TAYLOR—The Thorndale Bulldogs and the Granger Lions put on quite the show for the fans at Taylor High School this past Friday night.
Spectators even got their money’s worth with a game that went into double overtime and ended with a Bulldog win.
In the opening quarter, it was Thorndale. Just like last week, Luke Merz scored the team’s first touchdown, putting Thorndale 7-0 with a nine yard run a little more than three minutes into the game. The ’Dawgs would lead 14-0 at the end of the first when Clason Beasley scored on a 56-yard pass from Coy Stutts.
In the second, tables turned as Granger scored twice and took the lead half-way through the second after a pair of D.J. McClelland touchdowns paired with a field goal and a successful tw0-point conversion pass lifted the Lions ahead at halftime, 15-14.
Early in the third, the game was back in Thorndale’s favor as Stutts scored on a nine-yard run a little more than two minutes into second half. Stutts also scored an extra two points for his team on the conversion after the TD to put the Bulldogs up, 22-15.
Their seven-point advantage was short-lived, as McClelland scored his third touchdown of the night with 2:33 left to play in the third. Jose Valverde’s successful extra point tied the game at 22.
With both teams scoreless in the fourth, the game went into over time.
In the first overtime, Granger scored first on a 10-yard run by Nate Tucker. With a failed kick, the Lions led 28-22.
When it was Thorndale’s turn, Coy Stutts made it back to the end zone on a five-yard run. The game went into a second overtime, after the Bulldogs missed their kick as well.
In overtime number two, Stutts crossed the goal line for a third time with an 11-yard run and put his team up 36-28 when he found Luke Merz open for a two-point conversion pass following the touchdown.
Granger had one more shot and McClelland scored again, but this time on a 20-yard pass from Tucker. Thorndale prevailed in the end as the Lion twopoint conversion run failed. This game ended with Thorndale as the winner, 36-34.
STATS— Stutts ended the night with four total touchdowns and was 11 of 20 with 235 passing yards. He also rushed for 96 yards on 24 carries.
Beasley led the team in receiving with 157 yards on a seven catches.
THIS WEEK— The Bulldogs return home on Friday to host Riesel, a 1-1 squad that is coming off a 42-7 win over Rice Consolidated. RHS is picked to finished fifth in District 8-2AI, which includes 2021 state semi-finalist Marlin, perennial power Crawford and emerging f ront-runner Rosebud-Lott. Riesel played in Class 3A-II last season and lost to eventual state champion Franklin last season in the third round but also lost all of the skill players with only five linemen returning on offense.
Kick-off b etween t he t wo s chools i s a t 7:30 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.
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