Bulldogs eye improvements to strategies
QUEEN CITY, Texas—One of the preseason goals for many football teams is to win the first game.
Queen City got off to a slow start on defense but finished strong in a 41-18 win over Cushing on Friday. Head coach Justin Burk said the game went mostly as he had expected.
“The win was a good way to start off the season,” Burk said. “The first quarter looked shaky on defense, and we didn’t get to run a lot of offense. But after that, the guys settled down, and the first quarter was a feeling-out process. We played a lot better after the first, and we played hard; a lot of times that makes up for mistakes.
“I was confident going into the game that we would play well, but I knew that we might be nervous early on. I knew our offense would be efficient once we settled down.”
Sophomore quarterback Dylan Scott hit on 2 of 4 passes for 56 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Scott also rushed for a TD.
Sophomore running back Connor Bingham totaled 62 yards on just 12 touches and a score, while sophomore Kemya Hicks picked up 40 yards on 10 totes and a score. Cole Davis rushed for 40 yards and a TD, while junior Isaiah Stiger helped out with 39 yards on just four carries.
Bradley Norton caught a 32-yard touchdown
pass, and Terunte Neal caught a 24-yard pass for a score.
“We were physical at the point of attack on offense,” Burk said. “Our line, backs and receivers did a great job of blocking. Our guys carrying the ball ran physical and tough. We limited our penalties and blown assignments, and we kept the chains moving. I was happy with our offensive production. Davis did a great job of running the ball in the first half, and Stiger, Hicks, and Bingham did a great job too. Scott did a great job of reading the defense.”
Neal, a freshman, led the Bulldogs with 14 tackles from the safety position, while teammate Anthony Burns made five tackles and had two sacks. Senior defensive lineman Austin Lowe added a sack.
“Defensively, we got better at pursuing the football and playing fast,” the Queen City head coach said. “Neal played a great game, and I was very happy with our cornerbacks Jadarius Barber and Hunter Farrington. Their coverage was key, and Cushing hit on 3 of 22 passes.”
Even though the Bulldogs won by a 23-point margin, Coach Burk said that improvements will be made on offense and defense.
“Offensively, we are going to work on execution, knowing assignments, and adjusting to the defense,” he said. “On defense, we have to do a better job of at the point of attack. We need to get off the ball quick, control the line of scrimmage, and improve our pursuit of the ball.”