By Rick Patrick
Riverbend News
It was a storybook sort of night for high school football. The air was a bit cooler than it had been during the typical heat of late summer. Fans from both schools filled the stands to cheer on their teams in this long-standing rivalry. Those fans were certainly treated to a good, hard-fought game. In the end, it was the three-time defending state champion Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys who would come out on top, 32-14, over the Suwannee High School Bulldogs.
After winning the opening coin-toss, the Bulldogs opted to defer possession to the second half. After several kicks went out-of-bounds, the Cowboys finally returned a kick to the 43-yard line. The Bulldog defense was fed several Robert Hiers rushes that quickly moved the ball to the Bulldog eight-yard line. The opening drive was capped off with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Mitch Rutherford to Zechariah Jones. The two-point conversion attempt was no good and the score was 6-0, with 7:01 remaining in the opening quarter. The Bulldogs began their first offensive drive of the contest at their own 32-yard line. That drive went three-and-out and the Cowboys' offense was back on the field. For the next several possessions, neither team successfully moved the ball and the quarter ended with the Cowboys moving the ball with a 6-0 lead.
In the early moments of the second quarter, the Cowboys punched the ball over the goal line, courtesy of a one-yard, Hiers run. The two-point conversion was good and the score was 14-0, with 10:18 remaining in the first half. The next Bulldog drive went three-and-out from the 25-yard line. The Cowboys were back on offense at their own 25-yard line. That drive was cut short when Bulldog Jay Smith picked off a Cowboy pass and ran it back to the Cowboys' two yard line before a Cowboy made a touchdown saving tackle. “That was a 15-point tackle,” said Cowboy Head Coach Mike Coe during his radio show on Saturday. The Bulldogs were unable to punch the ball over the goal line and they lined up for a 20-yard field goal. A faulty center exchange put the ball on the ground and Zarrion Robinson alertly scooped the ball up and ran it 95 yards in the other direction for a Cowboy scoop and score. The two-point conversion attempt failed and the score was 20-0 with 4:03 remaining on the clock before intermission. The Bulldogs took over at their own 13-yard line. The Bulldogs moved the ball to mid-field, then quarterback Jaquez Moore connected with Camdon Frier for a 52-yard touchdown toss. The point-after-touchdown (PAT) split the uprights and the score was 20-7, with 2:42 remaining in the first half. That's where the score remained until halftime.
The Bulldogs took the second half kickoff to the 38-yard line. The Bulldogs struck quickly and scored their second touchdown of the contest with a pass to Brian Fuery. Another successful PAT off the boot of Braxtyn Green put the score at 20-14, still in favor of the Cowboys, with 10:20 remaining in the third quarter. The next Cowboy drive stalled at the 45-yard line and the Bulldogs took over at their own 21. A Bulldog turnover gave the ball back to the Cowboys at the Bulldog 25-yard line. The Cowboys quickly took advantage and scored another touchdown on a seven-yard pass to Ty Jarvis to bring the score to 26-14, with 5:37 to go in the third quarter. The next Bulldog drive was cut short by an interception by Cowboy Johnathon Akins at the Bulldog 34-yard line. The third quarter ended with the score still at 26-14.
The final quarter was a defensive struggle with the ball moving back and forth but well short of either team's end-zone. That trend ended after the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs and the Cowboys took over at the Bulldogs' 17-yard line. The Cowboys moved the ball closer to the goal line until Hiers ran the ball in for a seven-yard touchdown run. The score was 32-14 with 1:22 remaining in the contest.
That is where the score remained until the end of the game.
Jay Smith was named the Player of the Game for the Bulldogs.
Next up for the Bulldogs (2-1) is a home contest against the Tornadoes of Bradford High School, from Starke. The Tornadoes (1-2) are coming off a 33-22 loss to University Christian. The game is set to take place on Friday, Sept. 25, at Paul Langford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.