The Wortham Bulldogs scored 68 points in the 2018 season. Last Friday night at Bulldog Stadium, Wortham torched the scoreboard with a 70-point night and 600 yards of offense and the held off the Dallas First Baptist Academy Saints 70-66 to begin the season at 2-0.
Wortham quarterback Brandon Coker flirted with several school records with 50 points scored with six touchdowns and seven two-point conversions. His 285 rushing yards ranked him fourth all time in Wortham school history.
The Bulldogs set two school records with 34 first down and combining with the Saints for 1116 yards of total offense. The teams combined for 136 points which shatters a school record previously set in 1973 when Wortham and Scurry-Rosser combined for 90 points in an 84-6 Wortham win. The 70 points ties for fifth all-time and is the most in a game dating back to a win over Coolidge 89-0 in 1978.
The game started with the Saints scorching on the offensive side of the ball and scored ten touchdowns to the Bulldogs nine, but the conversions were the difference in the game.
Dallas First Baptist started early with three touchdown passes that make the highlight reel. The scores came in touchdown passes of 58, 64 and 35 yards and built a 22-8 lead.
Wortham scored in the first quarter when a jet sweep to Lane McDaniel netted 69 yards down to the Saint six-yard line. Coker scored on the one-yard run and passed to Andrew Hagen for the conversion. Coker added another short touchdown run to cut the lead to 22-16 when he added the first of seven two-point conversions.
On the kickoff, Christian Curry took the ball on one bounce and raced 72 yards for the score and a 28-16 lead.
The Bulldogs cut the lead to four early in the second quarter on an eight-play drive. Coker had a 43-yard run and Riley Baker added a 15-yard run inside the Saint 20. Coker finished the drive and added the conversion to trail 28-24.
Dallas First Baptist quarterback Josue Preza II was putting on a show of his own with his fourth touchdown pass of the game and conversion run to put the lead back to 36-24.
Wortham wasted little time closing the halftime gap to four on a drive that had a 39-yard Coker run to the Saint 20. Three plays later freshman running back Tanner Bean scored on a five-yard run with a Coker conversion and the Bulldogs trailed at the half 36-32.
The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game on a quick four play drive. Coker had a 34-yard run to the Saint 20 and finished the drive with a four-yard run. Coker had the conversion run and Wortham had a 40-36 lead.
The see-saw battle had begun on a touchdown run by Saint running back Deshawn Cooley and Dallas First Baptist pulled into the lead 42-40.
Wortham would regain the lead on an impressive drive and took some valuable time off the clock. Bean had runs of 19 and nine for first downs and Coker added some short runs inside the ten. Coker scored on the one-yard run and again added the conversion for the 48-42 lead.
First Baptist tied the game in the final minute of the third quarter on Preza touchdown run. Wortham finished the quarter with the ball and capped an eight-play drive with a Baker touchdown from 14 yards away. The conversion was no good and the lead with six at 54-48.
The Saints quickly tied the score in a matter of seconds on a Preza 61-yard touchdown run. The Bulldog defense turned the Saints away on a very important conversion and the score remained tied 54-54.
Wortham went back to work on offense with a 50-yard drive ending in a Bean 19-yard touchdown run with Coker adding the conversion run and the Bulldogs were ahead to stay at 62-54. Dallas First Baptist took one play to score on a touchdown pass to Curry but could not get any closer when Chance Latham knocked the conversion pass to the ground and the Saints trailed 62-60.
The Bulldog defense had to step in late in the game of crazy offensive numbers. The Saints recovered the kickoff on the on-sides attempt and took over at the 50-yard line. Preza dropped to pass and his pass was intercepted by Coker and he led his offense back on the field after the turnover exchange.
Wortham added the scored to seal the game on a 42-yard touchdown run by Coker with only a couple of minutes remaining in the game. He would add the seventh conversion run to go with his six touchdowns to score the games 70th point.
The Bulldogs would need all of them when Preza threw his fifth touchdown pass of the night to Ashton Levells for a 35 yard score and the pass was dropped on the conversion attempt and the game would have one final on-sides kick attempt with the Saints trailing 70-66.
The kick was covered by the Bulldogs and they ran out the clock to preserve the wild, wild win.
This game showed the Bulldogs as underdogs by as many as 40 points based on the 34-0 loss last season. This will be established as one of the largest upsets of the year, and certainly an offensive night no one would have seen.
The Wortham Bulldogs are 2-0 on the young season and will play the third game in a row at home when the Bartlett Bulldogs visit to play the Bulldogs.
