Bulldogs back on the gridiron for Friday scrimmage

Wet weather didn’t completely deter the Cedartown Bulldogs from getting into practice gear and out onto the field last week.

It didn’t make life any easier for the team, and at least one of those days the downpour was so heavy they didn’t bother going out at all.

The Bulldogs made up for lost time outdoors with workouts in the weight room and watching film, but one thing is for sure: any extra time in preparation they have is fully focused on one immediate concern in the Chattooga Indians.

Cedartown’s football team this Friday takes to the field to face off against the Indians in the first scrimmage of the season, to be immediately followed next week by a trip eastward across the county to the Rock for the first football game of the season.

The Bulldogs, who only have the single scrimmage this year, are coming off a hot year after they finished 10-2 on the season, went two rounds in the playoffs and kept up a winning streak over the Jackets.

All this in the first year under new Head Coach Doyle Kelley.

Now the Bulldogs are looking to reload with new offensive leadership on the

field to work alongside a seasoned veteran hoping to have a shot at a college scholarship.

Tony Mathis did win the first ever award named in honor of Nick Chubb at Cedartown High School, and the senior running back is already getting calls from Division I programs.

Much will be determined when the Bulldogs get their opening chance on Friday to face off against another team outside of 7-on-7 passing camps.

Kelley said previously the Bulldogs are looking at several options for quarterback this season, and he wasn’t available for comment as of press time last Saturday to provide more about who will start under center first for the Indians.

The likely passer in the backfield is Taji Hudson, a rising junior who plays in the same style as Trevon Wofford and got several chances late in games to have touches on the football.

Kelley also has sophomores Jayden Johnson and Jackson Bussey to consider as well in the quarterback positions after coming off a good 2017 season on the JV squad.

There won’t be a whole lot of time for the situation to develop past this Friday. After the Bulldogs play the Indians in their pre-season scrimmage after opponents weren’t available on Aug. 3, the Bulldogs face rival Rockmart

next week.

They’ll follow that up with a 6-A nonconference game against the Alexander Cougars for their home opener on Aug. 24, and then host Bremen on Sept. 7.

In their third home game of the season on Sept. 14, Cedartown plays Southeast Whitfield before getting into region play for one last home game in a row on Sept. 21 to open region play against Cartersville.

A Thursday night trip to LaGrange will be in store on Sept. 27 against the Grangers, then come home on Oct. 5 to play Central Carroll.

The schedule in October wraps up on Oct. 19 at Troup County and Oct. 26 at home against Sandy Creek before the final home game of the season at Chapel Hill on Nov. 2.