Marlin ISD

Bulldogs "Bow Wowt" Early In The Playoffs

It was a double hitter at MCC this past Friday night as two 18AAA teams took on two rivals from 19AAA as round ball playoffs continued. On this night it would be 19AAA prevailing in both match-ups.

Game #1 pitted the district champions of 18 AAA - our Marlin Bulldogs taking on the second place 19AAA Groesbeck Goats. The feature of this showdown turned out to be the play of Goat Chris Smith, who scored just abut every time he touched the ball to the tune of 35 points as the Goats took any bark out of the Bulldogs by a score of 70-57.

The Bulldogs came out quick as the game started and scored the first points of the game as senior Travis Graves hit a three. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs this would be the largest lead they would have the entire game. The first quarter went back and forth but the Goats were up 15-12 at the buzzer. Smith was just warming up as he scored six in the opening period.

In the second quarter, Smith lit the scoreboard up scoring from outside, inside and at the foul line. A total of 18 points by Smith alone as the Goats built a 16-point lead at the half with a score of 22-38.

The third quarter started right for the Bulldogs. They had to score on offense and hold on defense and that's how the period started. Graves hit a two and then senior Dwayne Davis, who finished the game with a team high 20 points hit a two down inside and the Bulldogs were on a 4-0 run and cut the lead to 12. But back came the Goats as they scored the next four points to move the lead back to 16 with 5:33 to play in the quarter.

Another Bulldog senior then got hot. Bertram "Pokey" Knight hit his first three of the night (He finished with 13 points, all in the second half) to make it 29-42 and with two minutes in the period, Knight hit his second three followed up by a two by Jameus Hartsfield and the Bulldogs were fighting back.

On the ensuing play, Groesbeck had a fast break working; Smith was driving to the basket and Bulldog defender Devon Hughes went up to make the block. Hughes came down hard to the floor and was in severe pain under the Goat basket. Hughes was taken to Hillcrest Hospital for precautionary measures with a possible neck/back injury.

When play resumed, neither team scored again and the period ended with the Goats maintaining that 16-point lead at 36-52.

In the final period, it was Bulldog D. Davis playing hard and with a lot of heart. Knowing this was perhaps his last game as a Bulldog, Davis went hard to the basket to start the quarter and was fouled. He hit the first of two and on his miss, he got his own rebound and put it back up and in to make the score 39-52. Next to score for the Bulldogs was senior Poky Knight with his third three of the night but the Dogs still found themselves down by 12 with 4:51 to play.

Then it was D. Davis on defense as he swatted away two would be shots by the Goats; the second one falling in the hands of Knight who was off to the races before being fouled from behind. Knight hit both his shots and the Dogs were not going to give up. Jameus Hartsfield was fouled on the in-bound pass and he hit both ends to cut the Goat lead to ten points with 3:31 to play. And then the Bulldogs force a turnover on the Goats and they have a chance to cut it to seven or eight BUT their nemesis all night, #00 James steals the ball, takes it the other way and scores and its back to a 12-point Goat lead.

With the clock ticking down and the Goats up 62-50, junior football sensation, Red Richardson steals the ball, puts on his speed and heads to the basket, throws a one bounce pass underneath to D. Davis who scores to make it 52-62 with 2:19 to play.

The Goats then began to slow the game down and the Bulldogs were forced to foul. Senior Terrance Perkins went to the line and hit one of two to make it 52-63. (Perkins finished the night with 18 points and 13 rebounds). Back came the Dogs - Graves a long three misses - Davis with the rebound scores 54-63. The Goats answered 54-65. And with only 50 seconds left, Jermarcus Hartsfield hits a long three from way downtown to cut it to eight points. But that would be as close as the Bulldogs would get as the Goats go onto win by a final of 70 - 57.

So now the Bulldogs turn to track, soccer, baseball and softball as the school year turns to the fifth six weeks.

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

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