Bulldogs to battle Panthers Friday
Published 10:56 pm Tuesday, September 13, 2016
The Class 1A Region 2 champion could very well be decided Friday night as the Georgiana Panthers once again travel to Brantley to face the Bulldogs.
With the exception of a narrow one-point loss to the non-region Straughn Tigers, the Brantley Bulldogs have been firing on all cylinders since.
The Bulldogs claimed another substantial victory last Friday night over the Pleasant Home Eagles, blowing them away with a final score of 57-6.
Alongside McKenzie, Georgiana and Brantley round out the only undefeated teams remaining in the region.
“We’re not to a point where we can come out and not be ready to play,” said BHS Head Coach Ashley Kilcrease.
“We responded well, but we have to start better this week. After the first quarter, the guys put forth a better effort.”
In the first quarter, senior quarterback Jacob Free put the Bulldogs on the board with a touchdown with an 11-yard run; no extra point was earned by senior defensive end and kicker Tucker Owens, making the score 6-6.
Following close behind, junior running back Mack Wise scored a touchdown with a 46-yard run and a failed two-point conversion, bringing the score up to 12-6. Wise soon scored yet another touchdown with a 7-yard run and an extra point earned with a kick by junior tight end Nathan Renfroe; this brought the Bulldogs up to 19-6.
Charging into the second quarter, Wise brought home another touchdown with a 31-yard run and an extra point kicked by Renfroe.
Another Bulldog touchdown scored by Free with a 52-yard run and no extra point earned brought the score up to 32-6.
To cap off the second, junior wide receiver D’Andre Sinclair completed a touchdown with a 40-yard pass from Free with no extra point earned; going into the half, the Bulldogs reigned supreme at 38-6.
“D’Andre Sinclair had three touchdowns, five receptions and over 100 yards. He had a really good night,” Kilcrease said.
Senior wide receiver Jermany Salter started the third quarter off on a high note by scoring a touchdown with a 3-yard pass from Free; an extra point was successfully earned by Owens with a kick, which brought the score up to 45-6.
A successful 18-yard pass from Free to Sinclair brought the Bulldogs another touchdown with no extra point earned.
The final touchdown of the game came from sophomore wide receiver Scotty Hudson with a 3-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Jake Kilcrease; no extra point was earned, and the Bulldogs walked away with a 57-6 win.
“We came out slow in the first quarter, but we picked it up pretty quick,” Hudson said.
“Our offense was good, but we still need to improve.”
Total yards for the Bulldogs were 595, with 300 passing and 295 rushing.
This week will prove to be an important game for the Bulldogs as they take on the Georgiana Panthers in a region rivalry.
“It’s a big game, and they’re really good. We’re going to have to be ready to play and it’s going to be a challenge; they are probably one of the best teams we’ll play,” Kilcrease said.
“It’s a region game, so we’ll need a lot of speed. We’ve got to be ready; if not, it will be a long night. We’re going to have to do a much better job of coming out and being focused and ready to play.”