Dogs Deliver Dominating Blow In 55-0 Rout Of Kingston

Sulphur’s Big Plays, Lockdown Defense Make Statement In Win Over Previously Undefeated Redskins

The Sulphur Bulldogs have experienced many defining moments over the decades in their quest for district and state football championships, but one of the most impressive came last Friday night in a 55-0 blowout victory over previously undefeated Kingston.

The Bulldogs scored on their first seven offensive possessions against a talented Kingston team, taking a giant step toward the district championship with a dominating performance on the road. Sulphur wasted little time establishing its intentions, scoring touchdowns on its first two offensive plays of the game.

Senior quarterback Traber Sartors set the tone on the opening play, breaking loose for a spectacular 90-yard touchdown run. After the Bulldog defense forced a Kingston punt, Sartors went to the air on Sulphur’s second offensive play, connecting with junior wide receiver Carter Cole for a 46-yard touchdown strike.

From there, the Bulldogs continued to pour it on, building a commanding 48-0 halftime advantage before completing the 55-0 shutout. It was an extraordinary performance against a Kingston team that entered the matchup undefeated at 7-0 and averaging nearly 45 points per game.

Sulphur dominated on both sides of the football, piling up more than 500 yards of offense while limiting the high-powered Kingston attack to just over 100 yards. The Bulldogs also forced five turnovers, delivering one of their most complete performances of the season.

Head coach Corey Cole said his team approached the highly anticipated matchup with tremendous focus and determination.

“Our kids were laser-focused, they played with a tremendous passion, and had a mindset that they were not going to be stopped,” Cole said. “It was one of the most dominating performances offensively and defensively that we have had in quite some time.”

The victory put Sulphur in position to clinch the outright district championship Friday night when they host Star-Spencer on Senior Night.

Sartors, Cole Lead Explosive Offense

Sulphur’s offense was virtually unstoppable against Kingston, beginning with Sartors’ long touchdown run and continuing throughout the first half.

Cole praised his senior quarterback for his ability to direct the offense and make plays with both his arm and his legs.

“Traber Sartors was outstanding at quarterback for us running and throwing,” Cole said. “He did a great job of running our offense, getting the ball where he was supposed to, and made big play after big play all night long.”

Carter Cole also turned in a huge performance, scoring four touchdowns, including two receiving and two rushing. The junior has continued to become a bigger part of the Bulldog offense as he has gotten healthier throughout the season.

Cole said Sulphur is working to distribute the football more effectively to keep opposing defenses from concentrating on a single player.

Drake Wood, Garin Watson and Ayler Dixon each contributed with several receptions, while Jaxson Haggard and Jojo Gray ran effectively.

The Bulldog offensive line once again proved to be a major strength, providing outstanding protection in the passing game and opening holes for the running attack.

“Our offensive line continues to be dominant and be a strength of our football team,” Cole said. “They did a great job of run blocking, pass blocking and just coming off the ball and being explosive all night long.”

The Bulldogs’ ability to attack Kingston in multiple ways made it difficult for the hosts to find an answer, and the early scoring barrage allowed Sulphur to control the game from the opening whistle.

Defense Delivers a Shutout

While the offensive numbers were impressive, Sulphur’s defensive performance may have been even more remarkable.

Kingston entered the game averaging close to 45 points per contest, but the Bulldogs completely shut them down, holding the previously undefeated team to just over 100 yards and forcing five turnovers.

Cole credited the entire defensive unit for establishing control at the line of scrimmage and playing aggressively at every level.

He singled out defensive linemen Garin Watson, Jesse Peters, Acer Dixon and George Martinez for their performances up front.

The linebacking corps continued to demonstrate why it has been one of Sulphur’s strengths throughout the season. Michael Morris led the way with an outstanding performance, leading the team in tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown.

Cole described Morris’ interception return as a back-breaking play for Kingston.

Chase Warden, Madden Duck and Lucas Mitchell also continued their strong play, while Kash Pickett returned to limited action, giving the Bulldogs another option in an already talented linebacking group.

“Our linebackers continue to be a strength of our football team,” Cole said. “They’re smart, they’re fast, and they play aggressive and physical. We expect big things from that group as we continue to move forward.”

Sulphur’s secondary also played a major role in shutting down Kingston’s offense. Harrison Taylor and Rush Pitman each recorded an interception as the Bulldogs repeatedly disrupted the passing game.

Cole said the defensive backs did an excellent job adjusting to Kingston’s run-pass-option attack during the game.

The result was a defensive effort that left little doubt about the Bulldogs’ ability to compete at a high level as the postseason approaches.

“We’ve given up only seven points in our five district games, and that’s incredible,” Cole said. “It’s going to take something like that moving forward to continue to win these big games.”

Bulldogs Respond to Challenge

Cole said the coaching staff challenged the players throughout the week following a less-efficient performance against Lone Grove. The Bulldogs responded in practice and carried that improvement onto the field at Kingston.

The coach was particularly pleased with the team’s maturity and composure in a matchup that carried major district implications.

Kingston entered the contest 4-0 in district play, making it one of the state’s most anticipated games of the week. Sulphur answered the challenge with a performance that demonstrated the experience and confidence the Bulldogs have developed through several seasons of big games.

“Our guys showed a lot of maturity, a lot of poise and, again, just determination to put themselves in position to clinch a district championship this Friday night on our home field,” Cole said.

Despite the lopsided victory, Cole emphasized that his team understands there is still work to do.

The Bulldogs will review their mistakes and continue to improve, particularly on special teams. Cole praised the team’s effort on kickoff coverage but acknowledged that occasional lapses in discipline allowed Kingston to make a couple of big plays.

The extra-point unit and kickoff-return game also remain areas the Bulldogs want to improve before the playoffs.

Cole said those issues are correctable, but the team cannot afford to allow special-teams mistakes to become costly in the weeks ahead.

Overall, however, the coach said he was extremely proud of the way his players prepared for and executed the game plan.

“They accepted the challenge and put everything together for a big-time dominating win,” Cole said. “Now, they set themselves up for a chance to win the district championship, and that is huge come playoff time.”

Senior Night Brings Championship Opportunity The Bulldogs now turn their attention to Star-Spencer, which enters Friday’s contest at 6-2 and, according to Cole, has its best team in several years.

The visitors feature talented athletes throughout the lineup, outstanding team speed and a strong defense. Cole said Sulphur must quickly put the emotional Kingston victory behind them and refocus on the challenge ahead.

Friday’s game also marks Senior Night, giving Sulphur’s seniors an opportunity to celebrate their contributions to the football program while competing for an outright district championship on their home field.

The senior class has been part of two state championship games, two district championship teams and Sulphur’s current 23-game home winning streak.

Cole said the opportunity to clinch a district title on Senior Night is something special for the players who have spent years building the program.

“What an opportunity for our seniors,” Cole said. “They have a chance to clinch the outright district championship this Friday at home on Senior Night, and there’s nothing better than that.”

The coach emphasized that the occasion is about more than celebrating individual accomplishments. The Bulldogs’primary objective remains taking care of business as a team.

“If we do all the little things that we talk about in our program, then it will definitely be a Senior Night these guys will remember,” Cole said.

Following their impressive road victory over Kingston, the Bulldogs have put themselves in position to accomplish one of their major season goals. A win Friday would secure the outright district championship and provide further momentum heading into the playoffs.

Cole said the formula remains the same: play fast, play physical and maintain the relentless approach that has helped Sulphur establish itself as one of the state’s top teams.

The Bulldogs delivered a statement against Kingston. Now they have an opportunity to finish the district race at home, in front of their fans, with a championship on the line and a senior class deserving of a memorable night.

Game-time is 7:00 p.m.

Game Recap

Sulphur fans who arrived late to last Friday night’s showdown at Kingston might not have seen one of the most electrifying plays since the Davis game, as quarterback Traber Sartors raced 90 yards virtually untouched for a score on the team’s first offensive play.

Sartors took the center snap, and appeared to hand the ball off to JoJo Gray up the middle, but instead pulled it out raced around the opposite end, outrunning Kingston secondary players for a score.

The Dogs had just held the Redskins on their first series, forcing them to punt after three plays. The punt took a Kingston bounce, however, and ended up the Sulphur 10.

That big play set the tone for the night as the Dogs got big contributions from a host of players, scoring nearly at will over the undefeated Redskins.

The talented Redskin offense was stopped cold on their second series, primarily from a 20-yard loss on first down after a high snap to the quarterback. They punted two plays later, but the Dogs got good field position at the Kingston 46.

Going for a knock-out blow, Sartors, on first down, found wide-out Carter Cole a couple of steps ahead of the nearest defensive back and laid in a long, tight spiral. Cole sprinted in for the score, and in two offensive plays, the Dogs had two TDs.

Kicker Angel Rios made his first PAT, and missed the second, but the Dogs had a 13-0 lead not even half way through the first quarter.

Things would get worse for Kingston. They completed pass plays of 15 and 13 yards, followed by a holding penalty that set them back 10 yards. On their next play, they connected on a 27-yard pass, one of their best of the game, but two consecutive incomplete passes led to a third down and long, and on fourth down, Sulphur buried their quarterback on a sack. The Dog’s George Martinez recovered a fumble on fourth down and Sulphur was poised to score again.

The Dogs took over at their own 39, and moved for two quick first downs on runs by Gray and Sartors. A 25-yards pass from Sartors to Garin Watson gave Sulphur a first down at the 12, but a personal foul penalty on the next play moved them outside the red zone. Then on fourth down, Sartors fired off a pass to Cole, and he made the catch between two defenders in the end-zone for their third TD. Rios added the PAT kick and Sulphur was off and running with a 20-0 lead near the end of the first quarter.

The Redskins could not move on their next series and punted to the Sulphur 30.

Receiver Ayler Dixon made his presence known, first on a 7-yard pass completion, then on a 58-yard scoring strike from Sartors to give the Dogs a solid four-TD lead. Rios’ PAT kick was good, and the Dogs led 27-0 midway through the second quarter.

The Dogs delivered a knock-out blow on the kickoff after Dugan Gray beat the Kingston kick returner to the ball, and plunged down to the Redskin 31.

The Dogs scored in only six plays as Carter Cole took the quarterback snap and ran in almost untouched 14 yards for the Bulldog’s fifth TD of the night. Rios added the PAT kick and Sulphur was home free with an 34-0 lead.

With plenty of time for Kingston to begin a rally before the half, the Redskins got a break on the ensuing kickoff, getting the benefit of a 15-yard Sulphur personal foul penalty. Then, they competed three passes, followed by a Bulldog pass interference penalty that moved them down to the 10, threatening to narrow Sulphur’s lead.

But Sulphur’s Rush Pittman ended any hope the Redskins would score after intercepting a pass in the end-zone and returning it out to the 13.

That was a big momentum killer for the home team, and the Dogs took advantage by scoring two touchdowns in the next two series to take a 48-0 lead into the halftime dressing room.

After Pittman’s interception, Sartors ran for 19 yards and threw for 19 more yards to Watson, then sealed the deal on a 49-yard touchdown run with 2:23 left in the half. Rios’ PAT kick gave Sulphur a 41-0 lead, but they weren’t done scoring just yet.

After the kickoff, the Dog’s Michael Morris picked up a Redskin fumble on second down and returned it 37 yards for a score, giving the Dogs an insurmountable 48-0 halftime lead. Rios added the PAT kick and the Dogs were off to the races.

The Bulldogs received the second half kickoff as Ayler Dixon returned the ball 34 yards to the Kingston 44.

Receiver Drake Wood reeled in passes of 11 and 18 yards, and Lucas Mitchell and Jackson Haggard provided good up the middle runs put the Dogs into scoring position yet again. Mitchell plunged in from the three-yard-line as the Dogs added their final points of the game with 7:23 left in the third period.

Many of Sulphur’s younger players then finished out the game as Sulphur celebrated one of the most dominating performances in several years against a good team.