The Wortham Bulldogs battled to a lead and had to stop a conversion in the final half minute to preserve a 20-18 thrilling win in their home opener over the Leon Cougars Friday night.
The win was earned by the defensive effort of the Bulldog eleven and they stopped drives and had enough offense to leave the field with their second win in three games. They have earned a well-deserved open week before beginning District 10-2A Division II play in two weeks.
Bulldog defensive back and linebacker Lance Jones was in on an astounding 20 tackles, but defensive Kymani Johnson had the biggest play, stopping Cotton Brigner short on what would have been the tying conversion with 16 seconds remaining.
Wortham took the first possession and picked up on a quick keeper by senior quarterback Jon Ross Black. After a first down loss, on third and 13 Black rolled left and hit a wide-open Kymani Johnson for a 60-yard touchdown and the Bulldogs took the first lead 8-0 when Black scored the conversion.
Leon would match the score on their first possession going 65 yards in ten plays, combining the running of Brigner and a twenty-yard completion to Brady Rohrer. Brigner finished the drive with a two-yard plunge into the endzone. The point after sailed wide left and the Bulldogs held an 8-6 lead that would end the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Johnson had an 85-yard run called back on a penalty and the drive stalled and a mishandled punt set Leon up with a first down at the Bulldog 23. The drive took six plays, all on the ground in the Wing-T formation. Landon Thomas called his own number for a 14-yard run to convert a fourth down and two plays later, Brigner scored on a two-yard run. The run for two was stopped short and the Cougars took a 12-8 lead.
At the midway point of the second quarter, the Bulldogs moved downfield to score and take a halftime lead. Following a 38-yard kickoff return by Jayden King, the Bulldogs went 45 yards in eleven plays. On a fourth down inside the Leon 25, Black hit Johnson with a touchdown pass called back on a holding penalty, the second nullified touchdown of the half. Lining the fourth down play again, Johnson took a backward pass, and he quickly tossed back to Black, and he was tackled at the Cougar one. Black pushed his way in for the score and the Bulldogs led 14-12 when the conversion pass was knocked away.
The Cougars took the second half kickoff and used over half the quarter and moved inside the Bulldog 30. Earlier in the drive, Leon converted on a fourth down play when Wortham lined up offsides on a fourth and one. Bulldog defensive lineman James Johnson had a key third down sack, forcing a fourth and long pass that fell incomplete.
The Bulldogs wasted little time extended the lead. On the second play from scrimmage, Johnson took the handoff, and he raced up field for a 71-yard touchdown run. The pass for two was no good and the Bulldogs led 20-12 with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Leon went back to work and two third downs and a fourth down on a 16-play drive that ended in an incomplete pass, the only of the drive, on fourth down.
Wortham took possession with 7:04 remaining in regulation and used 12 plays and went from their 26 to the Cougar 27 and took almost six minutes off the game clock. Under two minutes, the Cougars burned two timeouts, and the Bulldog drive ended on a missed fourth down pass.
Leon needed to go 73 yards in 1:40 and convert the two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. Thomas hit Wyatt Moore for 14 yards and a first down. Brigner caught a second 14-yard pass, and a personal foul was added to the end of the run. Two more completed passes set the Cougar offense at the Wortham three-yard line. On third and goal from the one, Brigner fell across the plain for the touchdown, cutting the lead to 20-18. On the conversion, Brigner took the handoff and had a wall of blockers for a walk in conversion, but Johnson knifed his way threw and hit a leaping Brigner and knocking him to the ground just shy of the goal line. The score remained 20-18 with 16 seconds remaining.
The onside kick was recovered by James Johnson and the Bulldogs need one victory formation snap to end the game with the Bulldog win.
The Wortham Bulldogs finish the non-district portion of their schedule with a 2-1 record. They will have the open date for this week and will face Frost in the district opener at home on September 27.
(Photos by Jennifer Lansford)
