DECATUR -- It was homecoming for the Decatur Bulldogs when they took on the Wolverines of Western Yell County at home on Friday night in Bulldog Stadium.
Both the Bulldogs and Wolverines came into the Oct. 21 matchup with a 0 and 4 record going into the final weeks of the 2A 4 conference season.
Before the game, Leng Lee and Shaney Lee were crowned homecoming king and queen in a ceremony at the midfield line of Bulldogs Stadium. After Shaney Lee and her court took their places on the throne platform on the east side of the stadium, it was time for football.
The Bulldogs scored first at the 8:30 mark in the first quarter on a run by Troy Kell. The point after by Jimmy Mendoza was good, making it a 7-0 Decatur ball game. The Bulldogs retained the lead throughout the first quarter and into much of the second. But a quarterback keeper by Wolverine's Hunter Greenfield and an extra point tied the game at 7 going into the break.
Decatur took the field for the start of the second half with a more aggressive approach. A few minutes into the third quarter, quarterback Leng Lee found his running back, Jimmy Mendoza, deep in Wolverine territory. Mendoza slipped past a Wolverine tackle and into the end zone for the Bulldogs' second touchdown. Mendoza's extra point attempt was good, giving Decatur the lead, 14 to 7.
A Lee pass was, however, intercepted around midfield, leading to a touchdown by the Wolverines and a point after to tie the game at 14 apiece before the final quarter of play.
But, shortly after the quarter began, Decatur regained the lead on a quarterback keeper by Lee, making it a 20 to 14 game. Mendoza's extra point attempt was blocked by Western Yell County, giving the Bulldogs a six-point lead. At the midway mark of the fourth quarter, Lee connected with running back Wyatt Bingham deep inside the end zone for what would be the final touchdown of the night. Lee found the end zone once again on a quarterback keeper for the two point conversion, making it a 28 to 14 game.
When the clock ticked down the final few seconds, the Bulldogs' season-long losing streak finally ended with the 28-14 victory.
For Shane Holland, Decatur's head football coach, the win was a welcome one.
"I'm very proud of our effort tonight," said Holland. "Our defense played very well. Our offense found some things that were good and played well in the first half. They had a bad play and got down a little in the second half, but they didn't panic and [they] stayed in the game."
Holland noted that two of his players had one of their best games of the season, which contributed to the Bulldog victory.
"I think that Alex Lee played a very good game. I don't know how many tackles he made, but there were a bunch of them," said Holland. "Leng played one of his best games on offense."
The Bulldogs travel to Southeast on Oct. 28 to take on the Danville Little Johns. Danville is currently in first place in the 2A 4 conference with a perfect 6-0 conference record. Decatur is tied with Magazine for sixth place with a 1-4 conference record. Start time for this matchup is 7 p.m.
Sports on 10/26/2016