Bulldogs Defeat Bloomington South

The varsity football team made a long trip to Bloomington South High School on Friday night and came out with a gritty 28-26 win. The offense was hitting on all cylinders in the first quarter as the Bulldogs raced out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Carson Gill kicked off the scoring with a touchdown run from 1 yard out. Hunter Johnson found Bryce Kirtz running behind the defense for 85 yard touchdown pass a few series later. On the following offensive series, Carson Gill found pay dirt again, this time scoring from 46 yards out.

The offense stalled in the second quarter as the stout Panther defense tightened down. The Panther offense found the end zone twice in the second quarter to take it to the half with the Bulldogs leading 21-14. The Bulldog defense buckled down for the third quarter as the offense continued to struggle. Jaylon Keith took the ball away from a Panther receiver and raced down the sideline before being tackled deep in Panther territory to put a halt to a Bloomington South drive as the third quarter was winding down.

The fourth quarter began with the Bulldogs holding on to a slim 21-20 lead and it stayed that way until the final two minutes when Carson Gill scored his third touchdown of the day, after a long drive, to put the Bulldogs up 28-20. The Panthers would not quit, however, and they scored with just 21 seconds left in the game to set up a nerve wracking 2 point play to potentially send the game to overtime. Junior safety Nathan Walton was able to break up the pass and preserve a 28-26 road victory.

Hunter Johnson finished the day with 242 yards passing and Carson Gill carried the ball 29 times for 130 yards. Bryce Kirtz finished the night with 4 receptions for 117 yards. Notable performers for the defense were senior linebackers Anthony Cicciarelli and Josh McKinney. Senior defensive lineman Isaac McCormick was also a force for the defense all night. The Bulldogs look to move to 2-0 on the year when they host Lawrence North High School on Friday night at CF Roark stadium at 7pm.