Bulldogs Earn Their Stripes, Beat Down Bengals

Quarterback Mark Simmons throws near perfect game and the Bulldogs’ defense

combines for seven sacks en route to a 65-14 victory.

For the third game in a row, the Bulldogs’ offense has scored 50 points or more. After posting

63 points two weeks ago against the Kitsap County Bears, and then putting up 50 on the

Portland Raiders last week, the Bulldogs offense exploded for their best outing of the year, a 65-

14 victory against the Pierce County Bengals, Saturday night at Civic Field.

The Pierce County Bengals do not belong to the same division as the Bulldogs, but agreed to

play after the Seattle Extreme, who was originally scheduled to play, folded just two weeks into

the season, due to lack of personnel and injury issues.

The win improves the Bulldogs’ record to 7-0, which places the Dogs a top the Western Division

standings, and inches the black and Vegas gold that much closer to their bid for a perfect

regular season.

Despite a minor blip on the stat sheet, an interception thrown in the first quarter, Bulldog

quarterback Mark Simmons, had as good of a game as any quarterback could ask for. Simmons

completed 11 of 12 passes for 242 yards, five touchdowns, and one errant pass that ended up

in the hands of a Bengal defender.

“I think I just feel comfortable at home,” Simmons said. “After our first deep ball, they started

playing this deep cover two, so everything 15 yards down the field was open.”

And was it ever. The holes in the Bengals’ secondary were as gaping as the Grand Canyon

at times, and never were those holes more relevant than a 30 second, three play, 80-yard

touchdown drive to end the first half.

From their own 20, with 50 ticks left in the half, Simmons first hit Bulldog wide receiver Eric

Taylor on a 27-yard bullet down the right sideline. Simmons placed the ball directly between

the Bengal corner and safety. The next play Simmons found wide receiver Jesh Morgan slicing

down the middle of the field on a deep post for 41 yards. Simmons finished carving the Bengals

up by going back to Taylor on a 13-yard slant pattern for a touchdown.

From the start, the Bulldogs exerted their dominance over Pierce County and the aerial

onslaught began on the game’s first play from scrimmage. As the Bulldogs have done all

season, Simmons lofted a deep go pattern to Morgan. Morgan simply outran the Bengal

defender, and caught the ball three steps ahead of the cornerback in pursuit. Morgan waltzed in

for a 52-yard touchdown, earning the first score of the game.

After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Dogs regained possession. On the Bulldogs’

second drive of the game, they would only need two plays to score. Running back Chase

Cantrell rumbled for 30-yards on the first play, then running back Brett Hall capped the short

scoring drive off with a 13-yard touchdown run around the right side. Five minutes into the

contest the Bulldogs appeared to have control of the game with a 13-0 lead.

“We were very fortunate to have a game this week,” head coach Phil Smith said, “We didn’t give

them very much respect and it showed after the first quarter. Even before the game we were

talking about resting players and giving our reserves playing time.”

After two quick scores the Bulldogs may have believed they could coast to the finish line, but the

Bengals wouldn’t disappear. Following Simmons’ lone poor throw of the game, an interception,

the Bengals scored on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Bengal quarterback Daniel Ramoie to

wide receiver Randhan Agu. The pair would hook up again in the second quarter for a 14-yard

score. The two touchdowns combined would amass the total points the Bengals scored in the

game.

While the Bengals found pay dirt twice, the Bulldogs’ athleticism and talent was too much for an

outmatched Bengal team to handle.

After putting up 20 points in the first quarter, the Bulldogs followed the scoring feat by lighting up

27 more points on the scoreboard in the second quarter, where Simmons threw three of his five

touchdowns.

Simmons found wide receiver and British Columbia product, Nick Gavigan, on a beautiful

executed post pattern that was set up by Simmons pump faking a bubble screen. Simmons also

hit Morgan for a 4-yard touchdown pass, and Taylor for a 13-yard touchdown. Rounding out the

27-point second quarter was a 70-yard punt return touchdown from human highlight film Eric

Taylor.

Taylor has been an integral addition to an already stacked Bulldog roster. Taylor said from a

receiver standpoint he is able to stretch the field with his quickness and get YAC (yards after

catch) on short passes, but his true passion is returning kicks. He said he prides himself on

getting the Bulldogs prime field position.

“Initially when I return a kick I look for a seam,” Taylor said. “If I’m against an undisciplined team

I try to stretch out those seams by setting players up with different moves. If I’m against a team

who stays in their lanes, I’ll try to hit the seam as fast as I can.”

Another story of the game was the dominance the Bulldogs’ defensive line exerted over the

Bengals’ front five. The Dogs recorded seven sacks in all, including three from defensive tackle

Austin Childs and two from defensive end Matthew Nixon. The pressure forced the Bengals’

quarterbacks to play on the run the entire game.

“I don’t want to allow any exploits in our secondary,” Nixon said. “The harder we work on the

defensive line, the less everyone else has to work. For me it’s all been about being coached up.

I try to be a sponge and soak up everything up; also I got a great group of guys backing me.”

Due to the lead the Bulldogs established, many reserves were able to get good minutes.

Backup quarterback Mike Chappell led the Dogs on a touchdown drive and third string running

back Samual Barron received several carries.

Bulldog fullback Andy Fulton played both ways for the Dogs. Starting line backer Jimmy

Nightingale missed the game and Fulton filled in nicely with five tackles and even scored a

touchdown on offense.

Hall scored again in the second half, from 8-yards out, for his second multi-touchdown game in

a row.

While the Dogs have been blowing teams out and piling up victories, the Bulldogs have

yet to receive a major threat, and that is something head coach Smith is worried about.

“We actually talked about it last week in practice, the lack of closeness we’ve had in games,”

coach Smith said. “I don’t know how we’d react in a close game. We really need some

competition.”

The Dogs may receive that competition next week, when the Bulldogs head south to play

against a highly touted So. Oregon Renegades team.

“It’s a huge game, huge game,” Simmons said. “Despite any records they’re going to bring their

best and are a great football team.”