The class 2A #1 and defending 2A state champion Beechwood Tigers play at home for the first time in 2021 as they host the Somerset Briar Jumpers. These two top notch programs have played five times since 2015 with Beechwood winning four of the five. Somerset's victory came in their most recent meeting in 2019 at Somerset, the Briar Jumpers winning 46-14. That was the year Somerset went on to win the 2A championship. That was Beechwood's first year in 2A and the only year in the past 5 that Beechwood has not won a state championship.

Somerset enters this game with an 0-1 record after last week's scheduled opponent Russell County cancelled the game due to COVID. In week one the Briar Jumpers were handed a 50-20 loss on the road at Lincoln County. In that game Somerset's top returning player RB Chase Doan went out of the game in the first quarter with an injury. That was a huge loss for Somerset. Junior QB Josh Gross did his best to pick up the lost output going 20 for 28 and 178 yards passing. Sophomore Gus Bailey stepped in at RB for Doan and did a solid job rushing for 88 yards on 19 carries and scoring a TD. Junior WR Hayden Dick had 7 receptions. 

Beechwood has been dominating in their first two contests, both on the road against ranked teams. Beechwood outscored their first two opponents 89-0. The defense has been oppressive with opponents unable to do anything. Sophomore DE Xavier Campbell has been a standout on the defensive side with 5 sacks in two games. The offense once again is being led by QB Cam Hergott. In the first two games Hergott has 255 yards passing and 246 yards rushing accounting for 6 TD's. Senior RB Avery Courtney has been solid in the backfield rushing for 149 yards and 3 TD's on 22 carries. Courtney also leads the team in receptions and receiving yards and has 2 TD pass receptions. 

Can Somerset make it two in a row over Beechwood? Or are the Tigers too much for Somerset?

The Tigers will definitely be too much.

Tigers by 14+

5 minutes ago, ImJustHere said:

Tigers by 14+

At least, I wouldn't rule out a running clock.

Might have to watch this one.

Won’t even be close. Tigers by as many as they want.

Beechwood 49

Somerset 7

2 hours ago, theguru said:

At least, I wouldn't rule out a running clock.

Based on the Lincoln County score, that certainly looks to be the case.

Beechwood rolls in this one!

Just now, colonel-fan said:

Based on the Lincoln County score, that certainly looks to be the case.

That and this Beechwood team has a different look.  

4 minutes ago, theguru said:

That and this Beechwood team has a different look.  

Tigers are good. No doubt about that.

Unfortunately I don't think this one will be close, based on what we've seen so far.

Not that it matters but isn’t Somerset 1-1. They got a win for the Russell County cancellation.

3 hours ago, theguru said:

At least, I wouldn't rule out a running clock.

Without a doubt. I’m the worst when it comes to picking score and having faith in the tigers. I also expect the worst, pray for the best. The two teams we’ve played thus far have been good the past couple of years, and we’ve dominated them. Is beechwood that good or are the two teams they’ve played on a down year? I will not know how good we truly are until Cov Cath, and Dixie. The two biggest games of the Tigers season in my opinion. 

7 minutes ago, ImJustHere said:

Without a doubt. I’m the worst when it comes to picking score and having faith in the tigers. I also expect the worst, pray for the best. The two teams we’ve played thus far have been good the past couple of years, and we’ve dominated them. Is beechwood that good or are the two teams they’ve played on a down year? I will not know how good we truly are until Cov Cath, and Dixie. The two biggest games of the Tigers season in my opinion. 

Beechwood handling Cooper the way they did in a scrimmage is the most impressive thing they’ve done so far. Obviously Cooper is better than people may have thought, and Beechwood absolutely dominated that scrimmage, and that was with only using Hergott sparingly in the run game.