The #10 ranked Bulldogs came face to face with the #27 Niles Dragons and did not disappoint with the outcome. I spoke to head coach Tom Pavlansky before the game and asked about what the team had been stressing in practice since the loss to South Range. 

Coach Pavlansky said: “Just our desire to get better, we are focusing on our individual responsibilities and continuing to strive to be as good as we can be.”

Watching the game, the Bulldog’s offense came out hungry. They were scoring very fast and efficiently. the first drive Senior Quarterback, Jack Fulton led the drive down the field then topped it off with a 15-yard rushing touchdown in the red zone. This once 50/50 offense looked electric and had no sign of slowing down.

The Poland defense also looked great, not letting up a single point till the fourth quarter. They forced Niles to punt a total of 7 times. The very next drive after scoring, Fulton launched a bomb to Senior Wide Receiver Ross Dedo for a 58-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs continued to dominate Niles Mckinley with a final score of 35-7.

I was able to speak with and congratulate Coach Pavlansky after the big win. In his eyes what made this offense really click today was that they “had a really good week of practice,[and I’m] really proud of the kids, and we just executed. The kids are certainly a competitive group; they have a strong desire to do the right thing and I was really proud of their effort”.

They are certainly getting better, the Bulldogs move to 3-3 with another road trip ahead of them; the playoffs are still in the mind of Fulton, asking him what he thought the season could end at “I’m predicting 7-3, but one week at a time”. The Bulldogs are in must-win mode, but I believe in the team and the coaching staff. 

Next week, The Bulldogs face Girard.