Bloom Carroll 21 Linden McKinley14

 

Bloom Carroll needed to drive just 26 yards for the game's first score. Two flags on Linden McKinley gave the Bulldogs ten yards; the rest were gained by #8 Kyson Cline, including a three-yard touchdown run followed by the PAT from Rusty Hutchinson to make this a 7-0 game with 7:54 left in the opening quarter.

The rest of the opening quarter flew by, with two big plays occurring. First, Jaron Simms stopped Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Cline for a loss of four to force a punt. The other play came with the Panthers getting a nice eighteen-yard run from Simms.

With 8:47 left in the half, facing a fourth and thirteen, the Panthers were able to move the chains when David Brock scrambled to a fifteen-yard gain. The seventeen-play, seventy-eight-yard drive came to a climax on a Brock-to-Manny Towns fifteen-yard touchdown pass to make this a 7-6 game. The point after attempt was missed by Towns, leaving this a 7-6 game, with 7:27 left in the half.

The last big play of the half came when Aidan Scholz sacked Brock for a loss of five.

Towns kicked a sweet little onside kick, then he raced downfield and pounced on the ball, putting the Panthers offense on the field and leaving the Bulldogs sideline very quiet.

Brock used his legs to pick up sixteen yards to give the Panthers a first and ten on the Bulldogs' twenty-one-yard line, with 9:08 left in the third. The drive ended on a Brock to Towns six-yard touchdown pass, followed by a two-point conversion run by Brock, putting the Panthers up 14-7, with 6:52 left in the third.

Kyson Cline picked up fifteen yards for the Bulldogs, with 6:30 left on the clock. The Bulldogs would go for it on fourth and three, with 4:14 left in the quarter, and the Panthers were ready, with Calvin Bradlet stuffing Kyson Cline for a short loss and forcing a turnover on downs.

With a little under seven minutes left in the game, the Bulldogs had a fourth and six; this time Matthew Cline ran for thirteen yards, moving the chains and bringing some life to the Bulldogs sideline. Matthew Cline would drop back to throw; he would find Evan Cardenas for a 31-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14 with 6:13 left in the contest. The drive totaled ninety-two yards on thirteen plays. The ninety-two yards were more yards than the Bulldogs had for the whole game going into the drive.

Brock, who carries the ball a lot of the time like a loaf of bread, would pay the price for that when he was hit, coughing the ball up, and making the recovery for the Bulldogs was David Mullen with 4:45 left.

Matthew Cline found Kyson Cline for fifteen yards with 3:54 left. The drive ended with Kyson Cline looking like a Mac truck running through a few Volkswagens on his way to the fourteen-yard score to make this a 21-14 game with 2:46 left. Cline busted three tackles on his way to the score.

Jalin Cline would sack Brock for a loss of six with 2:28 left. The Panthers would get an eighteen-yard Brock-to-Town completion when the Panthers were facing third and sixteen with 1:58 left. The Panthers suffered a sack on Brock when David Mullen threw the quarterback down for a loss of six. The game ended with Brock throwing a desperation pass in the end zone that fell harmlessly to the ground, allowing the Bulldogs to escape with the 21-14 victory.

My stats

Linden McKinley

59 plays

249 yards

Passing, 12-26, 2 TDs

Bloom Carroll

39 plays

192 yards (47 in the first half)

Passing, 10-16, 1 TD

 

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