The ’Dogs do it again!

By Roger Gilmore
Sports Editor

posted Oct 26, 2009 - 10:23:04am

Friday night was the District 2-6A championship football game, and the DeLand Bulldogs (8-0 and 3-0) stayed undefeated with a 39-0 victory over the Deltona Wolves here in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium before another solid crowd.

The victory added a lot of special tags to the game, in addition to the ’Dogs being undefeated in regular-season play and in the district.

It was Senior Night, with a mass of young players closing out their regular-season careers on the local gridiron. They were honored prior to the start of the game. It was also the Battle of the Bone, with the handsome trophy returning to The Dogpound.

Daytona Beach Mainland kept in step with the ’Dogs in the showdown for the District 2-6A bragging rights and the honor of hosting the first playoff game, with a 61-14 pounding of the Pine Ridge Panthers to stand 3-0 in the district and 5-2 overall. (See Thursday's Sport Spotlight for a comparison of the ’Dogs and Mainland Bucs.

Slow start

The ’Dogs scored on their first possession Friday night; however, the visiting Wolves battled hard, and trailed only 6-0 at the end of the first period, only 12-0 at the half, and 19-0 going into the final stanza, where the hosts broke things open with a 20-point spree.

Four plays into the game, junior Pop Saunders intercepted a Deltona pass, putting the ’Dogs in business at their 42. Later, senior Nick Ciciarelli connected with Saunders on a 28-yard scoring toss, with 6:53 left in the quarter.

This was the first of three TDs for Saunders, who had a like number the week before against New Smyrna Beach. He scored on a 91-yard kickoff return and on a 29-run.

The second TD was set up when senior linebacker Mark Joyce crushed the Deltona ball carrier with a tackle that shook the north end of the stadium. The ball dribbled into the end zone, where Dramon Grady recovered.

Saunders breezed his 91 yards with the second-half kickoff, including hurling one defender along the way. Hunter Haire converted. On the second play of the fourth period, Saunders tallied on his 29-yard run, and Haire booted the PAT.

A fumble recovery led to the next score, with freshman Jo Jo Kemp finding the end zone from a yard out. Shortly thereafter, senior Shontrelle Johnson scored from 4 yards out, and Taylor Church tacked on the PAT. The clock ran the final 3:50, with the mercy rule in use after the 39-0 lead.

Defensively, the ’Dogs recorded their fifth shutout in eight games, spearheaded by Joyce's big banger, along with some booming hits from Paris Hayden, Eldrick Bright and Dentrell Pate, and other hits using gang-style tackles to silence their foes.

We'll have more details on the game in our Thursday publication. Also, a reminder that the ’Dogs will be playing Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in Lake Brantley against the Patriots. The showdown game with the Mainland Bucs is set for 7 p.m. Nov. 6 in Daytona Beach's Municipal Stadium.

— info@beacononlinenews.com

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