Bulldogs throttle Leopards for Region 1 crown
Tyler Rogers to a short gain.
SWEET WATER – The Bulldogs wasted little time grabbing a lead they would never lose en route to a 47-21 win over Mobile Christian and their second straight Class 2A, Region 1 title Friday night.
“You always want to start fast,” Sweet Water coach Stacy Luker said. “We sort of hit them with some lightning bolts, a couple of turnovers, 27 first-quarter points and sort of put our foot on their throat a little bit.”
On the third play from scrimmage Kyle Patterson forced a fumble that Justin Dunning pounced on to give the Bulldogs their first possession 39 yards from an early lead.
Jakoby Aldridge made good on the promising opportunity 10 plays later when he scored from five yards out to stake Sweet Water to a touchdown advantage.
Xavier McIntosh caught a high-arching kick at the Mobile Christian 38 on the ensuing kickoff to set up the Bulldogs for another score that came when Branson Davis hit William Huckabee for a 38-yard touchdown pass. Tristan Weatherly’s point-after put Sweet Water up 14-0.
Leopard tailback Tyler Rogers put his team back in it three plays later when he broke a tackle and sprinted 53 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 14-7.
Daniel Sewell answered 16 seconds later with a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 20-7.
McIntosh struck again on the next play from scrimmage when he picked off a pass at the Leopard 30 to set up a six-play, 30-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard Demarcus Gamble touchdown run.
Gamble scored again with 6:38 to go in the half when he capped a 14-play, 73-yard drive with a 20-yard scoring sprint. Weatherly’s extra point left Sweet Water firmly in control 34-7 at half.
Aldridge found the end zone again on the second half’s first snap when he went 78 yards for a score to stretch the Bulldog advantage to 40-7.
Mobile Christian answered the strike with a drive that last eight plays and ended with a 6-yard Rogers touchdown run to cut it to 40-14.
Sweet Water needed four plays to score its final points of the night as Aldridge broke a 29-yard run off on his final carry of the night to cap a brief 49-yard drive and set SWHS up 47-14.
The Leopards got their final points of the night with two minutes remaining in the third quarter when Richard Wasden hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Aubrey.
Aldridge ended his night with 24 carries for 217 yards and three touchdowns to lead the way for the Bulldogs.
Rogers finished with 112 yards and two scores on 19 carries to lead the Leopards.
The loss sends Mobile Christian (7-2, 5-2) to Region 1’s No. 3 seed. The Leopards round out regular season play next week at Spanish Fort while Sweet Water (7-2, 7-0) hosts T.R. Miller.