By Jason Peevyhouse
Sports Editor |
Playing without starting
quarterback Adam Bennett, who was hospitalized on Friday
afternoon, the Gleason Bulldogs had to rely on their running
attack against the Fulton County Pilots. Though the Bulldogs
were able to move the ball on the Pilots, fumbles, and
possibly a pair of questionable calls late in the game, led
to Gleason’s 27-19 loss to Fulton County on Friday night in
Hickman, Ky.
Gleason started the game off strong, getting runs of 13 and
three yards from T.J. Wilson before a fumble on the Bulldogs
third play of the game gave the ball to the Pilots at the
Fulton County 40-yard line.
It took only
three plays for the Pilots to steer their way into the end
zone. After a six-yard loss pushed the Fulton County team
back to its own 34, pass from (2) to (1) broke free for a
66-yard scoring strike for the game’s first score. (6) added
the extra point to make the score 7-0 with 9:43 left in the
game.
Though Gleason
was bitten by the fumble bug twice on its next two
possessions, the Gleason defense prevented the Pilots from
returning to the end zone and essentially kept the Dawgs in
the game early.
Gleason was
able to force a turnover on downs at the Bulldog 15 and was
able to get some breathing room on the first play of the new
drive as Bradley Barber broke free for a 26-yard run. Wilson
followed with a 14-yard pickup of his own to take the Dawgs
across midfield. After sandwiching a Wilson run with a pair
of runs, Barber picked up an important first down. After a
penalty pushed the Dawgs back, backup quarterback Byron
Fuqua found Wilson for a 32-yard pass inside the red zone.
After runs by Zach Wallace and Barber, Wilson carried the
ball in from four yards out to make the score 7-6 with 9:57
left in the opening frame.
However, the
Pilots would not let the Dawgs stay that close for long.
Four plays into their next drive, (2) looked for (1) again
and connected as the pass was tipped by a Gleason defender
to get the touchdown and put the Pilots ahead 13-6 with 7:50
left in the first half.
Gleason was
able to get some momentum later in the frame. After being
forced to punt, the Bulldogs got a big break as the Pilot
returner did not call for a fair catch, dropped the ball and
was then leveled by Wallace. Dustin Farlow scooped up the
loose ball before being drug to the ground. However, a
fumble two plays later led to another Gleason turnover.
Though Gleason
was able to move the ball some on its last possession of the
first half, the Pilots kept their seven-point lead going
into the half.
The Pilots
wasted little time getting back on the board in the third
quarter as the Pilots put together an 11-play drive that
covered 61 yards. The drive ended with a two-yard
quarterback sneak by (2). The two-point attempt failed and
the Pilots took a 19-6 lead with 5:22 left in the third
frame.
Neither team
was able to get much going on its next drive, but Gleason
didn’t need long to score after Fulton County punted the
ball away with 2:05 left in the third frame.
On the first
play of the new drive, Barber broke free for a 75-yard
scoring run. However, on the two-point attempt, after
Gleason fumbled the handoff the ball was whistled dead,
despite laying free on the ground and keeping the score
19-12 with 1:47 left in the frame.
After Gleason
was able to hold the Pilots to another three-and-out, the
Dawgs began to drive the ball down the field again. As the
final frame started, the Bulldogs headed towards midfield.
Runs of 11, 7 and three yards by Wallace set up an 18-yard
gain by Wilson, which quickly lead to another big run by the
senior, this one for 17 yards. After a pair of penalties
negated two Gleason gains, Gleason got another big break as
Barber carried the ball eight yards, but a hit forced the
ball out of his hands and into the air where Josh Sumner
grabbed it and ran the final 18 yards for the score. Cruz
Legens added the two-pointer to tie the game at 19-19 with
8:57 left in the game.
Fulton County
was able to drive the ball down into Gleason territory on
its next drive, but a fumble turned the ball over on the
Gleason 4-yard line.
However, the
Dawgs would only get four yards on a Wilson carry and then
lost yardage back to the 1-yard line as a lineman attempted
to catch an errant pass from a pressured Fuqua, causing a
seldom seen penalty. Forced to punt, the snap sailed over
Legens head and out of the end zone for the safety to make
the score 21-19 with 6:15 left in the game.
On the ensuing
drive, the Pilots were able to move the ball down the field
in six plays, capping the drive with a (40) run to make the
score 27-19 with 3:35 left in the game.
Things became
a little confused on the Bulldogs next drive. After picking
up a first down near the Gleason 29-yard line, the referees
called a penalty on the ensuing play – which would have been
a 14-yard run by Wallace. However, the penalty was not
assessed until after the chain gang had move the markers to
the new first down markings, near the 43-yard line. And,
when the chains were reset, the new markings were further
down the field than before the penalty was assessed. Also,
the ball was spotted back at the Gleason 13-yard line,
meaning that when the penalty had occurred, it would have
had to have been at least six yards in the backfield for it
to be illegal procedure.
Gleason was
unable to get the needed yardage and Fulton County got the
ball back and kneeled to run out the clock.
Gleason will return to action Friday
night when the Bulldogs travel to Atwood to face West
Carroll. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
