Stellar Individual And Team Efforts Pave Way For 48-7 Win Over The Warriors
Idabel had speed all over the field, but it was Sulphur’s linemen and playmakers who stole the show Friday night as the Bulldogs continued their impressive run with a third consecutive rout since their loss to Gunter, Texas.
The Bulldogs scored on every possession but one in the first half and wrapped up a 48-7 victory over the Warriors on the road. Sulphur scored on its first six possessions, taking advantage of outstanding defensive play, individual efforts and special teams to secure its third consecutive District 3A-2 victory.
The win improved Sulphur’s season record to 5-1 and its district mark to 3-0, keeping the Bulldogs firmly in the hunt for a district championship.
Head coach Corey Cole was pleased with the way his team handled the long road trip and established control early in the contest.
“Another solid start for the Bulldogs last Friday night at Idabel,” Cole said. “The offense was clicking early, and the Bulldog defense played outstanding, limiting the big-play capability of the Idabel Warriors.”
Cole said the team’s focus and execution were especially encouraging following a threehour trip to Idabel.
“I thought we were really good in all three phases of the game, offensively, defensively, and special teams,” he said. “We are continuing to improve weekend and week-out, fixing little mistakes and getting more and more comfortable each week.”
Defense Sets the Tone The Bulldogs’ defensive performance was a major factor in the lopsided victory, holding Idabel to just 100 yards of total offense despite the Warriors’ speed and athleticism.
“Idabel has speed all over the field, but we were great tacklers,” Cole said. “I thought we gave them a bunch of different looks, and I thought our kids played extremely fast and very physical.”
Senior Madden Duck led the defensive effort while continuing to work his way back from a couple of injuries. Cole said Duck led the team in tackles, forced two fumbles and recovered another.
The defensive front also turned in a strong performance. Cole praised the play of Acer Dixon, George Martinez, Jesse Peters, Garin Watson, Kaleb Walker and Makhi Gray for their work up front.
The Bulldogs’ secondary did its part by limiting Idabel’s ability to produce big plays, while Drake Wood came up with an interception. Cole said Wood continues to be one of the team’s biggest playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.
Offense Features Multiple Weapons
Sulphur’s offense continued to show its versatility, with quarterback Traber Sartors directing the attack and making plays with both his arm and legs.
“Traber Sartors threw the ball well and ran the offense well and continues to get better each and every week,” Cole said.
Carter Cole turned in one of the night’s biggest performances, finishing with more than 150 receiving yards and a touchdown while also scoring twice on the ground. After working through an injury earlier in the season, Cole is returning to full speed and becoming an increasingly important part of the Bulldogs’ offensive attack.
Cole said the coaching staff plans to continue finding ways to get Carter involved as both a receiver and a wildcat quarterback.
The offensive line also earned praise for opening holes for the running game, particularly against an Idabel defense that committed extra players to stopping the run.
“Our offensive line did a great job,” Cole said. “We ran the ball very efficiently against a loaded box.”
Running backs Jojo Gray, Jackson Haggard, Chase Warden, Lucas Mitchell and Madden Duck all ran hard, according to Cole, who emphasized the depth and versatility of the Bulldogs’ offensive personnel.
Mavric Lowrance added another highlight with an acrobatic touchdown reception, demonstrating the big-play ability that has become a trademark of Sulphur’s offense.
Cole said the Bulldogs have several players capable of producing game-changing plays, including Drake Wood, Garin Watson, Carter Cole, Lowrance, Rush Pitman and the team’s group of running backs.
“We are blessed with a lot of playmakers right now at running back and at receiver,” Cole said. “Plus, we have a quarterback who has proven that he can make plays with both his feet and his arm.”
With the offense producing consistently and the defense growing more comfortable each week, Sulphur appears to be building momentum at an important point in the season.
“I’m really proud of our effort,” Cole said. “It was a great team win, and I thought our kids were focused on their business and went out and played good Bulldog football against a good football team.”
Lone Grove Next on the Schedule The Bulldogs will return home Thursday night to face the Lone Grove Longhorns in a key District 3A-2 matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Lone Grove enters the contest with a 2-4 overall record and a 2-1 district mark, but Cole cautioned that the Longhorns should not be judged by their record. The team has several returning players from last season, along with good speed and a reputation for physical play.
“Coach Curtis Cole (no relation to Corey Cole) always has a really good football team, and his team is always physical, plays very disciplined, and have been very, very good the last several years,” Sulphur’s coach said.
Cole expects the line of scrimmage to be a major factor Thursday, particularly if weather conditions affect the game.
“We will need to be very physical this Thursday night,” he said. “The weather could be in play, so we need to make sure that we control the line of scrimmage and win in the trenches and then find ways to get the ball to our playmakers.”
The Sulphur coach said he has been encouraged by the defense’s continued improvement, noting that players are becoming more comfortable in their roles and playing with greater speed and physicality.
Thursday’s game represents another important step toward the Bulldogs’ primary season objective: winning the district championship.
“This is a huge opportunity at home as we continue to climb to get to goal number one, and that’s to be the district champion,” Cole said. “To do that, we’re going to have to be very good against a good Lone Grove team this Thursday.”
Cole said the Bulldogs must maintain their focus, execute the little things and continue playing with maximum effort to meet the challenge.
With three consecutive district victories behind them, the Bulldogs will look to keep their momentum going Thursday night as they pursue their district title goal.
Bulldog defensive lineman Kaleb Walker recovers a fumble in Sulphur’s district win over the Idabel Warriors. PHOTO BY BLAKE SEALE
Sulphur quarterback Traber Sartors leads the Dogs on a march down the field in Sulphur’s 48-7 win over Idabel last Friday. PHOTO BY BLAKE SEALE
The Dog’s Madden Duck comes up with the ball after recovering a fumble in last Friday night’s win at Idabel.
PHOTO BY BLAKE SEALE Game Recap
Sulphur wasted little time in lighting up the scoreboard after recovering Idabel’s opening- game, on-side kickoff at midfi led and scored in only five plays.
A 28-yard Traber Sartors to Carter Cole pass play and two strong runs by running back JoJo Gray moved the Bulldogs down to the three-yard-line where Gray plunged in for the TD.
Although Angel Rios was just wide on his extra-point kick, the Dogs made it look easy, taking an early 6-0 lead and scoring in just over one and one-half minutes of clock time.
Idabel took possession on the kickoff at their own 25, but went nowhere on their first three attempts, throwing an incomplete pass and losing 14 yards on two fumbled quarterback snaps.
On the ensuing punt, the Warriors were called for a 15-yard penalty, giving the Dogs good field position at Idabel’s 23, mere chip-shot range for Sulphur’s surging offense.
Sartors and Cole then teamed up for a 23-yard pass and catch touchdown, but the Dogs were called for holding and the big play nullified.
Now at Idabel’s 32, the Dogs went to a mixture of running and passing and scored in only nine plays. Gray got 11 of the 20 yards needed for a first down in just two plays, but the Dogs were called for a 5-yard false start penalty on the following play, and faced a third and long for first down. Cole ran for four yards on the next play, then caught a 13-yard strike from Sartors on fourth down to move his team to the four where Gray plunged in for his second score of the night.
Rios’ PAT kick gave the Dogs a 13-0 lead with 6:03 left in the first quarter.
The Warriors took over at their own 24 after the kickoff, and found a spark with a 7-yard run and 15-yard pass for a first down, their first of the game. But, on the next play, the Dog’s Mavric Lowrance made a leaping pass interception to give the Dogs possession at Idabel’s 49, and Sulphur would make quick work of the opportunity, scoring in only three plays.
After Gray was held for no gain on first down, Sartors rolled out, found a seam and raced 24 yards inside the 20 of Idabel. The Warriors were hit with major penalty on the play, moving the ball to the 13. Cole negotiated the final 13 yards on two rushes, going in from the four to score Sulphur’s third touchdown of the night. Rios’ PAT gave Sulphur a 20-0 lead, still in the first quarter, and the rout was now on.
On their ensuing possession, the Warriors dug themselves a deeper hole, fumbling on their third rushing attempt from just inside mid-field. The Dog’s Ethan Sales came up with the ball.
Sulphur went for a knock-out blow on the next play and pulled it off as Lowrance made a leaping catch between two defenders, and scored on a 54-yard touchdown pass from Sartors. The catch was a highlight reel for Lowrance as the Dogs took a 27-0 lead with 2:11 still remaining in the first quarter.
Sulphur’s defense continued their stellar play on the next possession, forcing the Warriors into two bad snaps to the quarterback and losses of 10 yards, and an incomplete pass. They punted out to the Dog’s 35, a team still hungry for more points.
On second and 10, Sulphur running back Jackson Haggard blew through a big hole for 20 yards, followed by Carter Cole’s 32-yard pass from Sartors. Haggered then plunged through from four yards out for the score. A Rios’ PAT kick gave the Dogs a 34-0 lead with nearly three quarters still remaining.
The Warriors were unable to mount much of an offense on the next drive, but did manage to complete a 15-yard pass. But that was it for the home team as Sulphur’s defense stiffened and forced them into another punt.
The Dogs took over at their own 46 and wasted little time in scoring their seventh TD of the night near the end of the second quarter.
Big plays of the drive included a 19-yard run by Madden Duck and 31-yard pass from Sartors to Garin Watson. Lucas Mitchell negotiated the final five yards on a run as the Dogs took a 41-0 lead into half.
Idabel was unable to move on their opening second half possession and punted to the Sulphur 38.
For a Sulphur offense that had scored on every possession but one to this point, it was more of the same.
With good protection from his line, Sators dropped back into the pocket and fired off a long, over the middle pass to Carter Cole. He made a leaping catch and shed a defender for a 62-yard touchdown strike. Rios added the PAT kick to give the Dogs a 48-0 lead.
Idabel kept from getting shut out, scoring on an11-yard pass on their ensuing drive, which spanned 63 yards.
The Dogs then rode out the clock to clinch their fifth win in six starts, and will be at home this Thursday in a 7:00 p.m. kick against Lone Grove.
