Earle falls to England

Earle falls to England

Lions eliminate Bulldogs from playoffs despite strong first half

sports@theeveningtimes.com

The England Lions (14-0 overall, 7-0 conference) defeated the Earle Bulldogs (9-4, 5-1) this past weekend 55-22 in a 2A Quarterfinal playoff game.

The Bulldogs fell behind early 14-0, but were able to get on the board with a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gerry Bohanon to receiver Dontrell Johnson with three minutes to play in the first. Bohanon found Johnson again on another 30-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, making the score 21-16 in favor of the Lions.

Bohanon put the Bulldogs up 22-21 to start the second half with a 62-yard touchdown pass. However, a Bulldogs defense which held Lions quarterback Brayden Brazeal to under 100 yards passing in the first half could not repeat the effort in the second half.

“The defense got worn down going into the fourth quarter because we went three and out three times in the third quarter,” Assistant Coach Carl Miller said.

Brazeal scored his third touchdown of the afternoon by running 10 yards to the end zone allowing the Lions to regain the lead. The Lions then went on to score 26 unanswered points, leading the team to next week's 2A State Semi-Finals matchup.

The loss to England snaps a four-game winningstreak for the Bulldogs dating back to October 21st against Cross County. The Bulldogs improved their win total by one game this season compared to last season, making it to the third round of the 2A playoffs.

The key to bringing home a state championship for the Earle Bulldogs next season lies in commitment in the off-season according to Coach Miller.

“We have to have a good off-season to get ready,” Miller said. “You start in January to get ready for December. You got to commit yourselves as players and as coaches to work hard every day in order to bring it home. You got to come back and work harder and play even hungrier next year.”

One factor that the players cannot control which Miller believes could help the Bulldogs championship dreams next year is season- long attendance and support from fans.

“I would like our fans and our community to not just come at the end of the season but come all season and support these kids,” Miller said. “We are the team. We have the team in Crittenden County.”

Despite the quarterfinal loss, Miller feels optimistic about the Bulldogs chances for a championship next season.

“We're going to be pretty tough to beat next year because we have a lot of sophomores and juniors who saw a lot of playing time,” Miller said. “We're only losing four seniors off the team. We should be right there in the running to try to bring one home next year.”

By Collins Peeples