Bulldogs extinguish Extreme
Bulldogs extinguish Extreme
The largest challenge the Bellingham Bulldogs faced on Saturday was navigating its team bus
through the I-5 corridor to Frank Goddard Memorial Stadium at Mariner High School. As for the
game it’s self, it was over one minute and 29 seconds into the first quarter as the Bulldogs, once
again, used its overpowering defense to beat an under matched Seattle Extreme squad 54-0.
The Bulldogs improved their NAFL record to 2-0 on the year, recording their second straight
shutout. After losing to Grays Harbor the previous week, the Seattle Extreme dropped to 0-2.
The opening kickoff foreshadowed what was in store for the Seattle Extreme, and set a common
theme for the afternoon. Bulldog receiver Jesh Morgan picked up a bouncing kickoff from his
own 30-yard line, made one cut to the left, and outran Seattle Extreme kicker Mike Ashley down
the visitor sideline for the first score of the game.
“Well [head coach] Phil told me I was running one back today and I haven’t since I was in high
school, so I was a little nervous,” Morgan said. “I just locked on to the back of BJ [Elsey] made a
cut, then all I had left was the kicker.”
Just one minute later, after the ensuing kickoff, Extreme quarterback Tim Williams botched a
handoff to running back Abdul Gilbert. The football fell to the field turf and Bulldog linebacker
Steve Faoro found himself in the right place. Faoro scooped up the ball, evaded a few Extreme
players, and took the pigskin 30 yards to pay dirt to give the Bulldogs a swift 14-0 advantage.
Faoro’s touchdown return was just one of four scores from the Bulldogs’ defense and special
teams on Saturday.
“We feel good [on defense],” Faoro said. “We’re just really comfortable with the system and
everybody understands the in-and-outs. Everyone understands what they got to do out there,
there aren’t any grey areas.”
Faoro would score again in the second quarter on another fumble return for a touchdown
from 35 yards out. Matt Karuza had two picks in the game and returned one 70 yards for a
touchdown in the third quarter.
“We just have a good defense, we can count on them every game,” Karuza said. “They had
their backup quarterback in. The balls were just thrown up and I had just had to go up and get
them.”
In the past two games the Bulldogs have annihilated opponents and have won by a combined
score of 88-0.
While the Bulldog defense excelled, the offense had a rocky start and struggled to find their
rhythm. Fill-in quarterback Tod Shackelford took the reins of the offense for the second week
in a row while starter Mark Simmons continues to recover from illness. Shackelford completed
eight passes on 15 attempts for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Following a huge three touchdown effort last week against the Portland Raiders, Bulldog
running back Brett Hall ran for 44 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Fullback Andy Fulton,
the Bulldogs’ own battering ram, carried the ball 13 times for 48 yards and scored a touchdown
of his own.
The Bulldogs took a 27 point edge into the locker room and continued to pour it on after the
break, due to Extreme miscues and great play by the Bulldogs’ reserves.
“I think we got up early and our heads got out of it on offense,” Bulldog head coach Phil Smith
said. “It took us a bit to get into a groove. Our defense played stellar and we never gave up,
that’s what you want in a blowout game. Our second team guys also had a great game.”
Other Bulldog standouts were defensive end/tight end Mike Picken, who had two touchdown
receptions, Mike Chappelle, who took over the Bulldog offense at quarterback late in the third
quarter and threw for a touchdown pass, and Samual Barron, who ran for 26 yards and picked
up timely first downs late in the game.
Next week the Bulldogs face a more formidable opponent, the Southern Oregon Renegades.
Last year the Bulldogs knocked the Renegades out of the playoffs and Faoro says they will be
looking to get even.
“We just got to get some timing issues squared away on offense,” Faoro said. “They’re going to
want redemption; it’s going to be more of a dogfight.”
The Bulldogs will clash with the Renegades 6:00 p.m. Saturday, June 19 at Civic Field, where
the Bulldogs will look to improve on their perfect 2-0 start.