Dogs Take Another Step Forward In Lindsay Scrimmage

Several Players Step Up In First Scrimmage

There were plenty of mistakes to correct, but Sulphur head football coach Corey Cole came away pleased with his team’s performance Friday night as the Bulldogs faced old foe Lindsay in their first scrimmage of the season.

For Sulphur, the scrimmage provided an important opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate players competing for starting positions while giving the Bulldogs a chance to experience game-like competition before the regular season begins.

Cole said both objectives were accomplished.

“We competed very well, we made lots of mistakes, but a lot of it was corrected during the scrimmage and it is nice to see our kids can respond to difficult situations and adapt,” Cole said. “There are a lot of things to work on this week, but we played hard, played fast, and played physical, and those are all things we strive to achieve every day and are mandatory for this program.”

The Bulldogs’ defense was particularly impressive, according to Cole.

“I thought defensively we played really well,” he said. “We flew to the football, we were very physical all night, and maintained gap integrity throughout the scrimmage.”

Cole said Sulphur’s defensive line showed significant improvement from the team’s earlier Red/White scrimmage, while the linebackers and secondary also turned in solid performances.

“Our defensive line played way better than we did in the Red/White scrimmage. They had a good night,” Cole said. “The linebackers did a good job pressing and making plays, and our secondary limited their passing game.”

The Bulldogs entered the scrimmage with an emphasis on stopping the run, and Cole said the defense accomplished that goal.

“We went in wanting to focus on stopping the run and establishing the run game, and we did really well stopping the run game,” he said.

Offensively, the Bulldogs found more success through the air than on the ground.

“I thought we were really good in the passing game, but in the run game we had too many missed assignments on the fronts they were giving us,” Cole said.

“It gave us some fits and some troubles, but as we went along we got better up front.”

Quarterback Traber Sartors drew praise from his coach for his work in the passing game and his decision-making.

“I was really pleased with Traber throwing the football and his decision making,” Cole said.

Garin Watson also had a big night, hauling in two touchdown passes. Drake Wood came up with several important receptions during the scrimmage portion, helping the Bulldogs move the chains and put themselves in scoring position.

Cole also credited the offensive line for providing solid pass protection.

George Martinez was another standout, contributing on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

“I thought George played well on both sides of the line of scrimmage on the offense and defensive lines,” Cole said.

Lucas Mitchell also made an impact on offense and defense, running the football and contributing at linebacker.

Cole was especially pleased with the play of the linebacker corps, including Michael Morris, Madden Duck, Chase Warden and Mitchell.

The Bulldogs also received strong contributions from their younger players, something Cole said was encouraging as the team continues to sort out its lineup.

“I was really pleased with our young guys,” Cole said. “I thought they played great on offense and defense all night long.”

With one scrimmage remaining, there are still plenty of starting positions up for grabs.

The Bulldogs will travel to Harrah for their final tune-up at 6:00 p.m. Friday. The scrimmage will give the coaching staff another opportunity to evaluate players and give those competing for starting jobs one more chance to make an impression before the regular season begins.

“We have a lot of guys competing for several positions on the offense and defense sides of the ball right now, and every rep matters,” Cole said. “We just need to keep working and striving to be more consistent in everything we do.”

The Bulldogs have been building toward the 2026 season throughout the summer, with Cole emphasizing conditioning, strength work, team competition and preparation. Sulphur opened preseason practice with approximately 60 players and has continued to develop depth throughout the early weeks of practice.

After Friday’s scrimmage at Harrah, the Bulldogs will turn their full attention to the regular season and a challenging opening-night matchup.

Washington, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A-I, will travel to Agee Field for Sulphur’s season opener September 4. The highly anticipated matchup will provide the Bulldogs with an immediate test as they begin the 2026 campaign.

For now, however, Cole said the focus remains on improvement.

“We just need to work on being more consistent day-in and day-out, and knowing that there’s going to be adverse situations, and being able to handle that,” Cole said. “All-in-all, I was pleased with the outcome and I thought we got better, which at this time of the year is the goal — to get better every day and every opportunity.”