CMS Bulldogs finish short of championship game goal
Published 12:29 pm Tuesday, October 24, 2017
<p>Photos by Allen Earl | Claiborne Progress</p> <p>The Bulldogs enter the field for the West Division Championship game.</p>
<p>Logan Daniels finds the corner on a QB keeper.</p>
<p>The Bulldogs went into the game down on players and energy but fought hard.</p>
<p>Claiborne was a catch and step away from making big plays.</p>
<p>Logan Daniels passes to a teammate down in the endzone.</p>
The District 3-A middle school football playoffs continued last week with round two action. On the West Division side it was Claiborne facing off with Jacksboro Oct. 17, two days before it was originally scheduled. The game fell during the Claiborne County school system’s fall break and many players had planned vacations around the original Thursday kickoff, so several were not able to make the game. The original date was scheduled for Thursday but moved by Jacksboro coaches to Tuesday. The game had to be played regardless of date, so the Bulldogs loaded the bus and made the trip into the land of the Eagles.
As expected, the Bulldogs were tired from the first round playoff game and shorthanded when the ball was kicked off. The Eagles started moving the ball well during the first quarter and had little trouble placing 22 points on the board before going into the halftime break.
The Jacksboro attack continued during the third quarter and didn’t stop until there was a running clock. They scored once more even after the clock was moving non-stop and completed a 44-0 victory. With the win, the Eagles were crowned West Division Champions and will represent the division in the TMSSA District 3 Championship Game.
The Bulldogs finished the season one game short of defending their West Division Championship but did it with pride and dignity despite great odds. Claiborne had a great 2017 season, only losing three times and winning seven.
Bulldogs Head Coach Asher Noe said about his 2017 team, “Brody Wells had a great year last season and won the West Division Championship but he had a lot of eighth graders who moved on to high school ball. We came in thinking it was a rebuild year but this team surprised us. The fact that we made it to the West Division championship game was incredible and speaks to the job the players and the coaches did.”
Noe went on to say, “I told the team that I was most proud of the fact that they were fighters. In games decided by one possession we were 5-0 and that speaks highly of our staff and players. it’s been fun and I can’t wait until next season.”
All that is left for the Bulldogs is a banquet at a date to be determined.
