By DOUG DONNELLY
OTTAWA LAKE – When the 2017 season started, Bradyn Clark-Gilmore was in the Whiteford Bobcat backfield, part of a backfield rotation that included Logan Murphy, Hunter Lake and Zack Bertz.
A week three injury to Lake, however, set in motion a turn of events in which Clark-Gilmore would find himself playing tight end. The rest, as they say, is history. In fact, Clark-Gilmore has made a lot of history as the Bobcats starting tight end.
In Friday’s 48-6 win over Clinton, Clark-Gilmore hauled in three passes for 132 yards. It gave him 1,186 career receiving yards – first on the Bobcat career list:
| Yards | Receiving yards career |
| 1,186 | Bradyn Clark-Gilmore |
| 1,060 | Josh DuPree |
| 1,015 | Troy Diller |
| 914 | Fred Kutzke |
| 855 | Jesse Kiefer |
Two of Clark-Gilmore’s receptions were for touchdowns from Bobcat quarterback Ty Eitniear. That gives Clark-Gilmore a Whiteford record 19 career receiving touchdowns:
| No. | Touchdown catches career |
| 19 | Bradyn Clark-Gilmore |
| 13 | Jesse Kiefer |
| 12 | Josh DuPree |
| 10 | Troy Diller |
Clark-Gilmore passed Josh DuPree, an All-State receiver for Whiteford in 2007, for the top spot on the career receiving yards list. He also did it in far fewer receptions. DuPree caught 56 passes in his career. Clark-Gilmore has 40.
| No. | Receptions career |
| 56 | Josh DuPree |
| 54 | Fred Kutzke |
| 53 | Jake DuPree |
| 52 | Troy Diller |
| 47 | Aaron Kellerbauer |
| 45 | Jesse Kiefer |
| 45 | Al Rodewald |
| 41 | Colin Lake |
| 40 | Bradyn Clark-Gilmore |
Clark-Gilmore enters Friday’s final career Tri-County Conference game close to another record. He currently ranks second in career touchdown receptions in TCC games with 15. And, his seven TD catches in TCC games this year is just two shy of the single season league mark (counting league games only).
| TCC CAREER RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS | |
| 19 | Zach Brewer (Madison) |
| 15 | Bradyn Clark-Gilmore (Whiteford) |
| 14 | Eric Cogan (Summerfield) |
| 14 | Robert McIntyre (Whitmore Lake) |
| TCC SINGLE SEASON RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS | ||
| 9 | Noah Cunningham (Summerfield) | 2017 |
| 9 | Mathew Sexton (Clinton) | 2013 |
| 9 | Jed Crots (Summerfield) | 2010 |
| 9 | Eric Cogan (Summerfield) | 2009 |
| 8 | Bradyn Clark-Gilmore (Whiteford) | 2017 |
| 8 | Brandon Medlen (Summerfield) | 2006 |
| 8 | Zac Solomonson (Sand Creek) | 2006 |
| 8 | Nick Ivan (Britton) | 1990 |
| 8 | Zach Brewer (Madison) | 2009 |
| 7 | Bradyn Clark-Gilmore (Whiteford) | 2018 |
| 7 | Chris Stamper (BD) | 1999 |
| 7 | Matt Williams (Sand Creek) | 2005 |
| 7 | Josh DuPree (Whiteford) | 2007 |
| 7 | Steve Schankin (Summerfield) | 2012 |
Records or not, Clark-Gilmore has set a high standard for future Whiteford receivers. One of only a handful of two-way starters for the Bobcats, Clark-Gilmore will conclude his career among the Bobcat greats.
The Bobcats close out the regular season at 7 p.m. Friday when they travel to Britton to take on the Britton Deerfield Patriots. With a win, the Bobcats clinch an outright TCC title and probably home field for at least the first round of the state playoffs. The playoff pairings will be announced Sunday.
