By Charlie Anderson
Contributing Writer

Right: Anthony Landrum breaks through the Devil defense Friday night.

Although still young in years at some positions, the Sweet Water Bulldogs showed a lot of maturity this past Friday, November 4, when they overcame a first half deficit and defeated a good Maplesville football team 35-27 at Nolan Atkins Stadium. “A very good football team made the trip home to Chilton County Friday night,” Coach Stacy Luker said. “They came to play and gave us all we wanted. If it had not been for the championship type effort our team gave in the second half, who knows how it would have turned out.”

Luker, who has seen his team grow up and become battle tested over the past three years, was quick to point to the leadership some of his players exhibited when his team went to the locker room at halftime trailing. “We had some of our defensive leaders challenge our team at halftime,” Coach Luker said. “They reminded everyone of what was expected and what it was going to take to win the game. It obviously paid off in the second half as we held Maplesville to only 43 yards rushing after giving up 206 yards in the first half. We needed to win a game like this with our defense and we did.”

The Bulldog defense shuts down a Maplesville runner. PHOTO BY AMBER FULLER Maplesville was first to put points on the scoreboard when they scored on a 50-yard run with 10:03 to play in the first quarter. The extra point was good and the Red Devils had a 7-O lead.

The Bulldogs answered the score with a touchdown of their own at the 9:17 mark of the first quarter when Dominic Holt barreled in from one yard out. Justus Staehle added the extra point and the game was knotted at 7-7.

The Red Devils regained the lead with 10:07 to play in the second quarter, scoring on a 12 yard run. The extra point attempt was no good but Maplesville led 13 -7.

Once again the Bulldogs answered the call, this time on a Deon Williams 10 yard dash to pay dirt with 7:36 remaining in the second quarter. Justus Staehle was on the mark with his extra point and the Bulldogs had the lead at 14-13.

Almost on cue, the Red Devils pounded it back down the field and into the end zone on a 10-yard run with 3:58 remaining before intermission. The two point conversion attempt failed but the Chilton County visitors had a 19 - 14 lead that they would take to the locker room.

Early in the third quarter the Bulldogs regained the lead when Dominic Holt rumbled 44 yards for a touchdown. Staehle split the uprights and Sweet Water was back in the lead at 21 - 19 with 10:40 remaining in the quarter.

Sweet Water added to their lead with 8:34 remaining in the quarter when Travion Lockett scampered 12 yards for the touchdown. Staehle’s point after was true again and the Bulldogs led 28-19.

Not willing to give in just yet, the Red Devils scored on a 77-yard pass play as the third quarter ended. Their two-point conversion was good and suddenly they were within one point of the Bulldogs at 28-27.

Realizing the precarious position they were in with only a one point lead, the Bulldog offense stepped up in fourth quarter and put the lead back at eight points when Anthony Landrum broke several tackles on a 53 yard touchdown run with 3:09 remaining in the game. Staehle kicked his fifth extra point of the game and the Bulldogs led 35-27.

From that point on the stingy Bulldog defense stopped the last effort by Maplesville leaving the final 35-27 in favor of Sweet Water.

Offensive leaders for the Bulldogs were: Anthony Landrum with 231 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries and Dominic Holt with 99 yards and two touchdowns also on 13 carries.

On defense Dominic Holt led the team with 14 tackles while Anthony Landrum and Jacques Lockett had 11 each. Deon Williams and Demaraquis Williams also contributed one interception each.

As the Bulldogs move into round two of state playoffs, things don’t get any easier. After defeating the now 9 and 2 Red Devils, the Bulldogs must travel to play the 10-1 Brantley Bulldogs. Like Sweet Water, Brantley has a great tradition in lA football and is currently 46-4 over the last four years. To make matters worse they haven’t lost a home game since 2002. “Brantley is a well coached football team that is going to do things right,” Stacy Luker said. “They are very physical and have good team speed. They will keep you off balance with a mixture of spread and power I schemes on offense and are very stingy on defense. We need to play well on both sides of the ball if we expect to win this week.”

The Sweet Water vs. Brantley game is scheduled for this Friday, Nov. 11, in Brantley with kick offset for 7 p.m.