The Gallatin Bulldogs could get used to having Friday nights off during football season.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
The Gallatin Bulldogs could get used to having Friday nights off during football season. Just as long as they keep extending the season further into November.
The Bulldogs made the most of a glorious fall Saturday by overwhelming Wentworth Military Academy, 37-8, and claiming their second straight Class 1, District 11 title. Gallatin’s first experience in the WMA “pit” was a good one as the Bulldogs made their third victory in four games look easy, despite Wentworth’s 6-2 record entering the contest.
Following a hard-fought, 32-yard punt return by Nic Burrell, Gallatin needed but one play from scrimmage to get the ball rolling. Stephen Wood popped off-tackle for 41 yards to put the Dogs in front, 6-0. with 9:30 left to play in the opening period.
Wood, who added a fourth quarter touchdown, finished with 146 yards on 14 carries to become Gallatin’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Tyler Nichols in 2003. Wood currently has 1,020 yards in 9 games.
A penalty for an illegal formation negated a 46-yard scoring pass from Burrell to Riley Rains late in the first quarter, but Justin Duffy’s punt of 51 yards into the end zone would be pivotal in setting up another Bulldog TD when the Dragons were held to minus nine yards on three carries.
Andrew Adkison’s 25-yard run on a reverse cracked the red zone, but a 15-yard penalty for a chop block moved the ball back to the Dragon 33. Derek Love got that back and more when he rolled for a 20-yard gain. A pass interference call moved the ball down to the 7. Wood packed for six yards and Burrell polished off the drive with the scoring plunge. Love added the two-point conversion to give the Dogs a 14-0 lead.
A fumble recovery by Rains led to another short scoring drive that featured a 14-yard Burrell to Rains pass, Love 11-yard scamper and 8-yard TD pass from Burrell to Adkison. The extra point attempt was blocked.
A 26-yard scoring run by Love and two-point conversion from Burrell near the end of the first half gave Gallatin a 28-0 cushion heading into intermission.
The Dragons held off the Bulldogs until the first play of the fourth quarter, when Wood added his second TD of the day. Duffy posted Gallatin’s final entry on the scoreboard when he booted a 40-yard field goal with three minutes left.
The Dragons put up eight points against Gallatin’s jayvee squad when Morgan Campbell scored from 45 yards out and followed with the two-point conversion.
The Bulldogs posted 418 yards total offense (342 rushing, 76 passing) and limited Wentworth to under 150 total yards (122 rushing, 16 passing).
@10left = Sectional @ Concordia Nov. 9
Gallatin travels to Concordia on Wednesday, Nov. 9, to face St. Paul Lutheran, which this year broke Santa Fe’s 9-year stranglehold on a post season spot. Like Gallatin, St. Paul gets this Friday off after Norborne declared it would only play an 8-man schedule. The Bulldogs receive a forfeit this week, as well, from Hardin-Central, which didn’t have the numbers to play 11-man ball.
St. Paul, expected to contend this season for an 1-70 Conference title, saw those aspirations go up in smoke after losing four of their first five league games. The Saints, 4-5 overall and 3-4 in conference, beat Santa Fe, 14-12, last Friday, and handed Concordia a 44-7 loss two weeks ago. St. Paul finished fifth in I-70 standings behind tri-champions (6-1) Wellington-Napoleon, Orrick and Crest Ridge and Sweet Springs (4-3).
“They are similar to us in a lot of respects,” Gallatin head coach Mark Cole remarked. “They play in a tough conference, as we do, and their record does not reflect the caliber of team they are,” he adds.
The Saints are led by senior quarterback Doug Schneider, who scored both touchdowns last week on runs of 45 and 3 yards.
“He is a great athlete, along the lines of a Matt Jundy (Maysville) or Clint Moore (Princeton),” said Coach Cole. “He likes to keep the football, and when they need a big play, he knows it and he takes charge.”
Like Gallatin, St. Paul enters sectional play looking to extend a two-game winning streak.
St. Paul has made the Class 1 football playoffs five times, but not since 1997. The Saints own a 1-4 record in playoff action.
The winner of next Wednesday’s sectional round advances to the quarterfinals on Monday, Nov. 14. If Gallatin wins, it will host that game, under certain circumstances, against the winner of the District 9 vs. District 10 sectional winner. For the Bulldogs to come home for another game, the sectional-host D9 winner must beat the visiting D10 winner on Wednesday. Gallatin would host a quarterfinal contest because the D9 champ was home in the sectional round. If the D10 champ wins the sectional, Gallatin will have to travel there.
Adrian currently leads D9 standings with a 2-0 record, but faces 1-1 Cass-Midway on Friday. If Cass-Midway beats Adrian, and Archie beats Drexel, three D9 teams finish with 2-1 records and the winner will be decided by adding and subtracting points from district won-lost margins.
Wellington-Napoleon sits in the D10 driver’s seat with a 2-0 record. The Tigers must only defeat Lone Jack on Friday to win their district.