The McAdams Bulldogs seem to be peaking at the right time of the season.
The Bulldogs had their best game of the season as they hammered Class 2A Puckett 54-0 on Friday night.
The Bulldogs have won two in a row and are 4-5 on the season. They have a monumental task in front of them as they will host three-time defending state champion Hollandale Simmons on Friday night, who owns the state’s longest current winning streak at 50 games.
“We played exceptional defense,” McAdams coach Jim Risen said. “We got after them on defense and pounded them with offense and were able to protect the football. We executed well on offense and converted on third down and that big. They didn’t really have an answer for what we were doing. Our kids play with technique and fundamentals that we have been working on all year long.”
The defense set the tone early for the Bulldogs as Ja’Quan Winters intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown with 9:46 left in the first quarter. Kristopher Brown ran in the two-point conversion and McAdams led 8-0 early in the game.
It did not take long for the offense to get going either as Brown scored on a 20-yard run with 5:58 left in the first quarter. Bubba Ward ran in the two-point conversion and the Bulldogs led 16-0.
The Bulldogs were not done in the first quarter as Ward scored on an 18-yard run and Jordan Fleming ran in the two-point conversion as the Bulldogs led 24-0 early.
McAdams added two more scores in the second quarter as Ward scored on a 40-yard run and Brown scored on a 19-yard run as the Bulldogs led 38-0 in the second half.
“That was probably our best half of football on the year,” Risen said. “I was really proud of our kids; it was a very fulfilling half. All of the wheels were turning and all the gears were turning. Everything was working like it was supposed to work.”
The Bulldogs added two more scores in the second half as Fleming scored on a 16-yard option run with 8:24 left in the third. Ward’s two-point conversion gave McAdams a 46-0 lead.
The last score came from Fleming again as he scored on a 10-yard while T’Calvin Bolten scored the two-point conversion for the final margin of 54-0.
“That was probably one of my best wins at McAdams because we knew we would be in for a fight against a 2A school with so much tradition. But we had a good week of practice and the kids were focused. It all comes back to taking care of the little things and playing with great passion and great discipline.”
Fleming was 6-of-10 passing for 54 yards and he also rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries. Ward had 88 yards on 17 carries while Brown had 84 yards on 11 carries. Deon Wilkins had two catches for 28 yards.
On defense, Demarcus Grey led the defense with eight tackles and two for loss while Kendrioun Boatman had seven tackles and three for loss. L’Karius Ward had five tackles and one interception while Ja’Quan Winters had four tackles and one interception return for a touchdown. Percy Lewis had eight tackles and two tackles for loss while Lewis Latiker had four tackles and one tackle for loss. Jalen Perteet also had three solo tackles and one tackle for loss while Fleming had three tackles and an interception.
The Bulldogs enter the last game of the regular season with a monumental task as they take on top-ranked and undefeated Hollandale Simmons.
The Blue Devils are three-time defending state champions and have the state’s longest current winning streak at 50. Their last loss was on Nov. 21 to East Webster in the 2A championship game. The Blue Devils have been dominant this season as they have outscored opponents 461-28 and have shut out five opponents. Their closest contest was a 32-8 win over South Delta.
“They have the longest winning streak in the state and are three-time defending champion,” Risen said. “They have had three head coaches the last three years, winning is just engrained in them. They know how to be successful. It will be a great challenge but I have confidence in my kids with the way they are playing right now.”
The Blue Devils feature a balanced attack on offense as they average 231.3 yards passing and 249.9 yards rushing. Senior quarterback Tyderius Gipson is 72-of-121 for 2011 yards with 24 TDS against four interceptions. Senior receiver Antavious Rounds leads the receivers with 860 yards on 26 catches. Señor Demarrious Turner leads the rushing attack with 1,099 yards on 71 carries with 10 TDs and is averaging 15.5 yards a carry.
“They show you lots of looks, twins, trips and a lot of spread,” Risen said. “They get you to overplay certain plays and get the ball to their playmakers. They score on your mistakes and have to be fundamentally sound. We have to move the ball on offense and try to shorten the game.”
