Athens Bulldogs use balanced attack to down Wellston Golden Rockets 41-0

 

*Using the rosters from both Hudl and Max Preps*

The Plains, OH Last night I made the hour-long drive to Athens High School to watch the Bulldogs host the Golden Rockets of Wellston. Entering the game, the Bulldogs came in 7-0 and ranked number 10 in division three. Wellston, much improved from last season, entered 5-2. In the game last year, Athens won 47-28.

Wellston started out doing exactly what they needed to do to have a shot at winning the game. They came out and ate most of the first quarter with a drive that had last for 15 plays going for 69 yards. Things would start going wrong for them on the sixteenth play of the drive. They faced fourth and four from the Bulldogs five, and they elected to go for it, where the pass and the second attempt of the drive fell incomplete, forcing a turnover on downs. On the drive facing a third and one, Seth Lambert picked up twelve. Later on the drive facing third and fifth, Johhny Scott picked up 10-yards after he could not find anyone open.

Once the Bulldogs had the ball, they wasted little time in taking the 6-0 lead. On the third play of their drive, Anthony Sutton blasted off like a rocket, going 83 yards for the score. Sutton appeared to be three steps faster than any player on the Wellston defense.

The Bulldogs defense would make the final big play of the opening quarter with Brady Wharton taking down Josh Clarkson for a loss of four. Wharton (5-10) 195 hits much harder than one might think. I interview him during the off-season. (https://daveburnworth.blogspot.com/2024/06/2024-interview-with-brady-wharton-from.html).

Just nine seconds into the second quarter, Daniel Heightland found a speedy Leo Martin for 42 yards. I also was able to catch an interview with Martin during the off-season. (https://daveburnworth.blogspot.com/2024/06/2024-interview-with-leo-martin-from.html). The drive would be capped off on a 1-yard touchdown run from Alex Pero. After Griffin Porter hit the PAT, the Bulldogs had a 13-0 lead, with 11:44 left in the half.

The Bulldogs defense barked as loud as they would in the game at the 11:19 mark when Wharton made the DL BURNWORTH HIT OF THE GAME, when he leveled Lambert for a short loss, knocking him out of the game. Lambert is a tough cuss and returned a short time later.

The Bulldogs capped off a 9-play, 71-yard drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Heightland to Kaiden Bycofski, making this a 20-0 game. The drive had six passes and three runs. The Bulldogs showed once again on this drive that they can both run and throw the rock with success.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Golden Rockets put the rock on the turf, and making the recovery for the Bulldogs was Jaxon Moore. The Golden Rockets defense held the Bulldogs out of the end zone on the ensuing drive. On third down, Anthony Sutton was stopped by Mason Collins, who forced a fourth and ten from the Golden Rockets. On the fourth down play, Heightland would see his pass go incomplete.

The Golden Rockets would not have the ball long because a Scott pass was intercepted by Bycofski, putting the dangerous Bulldogs offense back on the field on the Golden Rockers 26-yard line, the same spot where Athens started their previous drive.

This time the offense would waste no time in making this a 27-0 game, with Pero boot scooting and booging to the end zone from 23 yards out. The drive lasted for just two plays.

On the ensuing kickoff #19, Gavin Rockhold blasted Mason Collins, keeping Collins from doing much damage. The Golden Rockets would turn the ball over when Collins coughed it up a short time later, and recovering it for Athens was Wharton.

The Bulldogs needed just one play to score after the Wharton fumble recovery, with Heightland finding a wide-opened Martin for the touchdown, making this a 34-0 game with 2"04 left in the half.

With a running clock, the 2nd half would fly by. A 26-yard touchdown pass from Sth Hart would make this a 41-0 game, with 2:57 left in the third. That would be the final score of the game.

The final big play in the quarter came on an interception by the DL BURNWORTH PLAYER OF THE GAME Brady WHARTON, with 17.1 seconds showing on the clock. Wes Briggs had come in to quarterback the Golden Rockets due to an injury to their starting quarterback.

The fourth quarter would see Wellson's backup quarterback, Briggs, get sacked twice. The first one by Isaiah Roberts, then Roberts teamed up with Chrisyan Bobo for the second sack. The last big play of the game came on a sweet run from Treymane Scott, a nice-looking freshman for the Bulldogs.

My Stats

Golden Rockets

34 plays

80 yards

Passing, 2-6, 2 Int's

Bulldogs

40 plays

361 yards

Passing, 11-15 4 Td's

For all of the pics copy and past the link below

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