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deficit to claim second win
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| TOUCHDOWN- James Ratliff (11) broke this play around his right end for 35 yards and a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 31-16 lead in Jarrell last Friday with just under four minutes left to play in the game. The Bulldogs went on to win 39-22. Just to the right edge of this picture is Jackson Beshears (1) who threw a block that took two Cougar defenders to the ground, freeing Ratliff for his race to the end zone. In the background are Bulldog linemen Cole Wells (57) and Zach Anglin (62). Staff Photo |
The Dogs appeared to be sleepwalking through the first two stanzas and fell behind a fired-up bunch of Cougars 10-6 at the midway point in the contest, but the second half was a different story entirely as the Dogs dominated play by outscoring their hosts 33-12 in the third and fourth periods.
Hamilton’s usually potent wishbone attack managed only 74 yards rushing in the first half and turned the ball over three times. But by the game’s end the Dogs had posted a more impressive total offense of 364 yards with no more turnovers.
On the flip side, after yielding 131 yards to the Cougar offense in the opening half, the Bulldog defense only allowed 54 hard-earned yards in the final two quarters.
The Bulldogs followed one of their trends in recent games as 10 different players had at least one rushing carry. Leading the way was 195-pound junior fullback Ethan Brown who bullied his way to a game-high 92 yards on 15 carries. Last week’s leading rusher, Garet Box,was limited in his touches by a broken right arm, which was protected by a cast, but still managed to post 83 yards on only seven carries.
Three other Bulldogs man-aged more than 50 yards rushing including Truman Baize with 59 yards on 10 tries, and Seth LeBlanc and James Ratliff with 52 yards on five rushes each.
The game got off to a ragged start as the teams traded turnovers in the early going. Hamilton wasted an early scoring opportunity that was produced when a punt snap sailed high over the Cougar kicker’s head and set the Dogs up at the Jarrell 13 yard line. Two plays later, however, quarterback John Galindo lost his grip on the ball on an attempted handoff and Corey Lloyd recovered for Jarrell.
The Bulldogs got the pigskin back a couple of plays later when Cole Wells jumped on a loose ball near midfield.
Hamilton put together its only sustained drive of the half late in the first period as the Dogs moved 46 yards in nine plays for a score. Highlighting the scoring march were pick-ups of 13 and eight yards by Baize and a 10-yard carry by James Ratliff. Brown earned the six points with a one-yard plunge up the middle. Keith Gardner’s extra point attempt was off the mark, although the junior kicker would later atone with three perfect placements in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs did not hold the lead for long, however, as Jarrell responded with its best drive of the night, a 70-yard, five-play affair that was capped by a 23-yard scoring strike from quarterback Chris Trevino to tight end Aaron Mueller. Emmanuel Villafranco’s extra point kick put the home team on top 7-6.
The Bulldogs turned the ball over on each of their next two possessions, once on an interception by Kyle Deal and another on a fumble recovery by Travis Franklin.
The interception set the Cougars up at the Hamilton 15 yard line, and although the Bulldog defense held firm, Villafranco’s 27-yard field goal increased the lead to 10-6 as the teams went to the lockers for halftime.
Whatever the Hamilton coaches said at halftime must have made an impression on their troops, because a different looking Bulldog team took the field for the final two quarters.
In fact, the Dogs scored touchdowns on five of their six second half possessions, and took over control of the line of scrimmage. Time and again the Hamilton offensive line opened holes and the Bulldog runners ran with steely determination, on several occasions carrying would-be tacklers on their backs for yards after contact.
The first drive of the third quarter set the tone for the rest of the game, as Hamilton covered 67 yards in seven plays, highlighted by Brown’s 37-yard burst through the middle of the line. Sophomore Jackson Beshears did the honors for the Dogs with a one-yard carry over right guard. The Bulldogs’ two-point attempt failed, but Hamilton had reclaimed the lead 12-10, and the Dogs never looked back.
On Jarrell’s second play from scrimmage following the Hamilton score, the Dog defensive line forced a fumble by Trevino which Cole Wells alertly fell on to give the Dogs the ball back at the Jarrell 41 yard line.
Hamilton moved inside the Jarrell 25 yard line, thanks in part to an 11-yard completion from Galindo to Baize, but on fourth down a statue of liberty play to Baize was stopped a yard short of the needed yardage as the Cougar defense stopped Hamilton for the only time in the second half.
That situation changed quickly, as the Bulldogs forced another fumble. This time it was LeBlanc stripping the ball from Trevino and Phillip Haile falling on the fumble at the 40 yard line.
Wasting no time, the Dogs scored on their first play after the fumble recovery as Box took a handoff from Galindo on a delay play and found smooth sailing over left tackle for a 40 yard touchdown sprint.
Jarrell fought back with a 56-yard scoring drive that was fueled primarily by three Bulldog penalties, including two 15 yarders. Trevino got the touchdown on a four-yard keeper, but the Cougars’ two point attempt that would have tied the game at 18-all was snuffed out on a hard tackle by Acy May and Dustin Freeman.
The Bulldogs retaliated quickly with a 61-yard scoring march that featured a 22-yard gain by LeBlanc on a play where he was hit at the line of scrimmage, broke free for a couple of yards and then carried as many as four Cougar defenders on his back for another 18 yards as the Bulldog fans roared their approval from the stands.
Baize had an apparent 31-yard touchdown run nullified by a holding call, but came right back with an 18-yard pick-up which was followed by a 13-yard run by LeBlanc, who also carried for the final yard and a touchdown on the next play. Gardner’s PAT kick gave the Bulldogs a nine-point lead at 25-16 and finally a little breathing room.
The Dogs added to that advantage on their next possession, a 61-yard scoring drive in six plays. Ratliff, playing his first game at a running back slot after starting for two years at a receiver position, demonstrated that coaches had made a wise decision with the switch as he raced 35 yards for the six points.
The Cougars gave their fans one last chance to cheer on the kickoff, however, as Daniel Tucker found a seam and raced 85 yards for a score.
Hamilton bounced back to put the game away for good with a 52-yard, six-play march that saw Brown and Box alternating runs through nice holes for good pickups. Brown had carries of 13, 12 and five yards, while Box had a 13-yard carry and a seven-yard touchdown run.
The win boosted Hamilton’s early season mark to 2-0 as the Dogs prepare for their stiffest challenge of the young season next week against a very good Salado team. Jarrell, a pre-season playoff prediction, fell to 0-2 in non-league action.