“It was a big deal, even if it wasn’t against one of the top teams; just the fact that you’ve got to get some momentum somewhere.”
That was the perspective of Spur coach Tate Clark following the Spur Bulldogs’ dismantling of the Whiteface Antelopes 48–0 Friday night in Whiteface. Having started the season a couple of weeks late, getting the Bulldogs going has felt like starting a locomotive at times, but a win provides momentum and locomotives can prove just as difficult to stop once they begin to roll.
That’s why this win was a big deal to Clark and the entire Bulldogs roster. The Bulldogs did start the game a little slow thanks to turnovers on three of their first four possessions, but once the train started rolling there was no stopping it.
Offensively, Le’Zhane Walker continued his hot start to the season with 9 carries for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also added 74 yards worth of punt returns with a touchdown and caught 2 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Cory Hamilton cashed in two touchdowns of his own while carrying the ball 7 times for 45 yards, and Gunnir Bateman got the passing game going with touchdown passes to Walker and Kolbey Adams.
But the real story of the night was the Bulldogs defense. Clark added, “The defense played great today. I don’t think they got a first down on us all night. I was proud of that.”
In fact, the Antelopes ended the game without even posting a single positive yard on the night. White Face had 14 running plays for minus 26 yards and attempted 11 passes without a single completion. It is very rare in the fast-paced six-man game to see a defensive performance so dominating as the Bulldogs performance Friday night.
Adams and Dominic Garcia were extremely active along the defensive front, tackling ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage. They each finished with five tackles on the night to lead the Bulldogs. Adams added a forced fumble and sack; Garcia added a fumble recovery.
It was definitely a night to build on. But now the preseason is over. The Bulldogs begin district play Friday night in Spur against the 1–2 Crowell Wildcats, who have spent the last two weeks on a Covid-19 quarantine of their own.
When asked about the Wildcats, Clark added, “They’ve got some speed, they’ve got a really good little quarterback.
Crowell represents a difficult challenge in the district, but the Bulldogs hope their train is just getting rolling.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.
