2008 Football: Bulldogs face monumental task and possible elimination against #3 Hornets

Friday night’s heartbreaking, 20-18, overtime loss to Maysville, coupled with Hamilton’s 47-0 shellacking of Polo, means the Bulldogs must beat a record-setting Hornet team and hope the Panthers find a way to beat the Wolverines.

Gallatin, 3-6 on the season, 3-4 in the GRC and 1-1 in Class 1, District 14, travels to Hamilton this Thursday to face an 8-0 Hornet team that has yet to be challenged, inside or outside the league. The #3 ranked team in Class 1, Hamilton has amassed a school record 383 points, more than the 364 points scored by the 1986 Hornet team through the regular season and the playoffs combined (12 games).

"Our kids know they are not completely out of the playoff picture but we have decided to take the most difficult route, similar to what we have done all season," said Bulldog coach Jeff White. "Hamilton will be the best team we will face," he readily admits. "They are very disciplined, execute their systems well and have good athletes," he added. "We need to be perfect to beat them."

Conversions missed and made

After battling to a 6-6 tie through 47 minutes and 29 seconds of actions, both Maysville and Gallatin got on the scoreboard in the waning seconds of regulation play.

Wolverine quarterback Ethan Heimbaugh looked for Jake Rhoad at the goal line, only to see three Bulldog defenders between him and his receiver. The pass floated toward its intended target, and Gallatin defenders leaped to deny the connection, but the ball was tipped by the front defender, over the heads of two other defenders and into the hands of Rhoad in the end zone.

The PAT kick failed, but Maysville took a 12-6 lead into the final 31 seconds of play.

Gallatin caught a break on the kickoff when a squib kick was downed by the Dogs on their own 44-yard line. Kale Hefley rifled a pass to Brandon Ness that fell incomplete but the Wolverines were penalized 15 yards for pass interference.

Hefley connected with Colton Selby on a crossing pattern for a 20 yard gain to the 21. A Hefley pass to Tyler Brackett was successfully defended by Wolverine Neil Robinson. With 13 seconds left, Hefley found Selby again for a gain to the one-yard line. Selby lined up in the backfield and took the handoff over right tackle and plunged into the end zone with two ticks left on the clock.

Hefley looked to pass for the game-winning two-point conversion, but the Wolverines broke through for a sack.

The Bulldogs got first crack at scoring in the overtime from the 25-yard line. Derrick Teel gained five yards, followed by a Hefley to Teel pass covering 14 yards. A five-yard penalty against Gallatin pushed the ball back to the 11. A pass to Teel fell incomplete, but a follow up pass to Brackett was stopped short of the goal at the one-yard line.

What worked earlier, worked just as well under pressure. Selby took the third down handoff to the right, bounced outside and outran pursuit to the pylon for the go-ahead score, but Hefley’s attempt at a two-point conversion pass was picked off in the end zone.

"Our PAT kicking unit has struggled all season, whether it’s on the snap, the hold, the protection, or the kick," said Coach White. "We had a fumbled snap early on, so when the game was on the line, we went for two instead because our two-point conversion rate is at 50%, versus our PAT conversion which is about 20%, and we were down to our third string holder," he advised.

The Wolverines needed only one more play to score after they recovered their own fumble on second down. Senior Charlie Webber battered his way into the end zone from the 19-yard line to tie the game, and duplicated his run for the game-winning conversion.

Missed opportunities

Gallatin’s opening touchdown stood up for three quarters. Matt Atkinson picked off an underthrown screen pass and ran it back 47 yards for a touchdown with 5:58 left in the first period. Maysville’s initial score did not come until the 8:19 mark of the fourth quarter when Heimbaugh floated the ball into the hands of Mazurkewycz in the back corner of the end zone.

Both teams experienced frustration early in the contest. Gallatin could not punch the ball into the end zone on its opening series with four tries inside Maysville’s eight-yard line. The Wolverines fumbled away an early possession inside Gallatin’s 30. A dropped halfback pass would have given the Bulldogs a first and goal from the 10 in the second quarter.

Maysville fumbled again in the fourth quarter and the Bulldogs recovered on their own four-yard line. Gallatin tried to convert a fourth and one on its own 13 and failed, but Maysville was denied on four straight passing attempts. The Bulldogs got the ball back with 7:17 left in regulation but stalled on the Wolverine 25.

"It was a very disappointing loss," said Coach White. "We had the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot and we let it slip through our hands," he added. "We had numerous opportunities to score only to be turned away. They made plays when they needed to and we didn’t."

2008 Season Comparison

Compiled by Maxpreps.com

GHS Rushing: 249-875, 16 TD
Kale Hefley, Sr. 64-187, 5 TD
Colton Selby, Sr. 29-174, 3 TD
Kyle Croy, Sr. 58-170, 3 TD
Matt Atkinson, Jr. 68-166, 3TD

PHS Rushing: 296-2,239, 40 TD
Trevor Dixon, So. 100-648, 15 TD
Dylan Chadwick, Jr. 60-493, 7 TD
Keagan Prather, So. 37-340, 6 TD
Andrew Straker, Jr. 36-302, 5 TD
David Reeder, Sr. 17-279, 5 TD

GHS Passing: 93 of 200-1,284, 9 TD, 13 INT
Kale Hefley, Sr. 90 of 194-1,247, 8 TD, 13 INT

PHS Passing: 33 of 47-582, 12 TD, INT
Cale Brown, Sr. 30 of 42-492, 11 TD, INT

GHS Receiving: 87-1,208, 9 TD
Colton Selby, Jr. 26-506, 4 TD
Derrick Teel, Sr. 25-424, 4 TD
Tyler Brackett, Jr. 18-140, TD
Matt Atkinson, Jr. 7-64

PHS Receiving: 33-582, 12 TD
Dylan Chadwick, Jr. 12-249, 4 TD
Zach Dixon, Sr. 7-170, 2 TD
Keagan Prather, So. 5-40, 2 TD
Andrew Straker, Jr. 3-36, TD

GHS Tackles: 13 INT, 16 FR, 8 Sacks, Blk. FG
Colton Selby, Jr. 90, 4 INT, 4 FR
Alex Critten, Sr. 80,
Matt Atkinson, Jr. 67, 2 INT, 2 FR
Quentin Trimm, Sr. 60, FR
Jacob Gienapp, Sr. 57
Derrick Sprague, Sr. 48, 2 Sacks
Levi Michener, Jr. 40, INT, FR
Matt Pottorff, Sr. 37, 2 FR
Jordan Phelps, Sr. 33, 4 Sacks, FR

PHS Tackles: 12 INT, 15 FR, 13 Sacks, 3 Blk Punts
Joe Pickrell, Sr. 74, 5 Sacks, 3 INT,
David Reeder, Sr. 40, INT
Brandon Hemry, Jr. 36, 2 FR
Zach Dixon, Sr. 35,
Trevor Dixon, So. 28
Dalton Rivers, Jr. 28
T.J. Schieber, Fr. 26, FR

MAYSVILLE 20, GALLATIN 18 (OT)

Scoring Summary

G: Atkinson 47 yd. Int. return (conversion failed)
M: Mazurkewycz 16 yd. pass from Heimbaugh (kick failed)
M: Rhoad 25 yd. pass from Heimbaugh (kick failed)
G: Selby 1 yd. run (conversion failed)
G: Selby 1 yd. run (conversion failed)
M: Webber 19 yd. run (Webber run)

GHS Offensive Leaders

Rushing: Atkinson 12-39, Selby 6-23, Teel 2-6, Hefley 8-(3), Ness 1-(3). Passing: Hefley 12-30-160. Receiving: Teel 3-67, Selby 4-64, Michener 2-15, Brackett 1-9, Ness 1-3, Atkinson 1-2.

GHS Defensive Leaders

Tackles/Assists: Selby 10/7, fumble recovery; Atkinson 5/3, interception (TD); Gienapp 4/4, Pottorff 3/9, fumble recovery; Sprague 3/4, Teel 2/0, Hefley 2/0, interception; Critten 1/6, Michener ½, Croy 1/0, Brackett 1/0, Feigly 0/2, Toney 0/2, Phelps 0/1.

GRC Standings — Week 9

Oct. 24 Results
Maysville 20, Gallatin 18 (OT)
Hamilton 47, Polo 0
Albany 26, Tarkio 20
King City 7, Rock Port 0
Princeton 33, Putnam Co. 6
Maryville 36, S. Harrison 7

Oct. 30 Schedule
Gallatin @ Hamilton
Albany @ King City
Maysville @ Polo
Marceline @ Princeton
Trenton @ S. Harrison
Rock Port @ Tarkio