PHOTO GALLERY: Bulldogs stop Eagles

BULLS GAP — The Bulls Gap Bulldogs rolled past the Surgoinsville Eagles 30-8 on Thursday, Oct. 3, in the final middle school football game of the season. It was eighth grade night for the Bulldogs, who recognized five football players and three cheerleaders.

The Bulldogs successfully executed an onside kick on the opening kickoff, recovering on the Eagles 45. Cylan Lawless carried three times to the 15 and then threw to Neyland Keller for a touchdown.

The Bulldogs scored again with Lawless running 55 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. The home team led 12-0 at halftime.

The Bulldogs scored again to open the third quarter, with Lawless and Blake Arnott doing the damage on the ground. Lawless scored from five yards out to help the Bulldogs take an 18-0 lead. The Bulldogs added another score late in the third quarter when Arnott rambled in from the 8-yard line.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter when Halen Mayes ran 71 yards for the touchdown. He ran in the PAT to cut the Bulls Gap lead to 24-8. The Bulldogs had a 51-yard drive capped off with an Arnott touchdown pass to make the final score 30-8.

“We came a long way this year. Surgoinsville whipped us when we scrimmaged at the beginning of the year, and we came out and beat them today,’’ said Bulls Gap coach Shawn Bond. “I’m really proud of this group. We were really young this year. We had 12 sixth graders. It’s really good that we got to finish on a win.”

The game, originally scheduled for Sept. 26, was rescheduled due to storm-related delays. It was the final game of the 2024 season for both teams.