Bulldogs win against Gamecocks and secure playoff spot

The ECI football team traveled to Sylvania Friday for another region match-up. They won their fifth consecutive game and defeated the Gamecocks 35-14. With the win, the Bulldogs secured the number 4 seed in the state playoffs to begin in a couple of weeks. The Bulldogs will play the winner of the Wilcox Co. vs Telfair Co. game, who are playing this Friday to determine the number one seed from region 4.

The Bulldogs are not your typical 4 seed, so to say. The Bulldogs are just two overtime loses and 4 points away from playing for the region championship Friday against Metter. The Bulldogs only have two losses on the season, both region games. They lost both those games in overtime to the second seed Jenkins and 3 seed McIntosh Co, losing those games by a combined total of just 4 points.

In the game Friday after the Bulldogs scored easily on the opening drive in just 3 plays, looking like a rout was on in the first half. A Jackson Kennedy to Ab Marsh 53-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the game was the only score in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. The Bulldogs put their 12th point of the game on the board in the second half on an 84-yard drive with a Tyler Foreman 1 yard plunge into the endzone. The 2-point try was stopped with ECI leading 12-0.

The Gamecocks scored their first touchdown of the game late in the second quarter with the Bulldogs holding a 12-7 lead. Tyler Foreman set the Bulldogs up in business taking the Gamecock kickoff after touchdown to the Screven 6-yard line. Foreman scored his second touchdown of the second quarter to put the Bulldogs up 19-7 at halftime. The Bulldogs scored on their first possession of the third quarter when Kennedy hit Marquis Edmonds in the corner of the endzone from 19 yards out for a 26-7 lead.

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The defense got the next points for the Bulldogs. Backed up to their own 1 after loses on the first 2 plays, ECI tackled the Gamecock runner in the endzone for a safety to get the score back on par for the Bulldogs, 28-7. After another long return on a Gamecock punt after safety, the Bulldogs offense set up shop at the Screven 30-yard line.

ECI got their last points in the game on the first play. Kennedy found Daon Bethea standing alone on the sidelines for a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the Bulldogs up 35-7. The Gamecocks scored the last points of the game midway through the fourth to make the final score of the game 35-14.

Tyler Foreman was the workhorse in the backfield carrying the ball 14 times for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ab Johnson 30 yards and Chase Johnson 27 yards were the other Bulldogs in double figures. Jackson Kennedy was on the mark going 7 for 8,132 yards with 3 touchdowns.

Leading receivers for the game were Bethea 2 catches with a touchdown, Ab Marsh grabbing one for 53 yards and a touchdown and Marquis Edmond 1 catch for 19 yards and a touchdown. James Parker caught 2 Kennedy passes for 19 yards.

The Bulldogs make the short trip to Metter for their longest running rivalry game against the Tigers Friday night in the last regular season matchup. The Tigers have sewn up the region championship and the number 1 seed for region three.