The Bellingham Bulldogs hosted a
familiar opponent Saturday, April 25th at Lummi Nation
School field. The South King County Colts rode into town fresh off a
win over the Seattle Stallions the previous week. With a win in
Yakima over the Mavericks last weekend, Bellingham looked to continue
their streak and put their first-game loss far behind them. The
cloudy skies and cool breeze threatened to soak the gridiron but the
heavens held off their fury long enough for the battle to take place.
Bellingham started aggressively on
offense, moving the ball down field quickly. The Dogs scored two
touchdowns through the air, from the arm of quarterback Eric Taylor
in the first quarter. Finding his trio of wide receivers often,
Taylor connected with Douglas Miller and Cody Oakes. Toby Seim would
also snag a touchdown pass in the second quarter from Taylor.
Seeking to regain their intensity the
Bulldogs defense struggled to stop the potent Colts offense. Miscues
and mistakes allowed the Colts several opportunities to complete
drives, scoring once in the first quarter with a 55-yard pitch from
quarterback Adam Kruse to wide receiver Brandon Stout. The Colts
charged forward in the second, scoring twice more on the ground, they
narrowed the Dogs lead to one point before the half.
Memories of last year's comeback by the
Colts began to float to surface. In that game the Bulldogs' Cody
Oakes on the opposite sideline, commanding the Colts in a thrilling
fourth quarter rally. Down 37-16 the Colts clawed their way back into
the game. Oakes lead his Colts to two more touchdowns and brought the
game to a 37-30 score with 3 minutes left to play. The Bulldogs
defense would bend but would not break. The Colts drove deep into the
redzone but with one minute, thirty seconds remaining Bellingham
stopped the Colts drive short.
South King County needed a team effort
to ensure victory this night and Adam Kruse would need to step up to
the helm. Starting the second half flat, the Bulldogs frustration
began to affect their play on the field. The Dogs offense rallied,
Taylor directed a clock-eating drive late in the third that resulted
in a 4-yard touchdown scramble, making up for an earlier
interception. Bellingham's defense showed their toughness by keeping
the Colts from scoring the entire third quarter.
The Colts would not break. Gritting
their teeth, South King County pushed their way into the end zone at
the start of the fourth, cutting the lead down to two points.
However, on the next opportunity the Dogs' defense came up huge and
snatched the ball away from the Colts with a interception in the
redzone. Bellingham's offense made good on their fortune and
completed an 80-yard strike from Taylor to Seim on the next play from
scrimmage. The Dog's would add to their lead after another defensive
stop on a ground-shaking 27-yard touchdown run by Josh Heard. The
Colts would score on one last 21-yard dash by quarterback Adam Kruse.
However, the clock was not on South King County's side. Final score:
42-34. Click here to view photos from the game.
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