The Dove Creek Bulldogs fell to the Norwood Mavericks in the state quarterfinal game on Saturday, 49-14.
Although it may have been disappointing, after the game, Dove Creek head coach Shane Baughman put the season-ending loss into perspective.
“Unless you’re the state champs, you always lose the last one,” he said. “So it’s always hard, but the kids fought hard. I was proud of the way they fought the whole game. We were just kind of out-gunned. That was the bottom line – just out-gunned.”
The Bulldogs opened the game with a squib kick, which bounced directly into the arms of Norwood’s Dillon Grimes, who cradled the ball and rushed 55 yards, scoring a touchdown just eight seconds into the contest.
Then on Dove Creek’s first possession, Jordan Ernst’s punt was blocked, setting Norwood up with possession on Dove Creek’s 15-yard line.
However, the Bulldogs’ defense buckled down, and the Mavericks were unable to score, turning the ball over on downs.
The Bulldogs defense would hold Norwood scoreless from inside the 10-yard line two more times on the day.
The Mavericks struck again in the second quarter when running back Devyn Rummel capped off a 56-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown rush to put Norwood up 16-0.
The following Dove Creek possessions ended in an interception by Rummel and another blocked punt.
The Mavericks capitalized after the second blocked punt. Starting at the Dove Creek 4-yard line, quarterback Trenton Armintrout ran a bootleg for a touchdown to extend the lead.
Down 24-0 with 4:36 left in the half, the Dove Creek offense began to move the ball.
Ernst was precise on the drive, hitting Ricky Adams and Scott Gatlin to move the chains, then getting 30 yards on a completion to Colin Hobbs.
Finally, after chipping away, Ernst powered in from the 1-yard line to finish an 80-yard drive and put the Bulldogs on the board.
Trailing 24-6 at half, Dove Creek started the third quarter with three consecutive three-and-out drives leading to punts.
The Bulldogs would score again on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Ernst to Shane Fury, on a drive that included a 37-yard completion to Hobbs and a 15-yard catch by Adams.
But a 23-yard touchdown rush by Armintrout and a 20-yard touchdown run by Rummel gave Norwood a 36-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs were unable to muster another scoring drive, while Caden Colston and Armontrout ran in two more touchdowns for the Mavericks to finalize the scoring.
Securing the 49-14 win, Norwood advances to the semifinals to face Akron.
“They did a good job, credit to them,” Dove Creek head coach Shane Baughman said of the Mavericks. “They come up and they hit. They’re very physical.”
He later added: “I really think Norwood’s got a chance to win it. I really do. Because they’re so physical, and they just wear you out. They’ve got a lot of kids, and their backups are good.”