BULLDOGS HEADED TO NEXT ROUND

Published 10:30 pm Friday, November 8, 2019

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The Andalusia High School Bulldogs are headed to the second round of the AHSAA Class 4A State Playoffs after defeating the Trinity Wildcats 24-6 Friday night.

Both defenses worked hard as the first quarter of play ended scoreless.

At the end of the first quarter, the Bulldogs were driving down the field and got down to the 21-yard line. At the beginning of the second quarter, Reese Burkhardt nailed a 38-yard field goal to start the Bulldogs off 3-0.

The Wildcats then went four and out and the Bulldogs took over on their own 46-yard line after the punt.

Elijah McClain set up the next touchdown by rushing to the opposing 23-yard line. Josh Gurley punched it in the end zone with 7:17 left in the half to make it 10-0.

With 5:20 left in the half, Drexter Lee had an interception and ran to the 24-yard line, but on the next drive, Trinity intercepted. With 1:45 left in the half, Caleb Smallwood intercepted the ball again for the Bulldogs.

The half ended after a missed field goal attempt, 10-0.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Trinity received and the Bulldogs seemed to have gotten possession after a fumble, but the referees called it back because of forward progression. Trinity punted on the drive and the Bulldogs took over on their own 28-yard line.

Cam Morrissette got the Bulldogs to the 40-yard line and then rushed to the 9-yard line.

Gurley rushed to the 2-yard line, before Morrissette punched in the end zone for another Bulldog touchdown. With 6:05 left in the third quarter, the Bulldogs led 17-0.

With 57 seconds left in the third quarter, the Bulldogs threw another interception, but on the next Wildcat drive, Lee made another interception and ran it to the 19-yard line. After a flag against Trinity, the Bulldogs were on the 9-yard line going into the fourth quarter.

McClain finished off the scoring drive for the Bulldogs rushing 8 yards into the end zone to make it 24-0.

With time expiring, the Wildcats threw a pass to the endzone and scored their only touchdown of the night.

“I think we did exactly what we needed to do tonight,” AHS head coach Trent Taylor said. “I knew that we were going to have a little rust coming in, but I’ll tell you, Trinity has a really good defense and we knew that from the first time we played them. This is us. We are going to grind it out and probably win ugly some, but at this point it is all about winning.”

The Bulldogs will face Lincoln High School next week in Andalusia in the second round of the AHSAA Class 4A State Playoffs.