By JOSH FRYE
News Sportswriter
J.U. Blacksher’s Bulldogs were handed their first loss of the season last Friday, September 6, falling to Cottage Hill Christian Academy by a 51-7 score.
Quarterback K.D. Rabb led the Bulldogs offense, completing 8 of 21 pass attempts for 108 yards. JUB is now 2-1 on the season, 0-1 in region play.
JUB received the ball to start the game. Rabb picked up two first downs on quarterback keepers, but the drive failed to put points on the scoreboard.
After the pigskin was turned over on downs, CHCA made quick work of the Bulldogs defense, striking on a 64-yard rush for an early Warriors touchdown.
Following a true extra-point kick, the Warriors led 7-0.
JUB attempted to generate an offensive counterstrike, but a Bulldogs fumble led to a quick halt. With 3:51 left to go in the first quarter, CHCA struck again with a 30-yard field goal, extending its lead to 10-0.
As the second quarter began, the Warriors continued the scoring streak with a 34-yard touchdown pass, increasing the lead to 17-0.
JUB attempted to answer with a 9-yard field goal attempt on the next drive but a false start penalty cut the opportunity short. Following the penalty, the Bulldogs attempted another run but couldn’t get into the end zone.
As the football fell back into the hands of the Warrior offense, CHCA struck with a 77-yard passing touchdown with 5:24 left in the half. As the extra-point attempt sailed through the air, JUB’s Tucker Spence batted it away.
The Warriors then led 23-0, and with just under a minute to go in the half, a Bulldogs fumble turned the ball back over.
CHCA took advantage of the JUB offensive bad luck and struck on a 45-yard TD pass with 4.3 seconds left in the half, stretching the halftime lead to 30-0.
The Warriors wasted no time extending the lead even more as they gained another touchdown to start the third quarter, skyrocketing the lead, 37-0.
The Bulldogs attempted to drive downfield on the next few possessions but were stopped by penalties and a strong CHCA defense.
The Warriors continued the assault on the Bulldogs with touchdowns passes of 27 yards and 34 yards.
JUB’s only bright moment came with 5:41 left in the game, when Rabb connected with Spence on a 17-yard TD pass, putting the Bulldogs on the board. Andrew Dawson tacked on the extra point kick, but it was too little too late, and the Warriors walked away with the 51-7 win.
Offensively, JaDaniel Nettles had 8 carries for 103 yards to lead the Bulldogs offense. J.T. Tucker tallied 3 receptions for 61 yards.
Defensively, Jaylin Hunt registered 11 tackles and a sack, while Spence also had 11 tackles.
“It was a poor effort; the guys didn’t play well,” JUB head coach Wes Sims said. “We had several missed assignments and were terrible across the board. The game started out bad for us and that trend continued throughout the game.”
Sims stressed that the Bulldogs have set a goal for improvements in all areas during this week’s practice as they prepare to host region rival Choctaw County this Friday.