Photo by TRAVIS DAVID | Dugger Union quarterback Devin Pavey (left) runs behind a pair of blockers during Saturday's game. Pavey rushed for a touchdown, passed for another and recovered a fumble on defense in the Bulldogs' win.

FREE ACCESS TO THIS STORY COMPLIMENTS OF ROBERTS & DAUGHTERS CONSTRUCTION

BY TRAVIS DAVID

[email protected]

DUGGER — Traders Point looked poised to ruin homecoming for the Dugger Union 8-Man football team Saturday afternoon.

The Knights scored a pair of touchdowns for a 12-0 lead before running an offensive play from scrimmage.

But the Bulldogs regrouped and scored the next seven touchdowns en route to a 50-18 win — their third straight of the season.

TPC scored on the first play of the game when the Bulldogs fumbled away the opening kick. The Knights scooped up the loose ball at the 20 and raced into the end zone untouched for a 6-0 lead just 11 seconds into the game.

The Knights defense added a second score — just 60 seconds later — after the Bulldogs lost a fumble on their second offensive play.

A fumbled snap on a punt attempt on the Bulldogs next possession set the visitors up on the plus side of the field, looking to go up three scores.

But the Bulldogs’ defense got the team on track. 

After the teams traded interceptions, Tayte Stone gave Dugger the break it needed. The two-way Bulldog star recovered a fumble at the Knights’ 2-yard line. One play later, Stone ran over a pair of TPC defenders to put the Bulldogs on the board.

Stone was just getting warmed up and the hosts never looked back.

“I just told the guys we needed to take care of the football and calm down,” Dugger Union coach Levi Lumm said of the message to his team after the disastrous start. “It was only 12-0 so it wasn’t that big of a deal. We just needed to calm down and get back to being who we are.”

Stone took the speech to heart. 

The senior pulled the Bulldogs even with a 53-yard run up the middle with 9:00 left in the half. His third touchdown came 4:32 later, this time on a 17-yard rumble for a 20-12 lead.

He finished the game with four rushing touchdowns — one week after three scores — and a game-high 168 yards on 22 totes.

“I feel like Tayte has really found his rhythm,” Lumm said of his bruising running back. “This is the first year that he has been the full-time back. He’s the guy for us. He’s found his rhythm and I love the fact that he just gets downhill and goes with it.”

The score remained 20-12 at the half.

After creating three turnovers in the first half, the Bulldogs’ defense struck again at the start of the second half. 

Devin Pavey recovered a fumble on the Knights’ second play from scrimmage in the third. Four plays later Pavey rolled to his left and found Gage Felling wide open in the end zone for a 9-yard score and a 28-12 lead.

The Bulldogs’ defense came away with two more interceptions in the second half including an 83-yard return for a score by Weselon Smith.

A scoreless streak of 13 quarters by the Dugger Union defense came to an end on a long touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.

“With that rough start, our defense absolutely kept us in the game,” the Bulldogs’ coach said. “Those guys have been playing great with two straight shutouts coming into the game. They were rock solid again tonight.”

Smith finished with multiple interceptions while senior Luke Fritzinger added a pair of quarterback sacks and multiple stops behind the line of scrimmage.

“Luke is an outstanding defensive player,” the Bulldogs’ coach said. “He played for us as a freshman and just came back for us this year. I just wish we would have played all four years because with us being the Bulldogs, he is just a dawg out there for us.”

Pavey finished with 127 yards rushing to help the Bulldogs rack up 353 yards on the ground.

With the win, Dugger Union evened its record on the season at 3-3. The Bulldogs travel to Indiana School for the Deaf next Saturday.

Thanks to Roberts & Daughters Construction for the sponsorship of this story