The ECI Bulldog football team and fans traveled to Rochelle Friday, August 16, for the season opener against the Wilcox County Patriots. The two teams have played each other in the state playoffs with ECI taking both games, in 2007 for the state championship and again in 2012 in the semifinals. The Bulldogs made it three in a row, with a 13-7 overtime win Friday night.
“Playing the first game of the season in a hostile environment against a spread no-huddle team was tough enough, but the fact that they had a scoop and score on the second play of the game, had us reeling early,” commented head football coach, Chris Kearson. “I will say our kids never panicked and found a way to get us back into the game in the first half and it was a defensive game until the end of regulation. We got plenty to work on as we wrap up our non-region schedule this Friday at home.”
As a side note, this might not be the last time the Bulldogs and Patriots see each other this season. The top four teams in region 3 and region 4 will face each other in the first round of the state playoffs in November.
The Bulldogs got the ball first in Friday’s game and gifted the Patriots seven points with less than a minute into the game. A Bulldog fumble on the second play of the game resulted in a 34-yard defensive touchdown by Wilcox to put the Bulldogs down 7-0. The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard on their third possession of the game. On third and a yard, Ab Marsh broke through the middle of the defense and raced alone for a 40-yard touchdown. Oisin Matthews’ kick split the uprights to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter. Between two stiff defenses, dropped passes, fumbles, and penalties that would be the last score for either team for the next three quarters, ending with a 7-7 tie at the end of regulation. The Patriots got the ball first in overtime. Their offense did the one thing that you can’t do in overtime when each team starts the drive at the 15-yard line. Wilcox fumbled on the third play, resulting in a Bulldog recovery to end their try for a score. On the third play of the Bulldogs’’ try for score, they decided to go for a Matthews field goal. The Pats were offside for two consecutive plays trying for a block which put the ball on two-yard line. The Bulldogs put the offense back on the field and won the game on a Tyler Foreman run to win the game in OT 13-7. The Bulldog defense had another good game. Including the three-quarter scrimmage against Vidalia and this game against Wilcox, they have yet to yield a point the last seven quarters. The Bulldogs rushed for 179 yards during the game. Leading the ground game were Ab Marsh, seven carries for 90 yards and Tyler Foreman 62 yards on 18 carries. Jackson Kennedy was 5-10 for 47 yards spreading the ball around to five different receivers.
The Bulldogs will host Swainsboro this Friday in the home opener at Rountree Stadium in the last non-region game. The next eight games will be region contests
