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Dibbon Marris • The Madill Record Madill senior fullback John Venable carries the ball during a play early in the Sept. 6 game at Sulphur. Although Venable and the Wildcat offense showed improvement, the host Bulldogs managed to win the Week 1 game by the score of 49-21.
Starting the season with a road game is never easy especially when the hosts were state finalists the year before. This familiar script played out again as the host Sulphur Bulldogs topped the Madill Wildcats 49-21 on Sept. 6.
Although Sulphur claimed the Week 1 victory, Madill flashed some moments of skill; especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Sulphur scored first on a short drive.
However, the Wildcats roared back as senior quarterback Asa Robertson had a long run to get the tying touchdown about three minutes later.
The hosts pushed back with a quarterback touchdown of their own as sophomore Reese Bradford ran into the endzone with five minutes to go in the first quarter. A missed extra point left the score 13-7 in favor of Sulphur.
On the ensuing drive, Madill nearly tied the game. Senior slotback Ryan Shahan moved the ball to the Sulphur 45-yard line on a 30-yard run. Then, senior fullback John Venable ran 20 yards to get the Wildcats to Sulphur’s 25-yard line.
Madill would get all the way to Sulphur’s 7-yard line where Shahan would start a touchdown run that was negated by a holding call on a Wildcat lineman. After a few plays, the first quarter ended, and play moved to the opposite endzone. The drive would stall out on fourth and 13 as Robertson was unable to complete a pass to the right side of the endzone.
Madill’s defense stood strong to start the second quarter. In his role as a linebacker, Venebale dropped Sulphur senior running back Tavius McDonald for a four-yard loss. On the next play, Madill senior defensive lineman Dillon Carter stopped Bradford’s run for a minimal gain.
However, the Wildcat pressure couldn’t stop a pass by Bradford to Sulphur senior tight end Price Daube, down to the 19-yard line. The Bulldogs looked set to score again as they set up for first and goal from the 8-yard line. However, a fumble in the air by a Sulphur player was recovered by Venable.
Madill took over at the nine-yard line. On the next play, The Wildcats lost the ball at the 18-yard line and Sulphur recovered. The Bulldogs scored on next play to make it 19-7. An attempted passing two-point conversion failed when their Bradford threw the ball away leaving the score 19-7.
Madill’s next drive ended, and a punt meant Sulphur started their next drive at their own 48-yard line.
Sulphur junior running back Logan Smith ran five yards for the touchdown down the left side. A successful two-point conversion was giving Sulphur a 27-7 lead.
Madill’s next drive started at the 23-yard line. A short gain by Venable was followed by a quarterback keeper by Robertson to the right side that ended with a potential horse collar tackle by a Sulphur defender. The controversial no-call led to jeers by both the Madill sidelines and travelling fans.
The Wildcats pushed forward as Venable gained 19 yards to the runs to Sulphur 46. Following an incomplete pass to senior running back Mateo Fajardo, Robertson was hit by a blitzing Sulphur linebacker and fumbled the ball. Sulphur recovered the fumble at their own 40-yard line.
Sulphur was able to break through again. Smith ran around the right side to and back toward the middle of the field for a 32-yard touchdown run.
Bradford ran into the endzone for a successful two-point conversion to make it 35-7 heading into halftime.
Sulphur scored again at 10:13 in the third to make it 41-7. Then the extra point was good to push the Bulldog lead to 42-7.
The Wildcats pushed back as Robertson had a big run to the Sulphur 39-yard line. However, Madill’s momentum was stopped when another fumble was recovered by Sulphur.
The Wildcats were able to strike back with a drive starting at their own 20. Fajardo took a toss and gained 13 yards down the left. Then, sophomore slotback Trey Gammil got 4 yards on right side, also on a toss. Then, Shahan broke loose for 59-yard run to make it first and goal. Senior fullback Hunter Elkins’s touchdown run and a good extra point made the score 42-14.
The Wildcat defense held the line and gave the offense a short field as the visitors started their next drive on the 49-yard line.
Venable took ran for 16 yards. Later in the drive, senior fullback Jerod Fields scored on fourth and four to make it 42-20. The extra point was good making Sulphur’s lead 42-21.
On the ensuing kickoff, McDonal had a long return to the Madill 48-yard line. A Madill penalty moved the ball to the Wildcat two-yard line. Sulphur senior running back Ethan Massey ran into the middle of the endzone with 2:38 to go in the fourth. A successful extra point kick made the score 49-21.
Freshman quarterback Ty Rushing came into the game for Robertson for the final drive.