By REID TUCKER
It took longer for the Freeport Bulldogs to drive to Panama City Beach’s Tommy Oliver Stadium and warm up than it did for them to wreck North Bay Haven.
The total time needed to play the entire game, from the first blow of a whistle to the final buzz of the scoreboard, came in at less than two hours, and that included a full-length halftime break. The Bulldogs, who improved to 3-1 on the season, were utterly dominant on the night of Sept. 18, scoring seemingly at will on their opponents while amassing just 12 yards shy of four times as much total offensive yardage as the host squad.
Though Freeport went on to blank the Buccaneers 26-0, the visiting squad didn’t run up the score and instead adopted a strategy of getting out ahead with the starters before switching in some JV players to get valuable on-field experience in the fourth quarter. Freeport’s individual players didn’t need to put up huge numbers to make significant contributions, but some players usually reserved for special roles got their chance to shine in the one-sided contest. Austin Vinson, typically relied on when the team needs to bulldoze a way through the opposing team’s defense, led the Bulldogs with 53 rushing yards on five open-field carries, while freshman Ashton Saults got one heck of a varsity debut, adding 45 yards and a touchdown to his résumé.
For all that eventual show of force, Freeport got off on the wrong foot. North Bay Haven’s Grant Lord snatched down an interception when Bulldog quarterback Zack Seay was making a pitch from the 14-yard line near the start of the game. The Bucs had the ball on their own 3, but the Freeport defense halted them nine yards up the field, forcing a punt that got off late, giving Freeport the ball on the 17-yard line.
The Bulldogs wasted no time capitalizing on the favorable field positioning, and Chris Decker (seven carries, 44 yards) ran in a touchdown on the first snap from scrimmage, though the point-after kick failed. North Bay Haven had possession of the ball through the end of the first quarter, and made its first and only scoring threat in the first play of the second. Justin Bayless, who led the Bucs in rushing with 71 yards on nine carries, put Cooper Lovett in position for a field-goal attempt on about the 30-yard line, but Freeport’s Aaron Parker easily swatted the ball aside.
From then on Freeport controlled the action, scoring on a nine-yard touchdown from Seay and an extra point kick from Zack Johnson to make it a 13-0 ballgame with 6:26 left in the half. Both sides gained some ground, though Freeport didn’t score again with its JV players on the field, and they both kicked the ball around until the intermission.
Freeport scored twice in the third quarter, first when Decker intercepted a pass from Steven Padot and caught the Buccaneer offense going the other way, leaving him with plenty of open ground. He returned the ball for a TD from 52 yards out and Johnson’s point-after kick was good for a 20-zip lead with 10:46 still to play in the period.
North Bay Haven muffed the punt after they got the ball back and after being held to their own 37-yard line on the ensuing possession, giving Saults the stage upon which to make his mark. Freeport took over on the 27, and though Saults was at first forced back to the 30, he then took the handoff to run in a 33-yard touchdown on second and 13. The kick came up short, but Freeport still got the 26-0 winning margin out of the brief possession.
The remainder of the game, including the entire fourth quarter, was scoreless on both sides, as either team either punted or turned the ball over on downs while the clock ran down. North Bay Haven very nearly put together a scoring drive late in the game, but Freeport recovered a Joe Dunn fumble on the 16-yard line with 1:15 left to play. Sault was pushed back to the 9 before taking a knee to let time run out for the win.
It took longer for the Freeport Bulldogs to drive to Panama City Beach’s Tommy Oliver Stadium and warm up than it did for them to wreck North Bay Haven.
The total time needed to play the entire game, from the first blow of a whistle to the final buzz of the scoreboard, came in at less than two hours, and that included a full-length halftime break. The Bulldogs, who improved to 3-1 on the season, were utterly dominant on the night of Sept. 18, scoring seemingly at will on their opponents while amassing just 12 yards shy of four times as much total offensive yardage as the host squad.
Though Freeport went on to blank the Buccaneers 26-0, the visiting squad didn’t run up the score and instead adopted a strategy of getting out ahead with the starters before switching in some JV players to get valuable on-field experience in the fourth quarter. Freeport’s individual players didn’t need to put up huge numbers to make significant contributions, but some players usually reserved for special roles got their chance to shine in the one-sided contest. Austin Vinson, typically relied on when the team needs to bulldoze a way through the opposing team’s defense, led the Bulldogs with 53 rushing yards on five open-field carries, while freshman Ashton Saults got one heck of a varsity debut, adding 45 yards and a touchdown to his résumé.
For all that eventual show of force, Freeport got off on the wrong foot. North Bay Haven’s Grant Lord snatched down an interception when Bulldog quarterback Zack Seay was making a pitch from the 14-yard line near the start of the game. The Bucs had the ball on their own 3, but the Freeport defense halted them nine yards up the field, forcing a punt that got off late, giving Freeport the ball on the 17-yard line.
The Bulldogs wasted no time capitalizing on the favorable field positioning, and Chris Decker (seven carries, 44 yards) ran in a touchdown on the first snap from scrimmage, though the point-after kick failed. North Bay Haven had possession of the ball through the end of the first quarter, and made its first and only scoring threat in the first play of the second. Justin Bayless, who led the Bucs in rushing with 71 yards on nine carries, put Cooper Lovett in position for a field-goal attempt on about the 30-yard line, but Freeport’s Aaron Parker easily swatted the ball aside.
From then on Freeport controlled the action, scoring on a nine-yard touchdown from Seay and an extra point kick from Zack Johnson to make it a 13-0 ballgame with 6:26 left in the half. Both sides gained some ground, though Freeport didn’t score again with its JV players on the field, and they both kicked the ball around until the intermission.
Freeport scored twice in the third quarter, first when Decker intercepted a pass from Steven Padot and caught the Buccaneer offense going the other way, leaving him with plenty of open ground. He returned the ball for a TD from 52 yards out and Johnson’s point-after kick was good for a 20-zip lead with 10:46 still to play in the period.
North Bay Haven muffed the punt after they got the ball back and after being held to their own 37-yard line on the ensuing possession, giving Saults the stage upon which to make his mark. Freeport took over on the 27, and though Saults was at first forced back to the 30, he then took the handoff to run in a 33-yard touchdown on second and 13. The kick came up short, but Freeport still got the 26-0 winning margin out of the brief possession.
The remainder of the game, including the entire fourth quarter, was scoreless on both sides, as either team either punted or turned the ball over on downs while the clock ran down. North Bay Haven very nearly put together a scoring drive late in the game, but Freeport recovered a Joe Dunn fumble on the 16-yard line with 1:15 left to play. Sault was pushed back to the 9 before taking a knee to let time run out for the win.