Bulldogs Come Out Victorious In Defensive Battle
Photos and Story by Robert Thomas
The score clock may have shown the three and one U12 Moose Jaw Bulldogs soundly defeating the one and three U12 Estevan Chargers but what it didn’t show is the defensive slug out between the teams.
That sums up the late Saturday afternoon game.
It was a game the Bulldogs won 30 - 12.
Moose Jaw Bulldogs Jax Throssell about to get tackled - MJ Independent photo
Estevan Chargers celebrate their first touchdown - MJ Independent photo
First Quarter
The First Quarter saw the Bulldogs take the lead at 3:15 on a neat pass and run play to speedster Nelson Karal.
Karal caught the pass and then easily dodged and out ran the Chargers defenders.
The Bulldogs gambled on the convert scoring two points off of the boot of Kallen Berber whose field goal attempt split the uprights.
Moose Jaw Bulldogs Dylan Hawman attempts to break a tackle - MJ Independent photo
Moose Jaw Bulldogs Griffin Audette leans into a tackle - MJ Independent photo
Second Quarter
The Second Quarter saw the Chargers get on the scoreboard as their running back went wide left with the ball into the end zone.
Despite a celebration of lifting the ball over his head the Charges failed on the conversion making the score 8 - 6 in the Bulldogs favour.
The celebration did not last long though as just 36 seconds later the Bulldogs would score a major and Berber would kick his second two point convert making the score 16 - 6.
The Bulldogs Nelson Karal would score his second touchdown of the game.
And in the resulting two point conversion attempt Berber would make his third field goal causing a couple of Bulldogs fans to chant Robokicker.
A Chargers ball carrier is chased down by a Bulldogs player - MJ Independent photo
An Estevan Chargers player is swarmed by the Moose Jaw Bulldogs defence - MJ Independent photo
Third Quarter
The Third Quarter saw the Bulldogs Jax Throssell take off to the left side with the ball and managing to outrun the defence and score a touchdown.
The Bulldogs attempted their fourth two point conversion off of the toe of Berber but the Chargers were able to block the attempt.
The Chargers would answer back at the 6:53 mark on a massive 72 yard scoring run.
The attempt at a single point conversion failed as the Bulldogs defence came up big dropping the Chargers running back in the backfield.
The score was 30 - 12 in the Bulldogs favour at the end of the quarter.
Moose Jaw Bulldogs Konnor Loptson (right) attempts to make a tackle while teammate Griffin Audette left reverses mid stride to help out - MJ Independent photo
Moose Jaw Bulldogs running back Nelson Karal is forced out of bounds - MJ Independent photo
Fourth Quarter
The Fourth Quarter did not see any scoring as the defensive game of both teams took over,
The Bulldogs defence would force the Chargers offence to turn the ball over on downs.
Meanwhile the Bulldogs while on the offence would run into a solid wall of determined Chargers defenders would do the same thing in what was largely a mid-field battle.
A major factor in the Bulldogs strong defensive effort was Ryder Lanoie who was involved in making a tackle or assisting in making the tackle throughout the game.
The Bulldogs won the game 30 - 12 over top of the Chargers.
The win gives the Bulldogs a 4 - 1.
The loss gives the Estevan Chargers a 1 - 4 record.
Moose Jaw Bulldogs Dylan Hawman (left) runs headlong into a Chargers defender - MJ Independent photo
Moose Jaw Bulldogs ball carrier Jax Throssell stretches for extra yardage as he is about to be tackled - MJ Independent photo
The next game for the Bulldogs is Saturday October 14th when they travel to Weyburn to take on the Ravens. The game has a 4 pm start.