Marlin ISD

4th Shutout In A Row Gives The Bulldogs
The District Championship!

For the fourth time in a row the Bulldog Defense shut out another district foe. This time they "Spooked The Leopards" on Halloween night at Lorena by a score of 27-0. The Bulldogs now have outscored their district opponents 155-0 through four games. This entire scoring coming after scoring zero points at the hands of the Ennis Lions.
What a turn around for the Dogs. Now we see why BIG DOG Malone plays the very tough games before district comes around. There are three seasons to a football year. The first is over and we are undefeated in the second and heading for the all-important third - PLAYOFFS BABY!

The victory over Lorena gives the Dogs their fifth consecutive District Championship, all without a defeat. One has to go back to October of 1998 to find their last district loss. Way to go Bulldogs! Lets keep it going!

Now on to the game…

The Marlin defense once again was dominating. The Leopards managed only six yards rushing the entire game. And on a winding night, Leopard quarterback, Matt Pickle completed only nine of 27 passes for 96 yards.

The game started well for the Leopards. After kicking off into the end zone the Dogs took over on their own 20-yard line. Two short runs by Tank Smith set up a third and seven for the Dogs. QB Jeremy Sanders hit Red Richardson with what would have been a first down but the ball was jarred loose and the Leopards recovered the fumble at the Marlin 31-yard line. The Leopard crowd went nuts and smelled UPSET! But the Dog defense had something to say about that. On their first play the Leopards picked up one yard. On second and nine, Pickle completed a pass but Mark Jimenez with a vicious hit on the receiver and the result of the play was a four-yard loss. Facing a third and 13 Pickle completed a pass for the first down. Again the Lorena crowd was up and cheering UPSET UPSET! Facing a second and twelve at the Bulldog 23 the Dogs had had enough of the Leopards. Time for a big play. The defense rose, forced a fumble by the quarterback and Lamondria Williams scooped the ball up and raced 77 yards for a touchdown. Just when the Leopard crowd was thinking upset - they became UPSET!! And from there the route was on!

Moving to the second quarter with 4:38 to play, QB J Mo Sanders went to work through the air. First he hit Cody Malone with a 15-yard strike down the left-sideline and then he hits Tank with a 20-yard strike down the right side line. The Dogs were barking again. This time at the Leopard two yard line. The Tank took it in from there to make it 12 - 0. Having missed the conversion on their first touchdown the Dogs went for two. Sanders zipped a pass into the waiting arms of James Giddings to make it 14-0 Dogs as we headed for the half.

The second half started well for the Leopards as their defense caused another Bulldog turnover and they set up shop at the Bulldog 45 yard line. But once again the Dog defense had the answer. Leopard QB Pickle made a bad pitch on an option play and #6; Mical Roberts picked up the loose ball and ran it back 42 yards to the Lorena 5-yard line.

And whom do you go to when it's first and goal - THE TANK - BOOM thru the line touchdown. Chris Stewart added the point after to make it 21-0.

The Leopards kept trying to claw back in. Hoping to stop this streak of no points scored against the Dogs they mounted one last ditch effort to score. They drove to the Dog 17-yard line and then completed a pass down to the one on fourth down. But a big penalty (one of the few that went the way of the Bulldogs) turned out to be costly for the Leopards. Offensive pass interference and the Leopards had 4th and goal from 25 yards away and they never got any closer.

The Dogs though weren't through scoring. Their last TD was a beauty. Mr. "Do Everything," Red Richardson took a handoff and headed outside, then he cut back towards the middle and NOBODY was going to catch him - 32 yards later TOUCHDOWN! It is really something to watch when Red has his hands on the ball. And another "W" in the win column for the Bulldogs.

So that sets up the final show down. The rivalry game with the Cameron Yoe. Cameron has fallen on tough times this year and won't make the playoffs for the first time in a long while. But you can bet they would like nothing better than to hand the Dogs their first district loss or even just score on them. It will be Parent Night so come early. Game time 7:30. GO DOGS!

Marlin ISD
Created August 26, 1997 -- last revision October, 2003
Please mail comments or suggestions to: tsimpson@marlinisd.org

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