Bulldogs finish strong, down Barbour County 37-6
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE – As the pregame clock trickled down to kickoff, a mass of people clad in black and gold gathered on the opposing sideline. It was the final game of the regular season, and they had come to recognize LaFayette High School’s senior football players, cheerleaders and band members who prepared to take the field at Bulldog Stadium one last time.
The mission was simple: to finish the season on a high note against a winless Barbour County High School team. The Bulldogs (4-6) did just that with a dominant 37-6 victory over the Jaguars (0-10) on Oct. 31.
Jeremiah Whitlow recorded seven carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns, Cameron Thomas scored an offensive and defensive TD and the Bulldogs held the Panthers to 168 total yards of offense.
After the game, head coach Juan Williams reflected on the highs and lows the season provided and commended his team for the fight they showed down the stretch, even after being eliminated from playoff contention.
“In this business, we make sure these young men enjoy their experiences throughout their lives. We wanted better for them, and we have to do better as coaches. And we’ll do better. But all in all, I’m proud of each and every one of them for what they did and what they accomplished, staying out here and going through it when they felt that we might not make [the playoffs] anymore,” Williams said. “We had a shot right there in the end up there [at Central Coosa County High School], but the ball just didn’t fall our way. I’m just happy for each one of these kids who kept on competing.”
While there were plenty to choose from, Williams honed in on the 38-0 victory over Horseshoe Bend High School on Oct. 24 as his favorite moment of the season. In particular, he appreciated their willingness and attention to detail when applying their game plan during that game. He also appreciated his players’ desire to achieve under any circumstances.
“A lot of times when you have desire, things don’t fall your way, but you desire to do great. We’ve got a lot of kids who desire to do great. We’ve just got to find ways to win. That’s just the foundation that we’ve been given as a football team, but you know, my plan and God’s plan can be totally different,” Williams said. “My thing is, when you go back to that desire, we desire a lot of things, and we think we put forth [the effort] and do the right things to get that. So I appreciate each one of them. They stayed out here and didn’t quit. That was the biggest thing, just seeing that desire.”
For Thomas, a senior defensive back and wide receiver who took the field for the final time for the Bulldogs, the opportunity to record his 97-yard pick-six was a long time coming and a special experience to cap off senior night.
“The receiver on my side went across, but it could have been a run out this way. I didn’t see anybody come across with him, so I just drove on him and went for the ball,” Thomas said. “[My time here has] meant everything. We went through a lot of changes, too. A lot of teachers passing, and we got some new coaches out here. They changed my perspective on sports and life.”
Whitlow offered a frank assessment of the matchup against a team that traveled more than an hour and a half with only 12 players dressed out to play — LHS had the advantage in virtually every category.
“[Foot speed], size, skill, everything across the board,” Whitlow said. “It feels good winning for the team on senior night.”
It did not take Whitlow long to open the scoring after the Bulldogs forced a BCHS three-and-out to start the game and the Jaguars punted the ball nine yards to their 31 yard line. From there, LHS went on a four-play drive that ended with an eight-yard Whitlow TD run, which put the Bulldogs up 6-0 with 9:07 left in the first quarter.
LHS then quickly struck again after Kemare Harrington intercepted a pass deep in Bulldog territory five plays into a promising Jaguars drive. After taking possession of the ball at their own nine yard line, LHS marched the length of the field with several chunk plays, including a 32-yard receiving TD from Harrington to Thomas.
With the Bulldogs up 12-0 with 5:05 left in the first quarter, desperation set in for BCHS, which increasingly turned to the passing game to generate positive yardage. However, a stifling LHS secondary held the Jaguars in check, and the Bulldogs added their third TD early in the second quarter with a five-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard Whitlow TD run.
Following a successful extra point attempt, LHS found itself up 19-0 with 9:23 left in the second quarter and cruising to victory.
The Bulldogs continued flexing their defensive muscle on the next BCHS drive as Ty’Quavious Gates sacked the Jaguars’ quarterback and forced a fumble that gave the offense the ball at the BCHS 16 yard line.
Three plays later, Jaden Story extended LHS’ lead to 25-0 with 8:09 left in the second quarter with a 10-yard TD run off left tackle and just inside the pylon.
The first half scoring did not end there as the Bulldogs quickly forced another punt from BCHS and took over with possession at their own 44 yard line halfway through the second quarter. With time and the scoreboard on its side, LHS turned in an eight-play, 56-yard drive that consumed nearly three minutes and ended with a 20-yard Jaiden Lacey run.
That put the Bulldogs up 31-0 with 3:02 left before halftime and ended the scoring in the first half.
Coming out of halftime, both teams agreed to shorten the third and fourth quarters from 12 minutes to eight minutes and keep a running clock, which limited the number of remaining possible possessions.
The remaining scoring included Thomas’ 97-yard interception return TD that put LHS up 37-0 with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter, and a 28-yard receiving TD from BCHS with less than two minutes left in the game.
What’s Next
The Bulldogs finish the season with a 4-6 overall record and 1-5 record in 2A Region 4 play, good for sixth place. Overall, LHS scored an average of 21.5 points per game while allowing an average of 24 points per game.
