Sulphur is coming off a 6-5 year and will have a lot of weapons back from that young team. Quarterback Ty Williams played well last season and showed flashes of having the ability to be very good at his position. The offense won't be the typical three yards in a cloud of dust. It will be a much more wide open offense, giving Williams the ability to throw the ball and also use his legs to break down defenses. The Bulldogs will be massive upfront with the line being led by Kenneth Tinney. Dylan Walker battled injuries a year ago but when he was on the field at running back he showed big time ability. The defensive secondary will be solid with several returning players from last years team. But what about their opponents?

Let's see how the Dogs break down and stack up against everyone on their schedule.

Week 1 at Lexington: The Lexington Bulldogs went 7-4 a year ago. They are still in 2A. They lost both their quarterback and running back from a year ago. More than likely Travelle Pelkey (5-11, 175) will be the signal caller and Dalton Duke (6-2, 180) will be the running back. The flex-bone offense will test the Dog's defense, especially with a quick backfield. The Lexington linebacking core will be solid with Brad Nere (5-10, 220) and Tyler Haynes (5-10, 200). Pelkey will start at corner but the rest of the secondary has little experience. Sulphur will be on the road but with a solid defensive effort they should be able to win this close game.

Week 2 vs. Davis: Once again, the Murray County War will be held early in the season. Davis will begin the season ranked in the top 10 after going 12-1 a year ago. The Wolves will lean on Matt Burba who is the top returning rusher from a year ago. Kyle Lampkin (6-3, 216) will anchor the always physical Davis line. He is their lone returning starter. Grant Hetherington left a big hole at quarterback and it seems Cole Weber (5-9, 188) will fill that hole left by Hetherington. Ray Wilson (6-4, 204) is back at defensive end while Burba will hold down the strong safety position which he anchored last year. The secondary is solid with Justin Douglas who picked off seven passes a year ago. Davis is talented, but will be replacing several key players. It works out best that Sulphur is catching them early and will hope to take advantage of that lack of experience. Hey, who can ever predict this game?

Week 3 vs. Ardmore JV: Ardmore is a solid 5A school. However, these are the JV players. Will they have some athletes? You bet they will. They will be young and because they are JV they won't have the reps they need in practice. With all that said, Sulphur can't sleep on them. They will show up and want to walk out with bragging rights. They will not lay down and let Sulphur win. They will play like they have something to prove.

Week 4 at Purcell: The Dragons went 9-3 a year ago and are the favorite in the district early on. They return Cole Swayze (6-3, 180) at quarterback who has been a 1,000 yard rusher the last two seasons. He will be joined in the backfield by Damian Shea (5-7, 165) who is also a 1,000 yard rusher. The offensive line returns two starters in Dylan Painter (6-2, 210) and Curry Taylor (6-2, 260). They will be joined by several players including Dillon Christian (6-5, 260). The offense is stacked but the defense only returns four players from a year ago. The linebackers are solid but the questions are on the line. This will be a great game for the Bulldogs. A tough test but a win will put them in the running for a district championship.

Week 5 vs. Lone Grove: The Longhorns have been bottom feeders of high school football for a long time, but not anymore. Lone Grove was 5-5 a year ago and are hungry for the playoffs this season. They know that to get there they will have to go through the Bulldogs. The offense will be led by Jacob McClennahan who threw for over 1,000 yards and rushed for nearly 900 a year ago. Dalton Keeton will be back at tailback where he rushed for over 1,500 yards a year ago. This gives Lone Grove an advantage with so much offense back. The question mark for this offense will be at wideout and along the line. The defense returns several key players from a year ago including Nathan Landeros. Sulphur will have to shut down the Longhorns running game and hold McClennahan in check to win. I believe the Sulphur offense will be too much for the Longhorns to handle.

Week 6 vs. Marlow: This is a game some Sulphur fans will really be looking to after one of the worst refereed games in recent memory a few years back where Sulphur came up on the losing end. Marlow had a horrible year last season and many believe it will be much the same. Jim Dixon is a Marlow grad but won't be cutting the Outlaws any slack on this night. They have a new quarterback but will have a lot of experience across the line including senior Dakota White (6-4, 260). At running back it seems senior Halston Harris will get the job. Cody Brown (6-1, 185) is a ball hawk at linebacker. The secondary will be senior led and quick. Marlow will play physical. This will be a good test for the Dogs but the athleticism of Sulphur should allow them to get a win.

Week 7 vs. Madill: The three-week home stand ends with a tough opponent in the Madill Wildcats. Madill lost Division I running back in Darryl Fields from a year go but returns Spencer Bond (6-2, 194) at quarterback who could be one of the best players in the district. He threw for over 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns a year ago. Ethan Hoedebeck (6-0, 160) will be back at receiver. The defense will be led by Isaac Green (5-10, 196) who racked up 82 tackles a year ago. Kolton Jones (5-11, 170) isn't exactly a slouch at linebacker. He had over 70 tackles a year ago. Bond will also anchor the secondary. Madill went 10-1 a year ago after being upset in the first round. They will do whatever they can to keep that from happening again. Sulphur gets them at home. If the Sulphur defense plays lights out this will be a great game.

Week 8 at Plainview: Plainview is always good and this year they have plenty of talent again. They went 8-3 a year ago They lost their quarterback from that team, but will look to either Blake Hoke or Garrett Foster to holding down that position. The Indians will have a running back by committee but will put the ball in the air often. Kory Kennedy as well as several players will be back and he probably will get lots of catches this year. The linebackers will be solid this year. They are young but play hard on every down. The secondary is where the questions will be for the Indians. Sulphur will have to play well on the road with playoffs being on the line.

Week 9 vs. Pauls Valley: Pauls Valley always looks great getting off the bus. They will have athletes and will have size. The Panthers went 5-6 a year ago. They will be replacing their quarterback but do have back Terry Sanders (5-11, 190) at running back. The line will be anchored by Colten Presgrove (6-3, 295). On the defensive side of the ball, Robert Smith (5-10, 250) will hold down the nose tackle position. This will be another game where the Dogs will have to show up and play their best. The Panthers can beat anybody. This will be a physical game with the team that turns the ball over the most losing the game.

Week 10 at Dickson: Sulphur will end the regular season by heading down Highway 177 to Dickson. The Comets went 4-6 a year ago. They return several skill players and will need the line to come together to add to their win column. Dillon Potter and Evan Stewart will be looked to along the line. On the defense, the team is very young. Ryan Blankenship is a senior and will be looked to for leadership from his linebacker position. The strength of the defense is the secondary which returns several players. Sulphur has a great history against the Comets. I believe that Sulphur will end the regular season on a winning note.