Wolves Roll Past Bulldogs

WESSON – The Co-Lin Football team continued their season-opening homestand by hosting Holmes on Thursday, September 4. The No. 7 Wolves used timely offense and a stout defensive performance on their way to a 30-13 win over the Bulldogs.

The Wolves strong defensive performance started with the first possession of the game as the Bulldogs won the coin toss and took the opening kickoff. After the Wolves defense held the Bulldogs offense to negative four yards on the drive and forced a three-and-out for a Bulldogs punt, the Wolves offense took over on their own 34-yard line.

The Wolves offense got off to a quick start scoring on their opening possession as Jaylen Pettway (Jacksonville, FL) scampered in from 34 yards out to cap off a 6 play, 66-yard drive. The successful PAT by Ty Jones (Summit) gave the Wolves a 7-0 lead with 11:08 left in the first quarter. The Wolves then looked to score on their next possession as they drove the ball down to the Bulldogs 29-yard line; however, a 46-yard field goal attempt by Jones was wide left giving the Bulldogs the ball at that spot.

The Bulldogs defense then crossed into Wolves territory for the first time of the game on their next possession, but the Wolves defense stood tall on a fourth-down attempt forcing a turnover on downs on the Wolves 45-yard line. This time the Wolves were able to put points on the board as Jones nailed a 29-yard field goal to end an eight play, 43-yard drive and increasing the lead to 10-0 with 14 seconds remaining in the quarter.

The Wolves defense then got in on the scoring as they put the next four points on the board with a pair of safeties. The first came as Joshua Davis (Mendenhall) got a strip sack of the Bulldogs quarterback, but the Bulldogs recovered the ball after it rolled into the endzone resulting in two points and a 12-0 lead with 14:51 on the clock in the second quarter. After the Wolves offensive possession stalled out, the Wolves defense struck again as Davis and Lonnie Smith (Jackson) met the Bulldogs quarterback in the endzone for a sack and another safety increasing the lead to 14-0 with 12:19 left to play.

That score held until late in the second quarter when the Bulldogs stepped in front of a pass by Eli Viniard (Bassfield) and returned 61 yards for a touchdown. However, the PAT was blocked on a diving effort by Doug Nelson (Hazlehurst) making the score, 14-6 with 4:15 remaining in the first half. The Wolves then closed out the half by adding points to their lead as Jones hit his second field goal of the half, a 39-yard attempt, to end a nine play, 43-yard drive and increasing the lead to 17-6.

The Wolves wasted no time increasing their lead as they had a short field after a 50-yard kickoff return by Kannon Cato (New Hebron) giving the offense the ball on the Bulldogs 40-yard line. Martavious Boswell later powered the ball in from eight yards out to end a four play, 40-yard drive. The PAT was missed giving the Wolves a 23-6 with 12:56 left to play.

The Bulldogs then struck for their lone offensive touchdown on a 65-yard catch and run while the successful PAT cut the Wolves lead down to 23-13 with remaining in the third quarter. The Wolves offense failed to respond as their ensuing drive stalled out at the Bulldogs 37-yard line; however, the Wolves defense forced the first of two second half turnovers as Bryce Hooker (Biloxi) made a leaping interception at the Bulldogs 47-yard line to give the ball back to the offense.

However, the Wolves offense stalled out resulting in a punt to the Bulldogs 19-yard line. The Wolves defense then forced a punt by the Bulldogs resulting in the offense taking over on their own 13-yard line. Boswell then took the first play of the drive around the edge, and 87 yards later found the endzone for a touchdown for the Wolves. The successful PAT increased the lead to 30-13 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

Later in the fourth quarter, the Wolves looked to increase their lead as Pettway connected with Ca'Ron Williams (Natchez) from 12 yards out as Williams looked to hit the pylon with the ball for a touchdown but was ultimately ruled out of bounds at the Bulldogs one-yard line. The Wolves then lined up to punch the ball in, but the Bulldogs punched the ball out of the arms of Ja'Quan Bentley (Thomaston, GA) and recovered the ball on their own five-yard line.

However, the Wolves defense ultimately forced a turnover on downs by the Bulldogs as they attempted a fourth-down conversion on their own 38-yard line. The Wolves offense then went three-and-out resulting in a punt that was downed on the Bulldogs four-yard line. The Wolves defense then forced their second turnover to seal the game as Dayshawn Mcgee (Biloxi) stepped in front of a pass on the Bulldogs 46-yard line to give the Wolves the ball with 46 seconds left. The Wolves offense then went into the victory formation and kneeled the ball twice to run the clock out.

The Wolves offense compiled 21 first downs with 407 yard (97 passing, 310 rushing) as Jaylen Pettway was 6-for-14 for 57 yards while Eli Viniard was 2-for-5 for 40 yards with one interception. Pettway also had five rushes for 40 yards with one touchdown while Viniard added 34 yards on eight carries.

Martavious Boswell led the rushing attack with 14 rushes for 153 yards with two touchdowns while adding one reception for four yards to his night. Ja'Quan Bentley had 13 rushes for 64 yards while Dezmond Ray (Itta Bena) had 27 yards on nine rushes.

The Wolves had six players with receptions on the night as Darnell O'Quinn (New Orleans, LA) and Ca'Ron Williams had two receptions each for 37 and 29 yards respectively while Jabraxton Boone (Forest), Matt Mayfield (Sunset, LA), and Bentley had one reception each.

The Wolves defense held the Bulldogs offense to 13 first downs and 240 yards (215 passing and 25 rushing) as Archie Chambers (New Orleans, LA) led the way with ten total tackles with two tackles for loss while Daniel Watkins (Flowood) had five total tackles with Doug Nelson, Mike Williams (Natchez), and Joshua Davis had four tackles each. Davis led the team in sacks and tackles for loss with two and three respectively.

Ty Jones had a solid night in the kicking game going 2-for-3 in field goals and extra point attempts while 63.6 yards per kickoff with one touchback and averaged 32.7 yards across seven punts with four going inside the 20-yard line.

Co-Lin improves to 2-0 overall and will face their first road test as they face off against Hinds next week. Kickoff between the No. 7 Wolves and the Eagles is set for 6:30 p.m., at Gene Murphy Field at Joe Renfroe Stadium in Raymond.