The Bryan Golden Bears put on an offensive showcase Friday night in a back-and-forth battle with Evergreen, ultimately falling just short in a 41-38 NWOAL loss.
After falling behind 7-0 early, Bryan responded in the second quarter with a 32-yard field goal from Carter Luce and back-to-back touchdowns—a 2-yard run by Cade Carlin and a 12-yard score from Jake Arnold—to take a 17-14 lead. Evergreen answered before halftime, reclaiming a 21-17 advantage.
The Bears kept pace all night. Arnold connected with Anthony Weber for two touchdowns (10 and 21 yards) and later hit Easton Kerr on a 30-yard strike with just 35 seconds left to pull Bryan within three. Despite the late surge, Evergreen’s big plays, including a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown by Quinten Eisel, proved to be the difference.
Statistically, Bryan outgained Evergreen 455-333 in total offense and earned 26 first downs to the Vikings’ 14. Arnold led the way, throwing for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15-of-21 passing while also rushing for 83 yards and a score. Carlin added 71 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Weber hauled in 5 catches for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kerr chipped in 4 receptions for 60 yards and a score.
On special teams, Luce went 5-for-5 on extra points and nailed a 32-yard field goal while averaging 45 yards per kickoff. Defensively, Jake Arnold grabbed an interception and Karter Sickle recovered a fumble to give Bryan extra chances.
Bryan falls to 1-5 on the season and 0-3 in the NWOAL. The Golden Bears will host Swanton on October 3 for Homecoming.