Bulldogs ground Thunderbirds

Bulldogs ground Thunderbirds

Earle quarterback Gerry Bohanon accounted for 310 all- purpose yards and four total touchdowns in the Bulldog’s win over Cross County

sports@theeveningtimes.com

The Earle Bulldogs (7-1 overall, 5-0 2A Conference) wasted no time jumping on top of the Cross County Thunderbirds (4-4, 3-1) last Friday night on the way to a 44-20 victory.

On Earle’s second play from scrimmage, senior quarterback Gerry Bohanon broke free from Thunderbirds defenders for a 55-yard touchdown run, giving the Bulldogs an early advantage. Following a 92-yard rushing touchdown by Earle running back Anthony White, Bohanon ended the first half in the same fashion that he started it, rushing in an Earle score from near 60 yards out with 17 seconds left in the second quarter and giving the Bulldogs a 22-14 lead at the halftime break.

White finished with 235 yards and 2 TDs on 17 carries.

Bohanon finished the night completing nine passes out of 17 attempts for 135 yards and two touchdowns and added 175 yards and a pair of scores on the ground with 12 carries, showing everybody why he has scholarship offers from such schools as Baylor, Louisville, Arkansas and Ole Miss, according to Miller.

“Gerry showed (Friday) night why he’s the player that everybody’s got him labeled as,” Miller said.

“Him and Anthony White had a heck of a game.”

The Earle defense, led by senior linebacker Cordell Chase, took over in the second half, limiting a Thunderbirds offense that averaged 27.4 points per game to just six points for the rest of the game.

The defense did not bend at all,” Miller said. “Our run defense played lights out. That linebacker core had a heck of a ballgame.

Those guys showed up.

They showed that when the competition gets tough, they’ll have their noses in there.”

Earle entered last Friday’s contest having won its last six games by a combined score of 347-40. However, Miller believes that the 24point win over Cross County means more to the Bulldogs overall character and chances of postseason success than the previous mercy-rule inducing blowouts.

“I think we set ourselves up to go to Little Rock with that kind of win last night,” Miller said. “We stepped up.”

With the win over their 2A rivals from Cross County, Earle locks up the one-seed in the 2A Conference and will enjoy a first-round playoff bye as well as home field advantage throughout Earle’s 2A playoffs until ending the season in Little Rock, assuming the Bulldogs win their home playoff games, for the Arkansas 2A Football Championship.

The Bulldogs enjoys an off week this week before returning to action on November 2nd for Earle’s senior night as the team welcomes the East Poinsett County Warriors (6-2, 3-1) for the last regular season home game of the Bulldogs senior class.

Kickoff on Nov. 2, between the Warriors and Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m.

By Collins Peeples