Cavaliers not able to put up any points, eventually losing the game 49-10.

It seemed that nothing but the clock could stop the explosive offense from getting to the end zone.

“We just wanted to keep the momentum going and just stay on top,” Corriston said.

Undeniably, the star of the game was junior do-it-all wide receiver, Tyson Thompson. The junior played an amazing game, racking up 193 yards and three touchdowns receiving. In addition to his outstanding offensive performance, Thompson was also dominant on defense and special teams. He accounted for nearly 300 all-purpose yards, (79 of which were on a punt return for a touchdown) two interceptions and even came in to punt on a fourth down. Despite his outstanding performance, Thompson didn’t treat the game differently from any other.

“I’m just going out there and playing with my brothers, having fun,” Thompson said.

The win will send the Bearkats to the first round of playoffs for the third consecutive year. They’ll be facing off against the Westfield Mustangs on Friday, Nov. 16 in Leonard George Stadium, located at Spring High School.

“I think we’ll make a big run and surprise a lot people,” Corriston said. “We’re just gonna ball out… I think we’ll do well.”