Bulldogs drop season opener
The Cedartown Bulldogs will be looking to rally next Friday after they fell at home in the first game of the season to the Hiram Hornets, 34-14.
Cedartown, who came into the game with high hopes of pulling off an early season win over a Class 5A opponent, found themselves unable to overcome turnovers, penalties and the fast feet of Hiram junior running back Zaylan Woolfork.
Woolfork scored once in the game on a 1-yard touchdown run, but was a workhorse in the backfield for the Hornets as he drove through the Cedartown defense.
Head coach Scott Hendrix said Hiram’s running game was tough, but could have been contained.
“They were talented, but we made enough mistakes to help their talent,” Hendrix said. “When you have a punt block, and you fumble it and they returned it for a touchdown, it hurts. We did numerous things to ourselves that helped their talented players.”
Hiram kicked off Friday with a touchdown called back on a holding penalty, followed by a missed field goal.
They came back with a blocked punt ran back by Hornet linebacker markeus Hammond.
Cedartown responded with a one-yard touchdown run following a drive up the field by quarterback Harrison Barnett.
Hendrix said the Bulldogs utilized both his arm and his feet on the gridiron Friday, August 29, 2014
Barnett put up another touchdown in the air in the second quarter,
“Harrison throws the ball well, he made some good decisions, and he made some poor decisions. We’re going to have to try to eliminate those,” Hendrix said.
Hiram scored again on a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter from Woolfork. The Hornets added another touchdown when Otis Askew scored on a 47-yard run.
“There are a lot of things we have to shore up. The big things are the penalties. We can’t overcome first and 15, second and long. We’re just not built that way, and we got in those situations too often.”
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