For the entirety of their essential league matchup against W.F. West, the Aberdeen Bobcats accomplished their mission of keeping the legs of Bearcats quarterback Gage Brumfield from hurting them.

Problem was his arm inflicted plenty of damage.

Brumfield passed for over 280 yards and four touchdowns as Aberdeen lost 41-14 on Friday at Stewart Field in a battle for second-place in the 2A Evergreen Conference.

“We geared up all week defensively to stop Gage Brumfield from running the football,” Aberdeen head coach Todd Bridge said. “Gage Brumfield threw the football tonight and he’s a pretty special player.”

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen defensive lineman Clyde Tighe, right, pressures W.F. West quarterback Gage Brumfield (4) during the Bobcats’ 41-14 loss on Friday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

In what turned out to be a three-hour game due to a long injury delay, penalties and some extended referee rules explanations, Aberdeen (5-3 overall, 3-2 2A Evergreen) trailed early after the Bearcats (5-3, 4-1) needed just three plays and a Bobcats roughing the passer penalty to get a 1st-and-goal at the Cats’ 2-yard line. Brumfield ran it in for a 6-0 lead with just under nine minutes left in the first quarter.

Later in the quarter, W.F. West doubled its lead with a 10-play, 70-yard drive culminating in a Brumfield 14-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Grady Westlund. A Brumfield toss to running back Declan McDonald on the 2-point conversion put the Bobcats in a 14-0 hole.

Aberdeen would cut into the deficit with its best drive of the first half, embarking on a 12-play, 72-yard drive highlighted by two big runs from senior running back Aidan Watkins. Cats quarterback Grady Springer scored from 1-yard out and Edmond Brown’s extra-point made it a 14-7 game with just over six minutes to go in the first half.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen running back Aidan Watkins (19) outruns W.F. West linebacker Gage Brumfield (4) during the Bobcats’ 41-14 loss on Friday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

On W.F. West’s next possession, a neck injury to McDonald led to an approximate 20-minute delay as the Bearcats starting running back was carted off the field.

Once play resumed, a holding call followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by W.F. West resulted in a 1st-and-35 for the Bearcats from the Aberdeen 38. But on 4th-and-12 from the 18-yard line, Brumfield connected a pass to running back Tucker Land at the back pylon for a 21-7 lead with 1:25 to go in the half.

Aberdeen’s offense failed to pick up a first down on its next possession, punting the ball back over to the Bearcats with less than a minute left in the second quarter.

The Bearcats wasted little time extending its lead, needing just one play – a Brumfield 49-yard pass deep down the left sideline to Westlund – to go up 28-7 with 42 seconds left in the half.

“A wise man once told me the most important four minutes of any game are the two minutes before halftime and the two minutes after halftime,” Bridge said. “They caught us a couple of times and picked up two cheap ones. Otherwise, it’s a different ballgame.”

Aberdeen drove deep into W.F. West territory and a pass-interference call on fourth down gave the Bobcats a 1st-and-goal from the 8.

But time ran out on the Cats as a Springer pass to Watkins failed to reach the end zone as the half ended.

W.F. West took the second-half kickoff and scored despite two penalties during the drive. Brumfield tossed his third touchdown pass of the game when he hit receiver Carson White for a 35-7 lead.

Two drives later, a bad snap on a punt attempt led to the Bearcats starting a drive 1st-and-goal at the Bobcats 2-yard line. Running back Miles Martin ran it in one play later for a 41-7 lead.

Aberdeen’s best possession of the second half came in the fourth quarter when – after the defense recovered a fumble at the Bearcats’ 21-yard line – Aberdeen scored on running back Marcus Hale’s 1-yard plunge for the 41-14 final.

RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Aberdeen running back Marcus Hale (2) runs behind the block of offensive lineman JaBron Brooks (77) during a 41-14 loss to W.F. West on Friday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

Brumfield completed 18-of-27 passes for 286 yards and four touchdowns.

Watkins had another standout performance, rushing for 113 yards on 19 carries to lead the Bobcats.

Aberdeen’s defense allowed 453 yards in the game, and struggled to stop W.F. West – which converted multiple third and fourth downs – holding a 20-10 advantage in first downs, nullifying 14 Bearcats penalties for 148 yards that included three personal-foul penalties.

The loss knocks Aberdeen out of contention for the league’s No. 2 playoff spot, but the Bobcats are in prime position to place third in the league with a win over Shelton next week.

“We have to lick our wounds. The sun is going to come out tomorrow and we have to get ready for Senior Night,” Bridge said. “A victory (against Shelton) secures us third place. … Every year we’ve made playoffs, we’ve had a Kansas tie-breaker and I don’t want to do it again. We just take care of business next Friday night and beat Shelton and we’ll get on a bus and go play somebody else (in the crossover round).”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Stewart Field in Aberdeen.

W.F. West 14 14 13 0 — 41

Aberdeen 0 7 0 7 — 14

Scoring

First quarter

WFW — Brumfield 2 run (kick blocked), 8:53

WFW — Westlund 14 pass from Brumfield (McDonald pass from Brumfield), 2:54

Second quarter

A — Springer 1 run (Brown kick), 6:06

WFW — Land 18 pass from Brumfield (Mendez kick), 1:25

WFW — Westlund 49 pass from Brumfield (Mendez kick), 0:42

Third quarter

WFW — White 29 pass from Brumfield (Mendez kick), 8:49

WFW — Martin 2 run (kick blocked), 4:35.

Fourth quarter

A — Hale 1 run (Brown kick), 6:07

Passing leaders: WFW — Brumfield 18-27-0-286. A — Springer 6-13-0-57.

Rushing leaders: WFW — Land 3-46, Declan McDonald 6-33, Guyette 6-27, Martin 4-23, Brumfield 6-23. A — Watkins 19-113, Hale 11-48, Springer 10-24, Schroeder 1-(-27), Vessey 1-1.

Receiving leaders: WFW — Westlund 4-93, Coleman 5-74, Land 3-68, White 3-40. A — Watkins 2-24, Schroeder 1-19, Walsh 2-3, Hammonds 1-11.